KKC Theory WikiAlar as Love 'Despite': Holding a True Belief That Contradicts the Evidence
Abenthy's Alar lesson and Kvothe's 'love despite' parallel: one can hold a firm belief even against the Cthaeh's foreseen future.
Also involves: Abenthy, The Cthaeh, Haliax, Denna, Sympathy
The theory§
This theory draws a line between two passages built on the same word, 'despite.' In Abenthy's lesson on Alar, Kvothe learns to hold a divided mind, retaining his firm belief that a dropped stone would not fall 'despite evidence to the contrary,' the foundational exercise of a riding-crop will. Later, reflecting on his lute, Kvothe says the truest love is to know a thing's flaws and love it 'despite' them. The theory fuses these: Alar is not merely a tool for sympathy but a faculty of belief held against reality, and the same faculty lets one love, or judge, against the evidence. Applied to Lanre and Haliax, it suggests Kvothe could choose to see the wronged 'Lord among his people' as a good wolf, as Denna does in her contested song, even though the Cthaeh foresees a fixed future, because Alar permits a true belief that contradicts what is foreseen.
Evidence§
victory, Kvothe manages to believe *despite evidence to the contrary*. … Finally Ben was able to drop the rock and **I retained my firm belief that it wouldn't fall despite evidence to the contrary.**
OP's foundation: Abenthy's Alar lesson is holding a firm belief against the evidence. — u/SmurphiliciousThat is why I made the comparison between Alar and faith in my last post. Because most people know that "having faith" walks that fine line between belief and delusion
Reframes Alar as faith, a belief held on a narrow line between truth and delusion. — u/SmurphiliciousBut to love something *despite*. To know the flaws and love them too. That is rare and pure and perfect.
Links the lute passage: truest love knows flaws and loves anyway, same 'despite' faculty. — u/SmurphiliciousIt's the same lesson. Kvothe hasn't fooled himself into perceiving something false. He knows its flaws, and loves it anyway. Just as he retained his firm belief that the stone wouldn't fall, *despite* evidence to the contrary. … Both are true despite being contradictory, same as the stone.
OP fuses the two passages: love-despite and belief-despite are one faculty holding contradictory truths. — u/SmurphiliciousThat same lesson applies to a certain Lord among his people. A hero wrongly used, who has done terrible things. Kvothe could choose to love *despite* … he could choose to see them in the same light that Denna chooses to see. As a good wolf, not a bad one.
Applies the faculty to Lanre/Haliax: one can choose to see the wronged lord as good. — u/SmurphiliciousThe future that the Cthaeh sees will happen. Did happen. Is happening. … But you can retain a firm belief that it *also* didn't, despite alllll the evidence to the contrary. Both can be true. You can choose a different Path, a different branching future.
Conclusion: Alar lets one hold a true belief contradicting the Cthaeh's foreseen, fixed future. — u/Smurphiliciousthere is at least one other example of this sort of… … how or when K is discussing Denna in the frame story with Chronicler and Bast, and how Kvothenkinda 'rebuffs' the presumed realities that Bast points out, Denna's physical and real imperfections
Comment adds a further instance: Kvothe rebuffs Denna's real flaws, same line of love-despite. — u/Saintly-NightSoilIf the stone was falling between the skies of two worlds then it'd be perpetually falling, never landing, and thus floating.
CounterComment offers an alternate, literal reading of the floating stone rather than the belief metaphor. — u/Jandy777
Book refs: NOTW, WMF
Tier reasoning§
fringe correct; thematic/symbolic speculation rather than concrete lore claim