KKC Theory WikiAuri's Lettuce Riddle Mirrors the Disguised Identities at the Waystone
Auri's apple/bun/lettuce line secretly maps onto Chronicler, Bast and Kvothe hiding their true selves at the inn.
Also involves: Bast, Chronicler, Waystone Inn
The theory§
During one of their nighttime meetings beneath the University, Auri presents Kvothe with food described as an apple that thinks it is a pear, a bun that thinks it is a cat, and a lettuce that thinks it is a lettuce. When Kvothe calls the lettuce clever, Auri replies that nothing clever would think itself a lettuce, and laments how awful it is to be a lettuce and to truly believe you are one. The theory reads this riddle as a coded map of the frame story's three disguised figures at the Waystone Inn: Chronicler as the apple that thinks it is a pear, Bast as the bun that thinks it is a cat, and Kvothe as the lettuce that genuinely believes it is nothing more than a lettuce. Auri's lament directly echoes Bast's grief that Kvothe has so buried himself in the role of Kote the innkeeper that he now believes he is only Kote, the most tragic of the three because his self-deception is complete and sincere.
Evidence§
"l have an apple that thinks it is a pear," she said. holding it up. "And a bun that thinks it is a cat. And a lettuce that thinks it is a lettuce."
The source riddle: three foods that think they are something other than themselves. — u/InterestingBaker9477It seems she's pretty clearly mirroring the discussions Bast had with Chronicler about Kvothe and their situation in the inn and their internal identities.
OP's core claim: the riddle mirrors the inn characters' disguised identities. — u/InterestingBaker9477All three of them have disguises going on; Chronicler is the apple that thinks it's a pear, Bast is the bun that thinks it's a cat, and Kvothe is the lettuce that thinks it's a lettuce.
The explicit one-to-one mapping of each food onto a disguised figure. — u/InterestingBaker9477And Auri's comment about the lettuce is obviously very similar to Bast lamenting about how terrible it is that Kvothe is now truly believing he is nothing more than Kote the Innkeeper.
Links Auri's lettuce lament to Bast's grief over Kvothe's complete self-deception. — u/InterestingBaker9477OP understands the mind of Pat. And thats not sarcasm, I truly mean that.
Endorsement that the reading captures the author's intent. — u/UltraBobTWhat do you make of the squash that knows it's a squash but is pretending to be a sunset?
Refines the scheme by raising another food line the mapping must account for. — u/North_Range_6191
Book refs: WMF
Tier reasoning§
distinct theory; plausible fits the parallel with Bast's grief
Contributors§
- u/chainsawx72 — extended · 19 pts