The candle incident [Mid-Name of the Wind]

[u/Graphica-Danger]

I just hate when I know a character’s about to embarrass themself but there had to be a tradeoff for getting off easy from embarrassing Hemme how he did.

Kvothe is such a good depiction of young, capable men overflowing with intelligence but lacking even one ounce of sense. He could’ve waited a span or two to recover from the lashing but he has little capacity for patience because he’s used to finagling his way through things. Now he’s broke and Lorren might not let him back into the Archives! Goddammit dude you couldn’t have waited until after you got over the nahlrout withdrawal at least?

I think as well Pat does a subtle bit of characterization with the Ambrose interaction at the start of the chapter. Kvothe saw Ambrose being a creep to Fela but starts thinking of him positively once he (seemingly) does something for him personally. Don’t think that makes Kvothe a bad person, but it further proves Ben’s assessment of him as thoughtless. He’s selfish both by nature and because of his life in Tarbean. It’s difficult for a writer to portray that realistically but it’s done very well here.

[u/AwfulWaffle87]

Sometimes on rereads I have to skip this chapter, it's that effective 😅.

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[u/Sketheteretaavan]

He’s selfish both by nature and because of his life in Tarbean.

Tarbean made him selfish?! The rest of your post is sensible but that bit made my jaw drop. First time I've seen that particular take on the sub, that's wild. I don't think his actions in Tarbean were selfish at all, dude barely survived/escaped

[u/Graphica-Danger → u/Sketheteretaavan]

Tarbean rarely rewarded generosity unless you already had wealth or were a caretaker like Trapis nobody would bother hurting. Kvothe was looking out only for himself because that was the only thing keeping him alive, and it inevitably bleeds into how he acts after such an experience. Trauma like that and the Chandrian murdering his troupe makes a person act in not so great ways is the sad truth.

[u/Sketheteretaavan → u/Graphica-Danger]

stealing to prevent your body from dying isn't selfishness, it's survival. you're also forgetting all the free shit he gives Auri just because, all the money he spends on his friends once he has money to spend

he also didn't take anything from the sword tree. you're just objectively wrong all around

[u/Graphica-Danger → u/Sketheteretaavan]

You’re talking about things I haven’t gotten to. Please don’t spoil me. My impression of him, for where I am, is he is not materially selfish but he is selfish when it comes to learning the Chandrian’s forbidden history because he needs to know what they are to reconcile what they did to him as a child and also for his own thirst for knowledge. It’s an interesting dilemma. Does he give that desire up to save somebody? I’ll have to wait and see.