KKC Theory Wiki

Simmon Is the Blind Man Kvothe Sings Colors To

fringe identity · popularity 108 · 1 source thread

Kvothe's claim that he once sang colors to a blind man refers to Simmon, blinded in an alchemy accident.

About: Simmon, Kvothe

Also involves: Ambrose Jakis, Naming, Crucible

The theory§

Among the impossible-sounding feats Kvothe lists in the frame, he claims he once sang colors to a blind man, playing seven hours until the man said he saw them, green and red and gold. This theory attaches that feat to Simmon, proposing that rather than dying, Sim is blinded by an alchemy accident in the Crucible, possibly arranged by Ambrose, and that Kvothe later sings the colors back to him. The hook is Sim's own joke about a Crucible mishap that left him nearly blind for a day, set against the books' repeated warnings about how dangerous alchemy is. The strongest objection is that a man who had sight his whole life and lost it would already know his colors and need only be told them, not sung to for seven hours; the feat instead describes restoring color to someone blind from birth.

Evidence§

  • “Once, I sang colors to a blind man. Seven hours I played, but at the end he said he saw them, green and red and gold.”
    The frame-story feat the theory attaches to Simmon. — u/ShanonymousRex
  • “… No hard feelings about that time in the Crucible when you mixed my salts and I was nearly blind for a day. No. No, really, drink up!”
    Sim's joke about a Crucible mishap that nearly blinded him. — u/ShanonymousRex
  • There’s plenty of times throughout both books that Sim and other characters acknowledge how dangerous alchemy is.
    Establishes alchemy's danger making such an accident plausible. — u/ShanonymousRex
  • rather than dying in the book, I propose Sim is blinded in the Crucible, either by accident or Ambrose arranges it, and Kvothe is the one who sings colors to him.
    OP's core proposal: Sim blinded, possibly by Ambrose, then Kvothe sings. — u/ShanonymousRex
  • A person who lost their sight for a day after a lifetime of seeing wouldn't need someone to play for seven hours for them to understand and see colors.
    CounterTop objection: a once-sighted man already knows colors. — u/cyclejones
  • I agree with all the other commenter's that a person who had sight their whole life and is then permanently blinded already knows their colors. You could just tell them. Kvothe's feat seemingly described someone who could never see.
    CounterRefines counter: feat fits someone blind from birth, not Sim. — u/LostInStories222
  • kvothe should be singing colors to someone who born blind, it only make sense that way.
    CounterReinforces that the feat suits a congenitally blind person. — u/Stannis44
  • I don't think anything terrible has to happen to Sim. It may, but people are far more certain of that then the book gives us context for.
    Counters the premise that Sim must suffer this fate at all. — u/LostInStories222

Book refs: NOTW

Tier reasoning§

tier confirmed: fringe, top comments rebut the hook

Contributors§

Source threads§