Kaladin's Brands

[DalinarTD]

[Spoilering just in case]

So I just re-read Oathbringer and was curious if there's any significance to

Spoiler

Kaladin's brands flaring up during intense moments.  In chapter 120 ("The Spear That Would Not Break") it says "The brands on Kaladin's head seemed a fresh pain as he dove to strike Amaram".  I know this is most likely very minor and of little significance, and the only reason I thought more about this was because in another series I'm reading, The Song Of The Shattered Sands by Bradley Beaulieu, the main character Ceda has a very similar issue with a scar on her thumb that flares whenever she's in similar situations, however her scenario has a much more straightforward conclusion you could jump to about why this happens. Is this likely related to why stormlight doesn't heal his brands?  What causes this?

 

[Karger he/him]

39 minutes ago, DalinarTD said:

Is this likely related to why stormlight doesn't heal his brands?  What causes this?

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AhoyMatey (paraphrased)

Why didn’t Kaladin’s brand heal if Lopen can regrow an arm?

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

It comes down to how one views oneself. It is the answer that you think it is. So really what that’s saying is Kaladin sees himself as branded.

Words of Radiance Seattle signing (March 8, 2014)

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Questioner

I notice that Stormlight seems to be a bit volatile in how well it heals or who it heals. Because it seems like Renarin's eyesight would have been a long term problem, kinda like Rysn's legs maybe and Lopen's arm. But Lopen's arm got healed, Rysn's legs didn't and Kaladin's scars didn't. So I didn't know if there was a reason for those things.

Brandon Sanderson

So Stormlight healing, there's a couple things that have to be considered. But in reference to what you're saying, the person's perception of themselves is a huge part of it.  The way healing works in the cosmere is, you've got the three versions of yourself. You've got your Physical version, your Cognitive version, and your Spiritual version, And a lot of Stormlight is taking your Physical version and matching it to the Spiritual version which is your ideal self.  But it has to be filtered through the lens of your mind, and things like this.

I almost always--probably should say always--am using it to reinforce some sort of character attribute. The fact that Lopen never saw himself, even though he only had one arm, as being disabled, as a big influence, versus whether Kaladin feels deserves his brands or not. Does that makes sense?  And those are two very different things that influence how the healing works. And you will see that as a metaphor and theme, if you watch what heals and what doesn't.

Orem signing (March 10, 2018)

I don't think anything magical is happening with the flare ups of pain.  I think it is psychological. 

[Rushu42 she/her]

I think it's meant to serve a symbolic purpose. The brands represent a lot of the guilt that he carries from his past, and when he (to use your example) attacks Amaram, he becomes more aware of those old wounds. Or, at least, that was my reading of it.

[Frustration]

9 minutes ago, Rushu42 said:

I think it's meant to serve a symbolic purpose. The brands represent a lot of the guilt that he carries from his past, and when he (to use your example) attacks Amaram, he becomes more aware of those old wounds. Or, at least, that was my reading of it.

The reason that they're going away after the fourth Ideal.

[earthexile]

This might be reaching a little, but I think it works with the system as we understand it- what if Kaladin's Spiritual self-image of the brands involves them being painful? He's supercharged with an unusual level of Stormlight during this fight- what if enough Stormlight healing, because it aligns you to your Spritual truth and Cognitive perception of yourself, makes his brand hurt? 

I don't know. It seems most likely to me that it's an emotional thing entirely.

[cfphelps he/him]

Amaram gave him the brands so it makes sense that he'd be hyper aware of them when facing him again.