KKC Theory Wiki

Kvothe's Alar Is Like Ramston Steel — And It Eventually Shatters

well-supported mechanism · popularity 353 · 1 source thread

Kvothe's proud boast that his alar is 'like a blade of Ramston Steel' foreshadows that it broke, explaining why Kote can't do sympathy.

About: Alar, Kvothe

Also involves: Sympathy, The Wise Man's Fear, Vintas

The theory§

Throughout his schooling Kvothe boasts that his alar is 'like a blade of Ramston steel,' presenting it as a mark of exceptional discipline. The comparison curdles in chapter 75 of The Wise Man's Fear, when a Vintish tinker on the road repeats his father's saying that a Ramston knife is 'the best knife you'll ever have until it breaks,' and Kvothe himself concedes Ramston steel is good but brittle. The theory reads the recurring simile as deliberate foreshadowing: Kvothe's alar, like the steel, shatters rather than bends under extreme pressure, which is why the present-day Kote can no longer perform sympathy. Supporting details include Devi's contrasting boast of an alar 'like the ocean in storm' (a flexible, unbreakable strength), Kvothe's repeated doubts about his own sanity, and Kote's failure in the frame story to ignite alcohol thrown on a skin-dancer.

Evidence§

  • Many times throughout the series Kvothe says that his alar is like a blade of Ramston Steel. These instances are played as a positive thing, to highlight how strong his alar is.
    OP's premise: the simile is recurring and read as a sign of strong alar. — u/RustyPieCaptain
  • The tinker remarks that his Father told him that a Ramston knife is "The best knife you'll ever have until it breaks.". Also, Kvothe says that Ramston Steel is good but brittle.
    Core textual hinge: Ramston steel is brittle and breaks, reframing the simile. — u/RustyPieCaptain
  • Do you all think that perhaps the reason Kvothe can't do magic in the current day is because his alar broke? … Perhaps he had the best alar a person will ever have....until it broke?
    OP's conclusion: broken alar explains present-day inability to do magic. — u/RustyPieCaptain
  • Pat is very careful with his analogies, and he makes this comparison a fair few times, I think you could be on to something.
    Supports deliberate authorial intent behind the repeated analogy. — u/PaintingSensitive
  • That tinker made me think the same thing, and the way he is unable to use sympathy to ignite the alcohol he threw on that skin walker or whatever suggests that it did indeed break.
    Frame-story evidence: Kote's failed sympathy implies the alar broke. — u/No_Doughnut8618
  • Kvothe also regularly mentions his mental state as fragile in the story. He questions whether he is still sane on the regular. … Does sound like the limit of his alar is madness.
    Refines mechanism: fragile sanity is the breaking point of his alar. — u/CarpeValde
  • as ramston is brittle it will shatter rather than bend which indicates a breaking point to the alar
    Refines: brittleness means it shatters rather than bends under pressure. — u/ruban22449911
  • I don’t think it’s the best alar a person will ever have. I think Devi’s is stronger and will remain so. Wise men are never said to fear Ramston steel but they do fear “a sea in storm”.
    CounterCounter: Devi's flexible 'ocean in storm' alar is stronger and won't break. — u/AberNurse
  • I always thought that Kvothe is already using his alar to hide himself from everyone, so he can't partition his mind anymore.
    CounterCounter: alternative explanation; alar is occupied hiding him, not broken. — u/MazorkaPlanet

Book refs: WMF, WMF ch 75

Tier reasoning§

strong textual support for the simile and its ominous reframing

Contributors§

Source threads§