The Stone Sky
Chapter 11: YOU’RE PLANNING AHEAD
by Jemisin, N. K.The chapter begins with Ykka’s unexpected willingness to integrate Maxixe and his group into Castrima, despite their health issues. She values their resources, knowledge, and orogenic skills, pragmatically noting that Maxixe’s survival need only last long enough to benefit the community. Her tactful avoidance of mentioning Alabaster hints at a growing forgiveness toward the protagonist, Essun, who reflects on the fragile hope of rebuilding friendships. However, Essun’s internal struggle resurfaces as she questions her reasons for staying in Castrima—primarily for Nassun’s future, her own limitations, and the lack of direction in finding her daughter.
Essun’s emotional turmoil deepens when Hoa, her stone-eater companion, reveals he can track Nassun’s movements due to her connection with an obelisk. His troubled tone hints at a darker reality: Nassun may be attempting to open the Obelisk Gate herself, a feat that could kill her. Essun’s immediate fear stems from her awareness of Nassun’s latent power, surpassing her own understanding of the obelisks. Hoa’s hesitation further reveals that Nassun’s actions have drawn the attention of other stone eaters, particularly the manipulative Gray Man, who seeks to exploit orogenes for his own ends.
The tension escalates as Essun confronts Hoa about his selective honesty, accusing him of withholding critical truths. Their argument underscores her frustration and helplessness, compounded by the revelation that Nassun intentionally killed her father, Jija. This news shocks Essun, who grapples with conflicting emotions—relief at Nassun’s safety, fear for her daughter’s moral descent, and a dawning realization of Nassun’s agency and potential trauma. Hoa’s delivery of this information leaves Essun silent and troubled, foreshadowing deeper emotional and existential crises.
The chapter closes with Essun’s internal chaos laid bare, though her outward composure remains intact. The narrative emphasizes her complex relationship with Hoa, her grief for Alabaster, and her mounting dread for Nassun’s fate. The revelations about Nassun’s actions and the stone eaters’ machinations set the stage for a fraught journey ahead, blending personal stakes with broader existential threats. Essun’s resilience is tested as she confronts the consequences of her choices and the unsettling evolution of her daughter’s power.
FAQs
1. How does Ykka justify her decision to adopt Maxixe and his people despite their health issues?
Answer:
Ykka justifies her decision by focusing on the practical benefits Maxixe’s group brings to the community. While she acknowledges their severe health problems—such as Maxixe’s advanced ash lung and others’ medical issues—she values their additional supplies, knowledge of the area, and precision orogeny, which can help protect the group from attacks. She pragmatically notes that Maxixe doesn’t need to live forever, just long enough to contribute to the community’s survival. This reflects her utilitarian leadership style, prioritizing collective security over individual welfare (e.g., “Long enough to help the comm will be enough for her”).2. What are Essun’s three primary reasons for staying with Castrima, and how do they reflect her internal conflict?
Answer:
Essun stays with Castrima for three key reasons:- Nassun’s future: She hopes to provide shelter for Nassun once reunited.
- Inability to survive alone: With her compromised orogeny and physical limitations (e.g., one arm), she recognizes the journey to find Nassun would be fatal without support.
- Uncertainty of direction: Hoa confirms Nassun is moving unpredictably, leaving Essun without a clear destination. These reasons highlight her struggle between maternal duty and helplessness, as well as her reliance on the community despite her desire to act independently (e.g., “You don’t know where to go anymore”).
3. Why does Hoa’s revelation about Nassun’s plan to open the Obelisk Gate evoke such a strong reaction from Essun?
Answer:
Essun reacts with visceral fear because she understands the lethal risks of opening the Obelisk Gate—a feat she barely survived. Her belief in Nassun’s capability stems from witnessing her daughter’s innate connection to the obelisks (“she understood the obelisks better than you ever will”). The revelation also implies Nassun is being manipulated by the Gray Man, a stone eater who preys on orogenes’ desperation. Essun’s anger at Hoa for withholding this truth underscores her trauma from similar exploitation at Castrima and her fear for Nassun’s safety (e.g., “Rusting bastard must be terribly disappointed that Uche died by filicide rather than stoning”).4. Analyze the significance of Essun’s reaction to Jija’s death. What does it reveal about her character and relationship with Nassun?
Answer:
Essun’s initial surprise—rather than anger or grief—at Jija’s death reveals her complex emotional detachment from him, prioritizing Nassun’s safety (“relief that Nassun’s safe now”). However, her subsequent fear upon learning Nassun killed him intentionally suggests dread over her daughter’s moral transformation. This mirrors Essun’s own violent past (e.g., killing Uche) and forces her to confront the consequences of her actions on Nassun’s psyche. The moment underscores their fraught bond, where love is intertwined with trauma and inherited cycles of violence (e.g., “It takes you a moment to say aloud, ‘She killed him? On purpose?’”).5. How does the chapter’s narrative perspective (second-person “you”) deepen the reader’s understanding of Essun’s emotional state?
Answer:
The second-person perspective immerses readers in Essun’s internal contradictions—her outward stoicism (“your face has gone blank”) versus her turbulent emotions (“a Rifting-level shake, inside you”). This technique highlights her self-deception and vulnerability, as when she masks fear with anger at Hoa. The narrator’s interjection (“I know you”) reinforces Essun’s isolation and the weight of her unresolved trauma, making her struggles more intimate and visceral for the reader. The style effectively mirrors her fractured identity as both a mother and a weapon of destruction.- Nassun’s future: She hopes to provide shelter for Nassun once reunited.
Quotes
1. “She can put up with a lot from people who bring in extra supplies, knowledge of the area, and precision orogeny that can help safeguard the group against attack. And, she adds, Maxixe doesn’t have to live forever. Long enough to help the comm will be enough for her.”
This quote reveals Ykka’s pragmatic leadership style, where utility outweighs sentimentality. It underscores the harsh survival calculus of the post-apocalyptic world, where even dying members are valued for their temporary contributions.
2. “It’ll be good to have a friend again. Friends. Again.”
A rare moment of vulnerability from Essun, highlighting her isolation and longing for human connection amid her grief and mission. The repetition emphasizes both her hope and her awareness of how tenuous such bonds are.
3. “You don’t know where to go anymore.”
This simple admission captures Essun’s existential crisis after learning Nassun is moving unpredictably. It represents a key turning point where her physical journey becomes secondary to her psychological and emotional disorientation.
4. “I believe Nassun seeks to open the Obelisk Gate herself.”
Hoa’s revelation shifts the entire narrative stakes, revealing Nassun’s dangerous ambition and paralleling Essun’s own journey. The quote introduces the central conflict of whether Nassun will succeed—or die—in attempting this cataclysmic act.
5. “There have always been those who use despair and desperation as weapons.”
This profound observation by Hoa encapsulates the predatory nature of the stone eaters’ relationship with orogenes. It reflects the broader theme of exploitation throughout the series, where power preys on vulnerability.