A Strange Hybrid

"Two paths. Opposites, in many ways.
He could only choose one" (364).
Brandon Sanderson's The Way of Kings (2010)

Points for Reflection

Brandon Sanderson's The Way of Kings (2010), Part Two (chps. 12-27, pp. 165-405)

1. what physical feature of Laral’s does Kal find most compelling, and what does this have to do with the Alethi class system?
2. is farming respected as much as military service in Alethi culture?
3. do Alethi gender roles appear rigid or flexible, and do they empower one sex more than the other?
4. do Syl’s questions about truth, lies, and honor—and Kaladin’s responses—suggest that these principles are highly subjective, or static and unchanging?
5. does Kaladin’s and Syl’s conversation about the nature of “madness” concretize the notion, or destabilize it?
6. does practicing medicine guarantee one social position and respect?
7. is young Kaladin capable of understanding what motivates Laral’s altered behavior?
8. is Alethi culture powerfully tied to the past, or do they live primarily in the present?
9. who in Alethi society benefits from ongoing warfare?
10. which is more powerful, a large or small gemheart?
11. is harvesting knobweed a simple or arduous process?
12. what are the benefits and drawbacks of using shardblades as weapons?
13. does the shardplate worn by warriors resemble medieval armor at all?
14. is “the Thrill” a kind of battle-induced bloodlust, or something more profound?
15. what moral principles does Nohadon’s book, The Way of Kings, recommend?
16. why do the bridgemen from other crews begin to actively dislike Bridge Four?
17. is Gaz, the bridge sergeant of Bridge Four, willing to bond with the men he oversees?
18. which of the bridgemen appear least willing to emerge from the nihilism forced on them by fate?
19. is the battle-induced Thrill an asset in Dalinar’s drive to unite the Alethi people?
20. how does Dalinar’s leadership style compare with Sadeas’s?
21. why does Dalinar attempt to live by the Codes, and how do others react to this devotion?
22. does Dalinar’s perspective on battle mirror that of Roion, another highprince?
23. to what degree does Dalinar trust the visions he has during highstorms?
24. does the evidence support Wit’s claim that Renarin is “‘less fragile’” than he appears (199)?
25. what about his deceased wife can Dalinar recall for memory?
26. was Gavilar Kholin cast in the mold of the Sunmaker, “the last Alethi king to unite the highprinces” (353), or did he reign in a radically different manner?
27. Dalinar notes that Elhokar, currently 27 years old, often acts like a much younger boy.  What moments support this conclusion?
28. does Elhokar’s paranoia compromise his ability to project power and authority?
29. does the evidence support Dalinar’s assertion that Sadeas has a “good man” hiding inside him (237)?
30. can we identify the cause of those overwhelmingly melancholic emotions Kaladin sometimes feels?
31. do Kaladin’s dreams of becoming a fighter trounce his sympathy for the sick and wounded?
32. Gaz tells Kaladin one “‘can’t have authority without a ran,’” though Syl disagrees (215).  Does the novel implicitly support one perspective over the other?
33. does compassion make one a better leader?
34. Kaladin considers himself unlucky, though others think him blessed.  What explains the disconnect?
35. what value system does Syl appear to have buried deep inside her, and does this system of ethics echo or deviate from Kaladin’s own value system?
36. do the flashbacks which reveal moments from Kaladin childhood sketch a family whose influence lingers in the present, or a family—and memories—from which he has severed himself?

The Way of Kings (2010)
Michael Whelan

Dr. Paul Marchbanks
pmarchba@calpoly.edu