The Obelisk Gate
Chapter 1: Nassun, on the rocks
by Jemisin, N.K.The chapter opens with a reflective meditation on identity, emphasizing how individuals are shaped by their relationships and experiences. The narrator addresses Essun directly, reminding her that she already knows her fate and the survival of her living child, Nassun. At eight years old, Nassun returns home to find her younger brother dead and her father standing over the body, a traumatic event that remains shrouded in mystery. The narrative then shifts to explore Nassun’s apprenticeship as a lorist, a role deeply tied to the preservation of history and survival lore in the Stillness, despite its diminished significance over time.
Lorists are described as enigmatic figures with a complex history, originating from the Regwo people but now largely disconnected from their roots. They carry polymer tablets, wear shabby clothes, and are recognized by their black-tinted lips, a fading tribute to their ancestors. Though their knowledge is often dismissed as unreliable, lorists serve as teachers, entertainers, and symbols of resilience during harsh times. Their survival through Seasons and societal changes highlights their enduring, if diminished, role in the Stillness. The chapter underscores the irony of their persistence despite institutional rejection and cultural erosion.
The focus then narrows to Renthree Lorist Stone, a wandering lorist who arrives in Tirimo. Once a glass-smith, Renthree was drawn into the lorist life by love and circumstance, embodying the profession’s cyclical nature. Her backstory reveals the personal sacrifices and fleeting connections that define lorists’ lives. When Nassun seeks her out, skipping creche to offer a diamond-embedded rock as tribute, the encounter becomes a pivotal moment. Nassun’s excitement and naivety contrast with Renthree’s seasoned perspective, hinting at the unspoken significance of the gift.
Nassun’s act of offering the diamond—a discovery made possible by her hidden orogeny—carries unintended weight. Unaware of its true value, she presents it as a token of her admiration, defying her mother’s warnings to conceal her abilities. The chapter closes with Renthree’s stunned reaction, foreshadowing the consequences of Nassun’s actions and the looming conflict between her potential and the constraints imposed by her world. The scene encapsulates themes of innocence, hidden power, and the tension between individual ambition and societal expectations.
FAQs
1. What is the significance of lorists in the Stillness, and how has their role evolved over time?
Answer:
Lorists in the Stillness are self-appointed keepers of stonelore, serving as historians, teachers, and cultural preservers. Originally from the Regwo people, they once chiseled vital survival knowledge into mountainsides. Over time, their role has been distorted by institutional disavowal (e.g., universities rejecting their work) and governmental propaganda, reducing their practical utility. Despite this, they persist, now identified by black-tinted lips (a homage to the Regwo) and carrying polymer tablets. Their modern functions include entertainment, childcare during Seasons, and symbolic reassurance of survival. The chapter highlights their decline from revered knowledge-bearers to marginalized figures, illustrating the Stillness’s cyclical destruction of history and memory.2. How does Nassun’s act of offering the diamond to Renthree Lorist Stone reflect her character and circumstances?
Answer:
Nassun’s impulsive gift of a diamond—unknowingly valuable—reveals her naivety, desperation, and latent power. At eight years old, she skips creche to pursue a dream of becoming a lorist, defying her mother’s strictures. The diamond, found through orogeny (a forbidden ability), symbolizes both her potential and her vulnerability: she doesn’t grasp its worth, just as she doesn’t fully understand the dangers of her powers. Her excitement contrasts with Renthree’s shock, underscoring Nassun’s isolation and yearning for guidance. This moment foreshadows her fraught relationship with authority and her struggle to navigate a world that fears her abilities.3. Analyze the narrative structure of the chapter, particularly the interjection “HMM. NO. I’M TELLING THIS WRONG.” How does this affect the storytelling?
Answer:
The abrupt meta-commentary disrupts the linear narrative, creating a layered, reflective tone. The narrator acknowledges that identity is shaped by relationships (“I am me, and you”), framing Nassun’s story as inseparable from Essun’s and others’. This technique invites readers to question memory and perspective, emphasizing how trauma (e.g., Nassun’s brother’s death) is often fragmented or unknowable. The interjection also builds intimacy, as if the narrator is revising the tale in real time to honor its complexity. This stylistic choice mirrors the lorists’ fragmented lore—history as an imperfect, evolving construct.4. Why might the author have chosen to include Renthree’s backstory in this chapter, and how does it connect to broader themes?
Answer:
Renthree’s history—seduced into loristry by a wandering mentor, then abandoned—parallels Nassun’s search for belonging and the cyclical nature of mentorship in the Stillness. Her journey from Breeder to lorist reflects themes of reinvention and survival, echoing how communities adapt during Seasons. The detail about her commissioning tablets with “mother-of-pearl” ties to the lorists’ role as preservers of beauty amid decay. Her story also critiques the profession’s romanticized veneer; like stonelore itself, it’s a patchwork of half-remembered truths. This underscores the novel’s exploration of how traditions persist even as their meanings erode.5. How does the chapter’s depiction of orogeny (through Nassun’s diamond discovery) complicate its portrayal of power and oppression?
Answer:
Nassun’s accidental discovery of the diamond—via orogeny—highlights the duality of her power: it’s both a resource (valuable gems) and a threat (forbidden ability). The diamond’s hidden worth mirrors how orogenes’ potential is suppressed by society. Her mother’s strict training (“not to display her orogeny”) reflects systemic oppression, yet Nassun’s innocent use of it for a personal goal reveals how power can’t be fully contained. This moment critiques the Stillness’s fear of orogeny: the very force it vilifies could sustain it (e.g., through mining), but prejudice prevents harnessing this potential, perpetuating cycles of scarcity and control.
Quotes
1. “After all, a person is herself, and others. Relationships chisel the final shape of one’s being.”
This opening philosophical statement sets the thematic foundation for the chapter, exploring how identity is shaped by relationships and external forces. It introduces the interconnected nature of characters in the narrative.
2. “Nassun, who is just eight years old when the world ends.”
This stark sentence marks a pivotal moment, establishing both Nassun’s youth and the catastrophic scale of events surrounding her. It creates dramatic tension by juxtaposing childhood innocence with apocalyptic circumstances.
3. “They’re still around, though they’ve forgotten how much they’ve forgotten.”
This insightful observation about the lorists encapsulates the novel’s recurring theme of lost knowledge and cultural erosion. It highlights the paradox of preservation institutions that have themselves become fragmented over time.
4. “Nassun knows it has some value, but she has no inkling that the pretty rock she’s just given to Renthree is worth a house or two. She’s only eight.”
This moment reveals Nassun’s naive yet powerful act of offering, demonstrating both her extraordinary abilities and childhood innocence. It foreshadows her untapped potential while emphasizing her vulnerability.