The Obelisk Gate
Chapter 10: you’ve got a big job ahead of you
by Jemisin, N.K.The chapter delves into the complex relationship between the narrator and Alabaster, exploring themes of identity, defiance, and survival. The narrator reflects on their past perception of Alabaster as “crazy,” realizing this label was a way to distance themselves from the truth: that roggas who resist oppression are often dismissed as irrational. Alabaster’s refusal to obey unjust systems taught the narrator that compliance offers no safety, ultimately inspiring their own courage. The emotional weight of their bond is underscored by shared grief and trauma, particularly over the loss of Innon, whose death at the hands of the Guardians left both deeply scarred.
Alabaster recounts his harrowing journey after being taken by Antimony, describing how he was dragged deep into the earth and nearly consumed by stone. His survival, though miraculous, left him physically and emotionally shattered. The narrative shifts to his discovery of Corepoint, a mysterious, ancient city on the opposite side of the world. This city, built around a gaping hole leading into a volcano, is a relic of a long-lost civilization, preserved in eerie perfection. Alabaster’s awe and sorrow are palpable as he contrasts humanity’s current struggle for survival with the advanced achievements of their ancestors.
Corepoint’s existence challenges the characters’ understanding of history and human potential. Alabaster describes the city’s strange, functioning infrastructure and its inhabitants—stone eaters who seem both fascinated and repelled by him. His time there is marked by isolation and a desperate search for meaning, as he grapples with the stone eaters’ motives and his own purpose. The city becomes a symbol of what humanity once was and what it has lost, evoking a profound sense of melancholy in Alabaster, who mourns not only his personal losses but the decline of civilization itself.
The chapter concludes with Alabaster’s strained attempts to communicate with the stone eaters, highlighting the cultural and linguistic divide between them. His frustration and curiosity mirror the narrator’s own journey of understanding, as both confront the limits of their knowledge and the vast unknowns of their world. The narrative leaves lingering questions about Corepoint’s significance and the role it may play in the larger conflict, while emphasizing the emotional and psychological toll of their experiences. The bond between Alabaster and the narrator remains central, forged through shared suffering and a relentless pursuit of truth.
FAQs
1. How does the chapter explore the concept of “craziness” in relation to roggas, and what does this reveal about societal perceptions of orogenes?
Answer:
The chapter deconstructs the label of “crazy” as applied to roggas (orogenes), revealing it as a tool of oppression. Society brands roggas as crazy due to their stone-manipulation abilities, alleged alliance with the “Evil Earth,” and perceived inhumanity. However, Alabaster and Essun’s reflections show that “crazy” is also weaponized against roggas who resist oppression—those who disobey the system. The text critiques how obedience is falsely equated with safety, as roggas face violence regardless (e.g., lynchings, forced breeding). This exposes “craziness” as a social construct to control marginalized groups rather than an objective truth (e.g., Essun initially calling Alabaster crazy to avoid confronting her own potential rebellion).2. Analyze the significance of Corepoint as described by Alabaster. How does this city challenge the characters’ understanding of history and human capability?
Answer:
Corepoint represents a paradigm shift for the characters, revealing humanity’s lost potential. The city—intact despite being tens of thousands of years old—features advanced, alien technology (e.g., living-seeming infrastructure, undecaying materials) centered around a mysterious volcanic hole. Alabaster contrasts this with the present era’s survival-focused stagnation (“growing beans with little light”). The city forces characters to reckon with the vast timeline of human existence beyond recorded history (which spans only 10,000–25,000 years) and the decline of civilization. Its existence underscores themes of cyclical decay and forgotten knowledge, as the stone eaters now inhabit what was clearly built by a far more advanced “deadciv.”3. How does the chapter use physicality (e.g., Alabaster’s injuries, Essun’s tactile care) to underscore emotional themes?
Answer:
Physical details serve as metaphors for emotional vulnerability and connection. Alabaster’s truncated arm—a visceral reminder of his trauma—mirrors his fragmented psyche after Innon’s death and his forced journey to Corepoint. Essun’s focus on mundane acts (e.g., noting his overgrown hair, planning to fetch scissors) reflects her avoidance of processing grief, channeling emotion into caretaking. Their physical proximity (Essun holding him upright) contrasts with Alabaster’s averted gaze, symbolizing emotional distance despite intimacy. Even his inability to shrug fully conveys the weight of his revelations. These details ground the abstract themes of loss and resilience in bodily experience.4. What does Alabaster’s account of Innon’s death reveal about the nature of Guardian magic and its impact on orogenes?
Answer:
Alabaster explains that Guardian magic is “contaminated” and “wrong,” causing violent dissolution (“shaking a person apart”). For orogenes attuned to the victim (like Essun and Alabaster with Innon), this magic registers as a traumatic “niner”—a seismic event sensed through orogeny. The description emphasizes the Guardians’ cruelty: their magic isn’t just lethal but designed to inflict maximum suffering on both victim and connected orogenes. This reinforces the systemic oppression roggas face, as Guardians weaponize magic to enforce control. The visceral pain Essun recalls (“worse than a niner”) underscores how orogenic attunement, while powerful, creates vulnerabilities to others’ suffering.5. How does the narrative structure (e.g., second-person perspective, interjections in parentheses) shape the reader’s understanding of Essun’s psychological state?
Answer:
The second-person “you” immerses readers in Essun’s conflicted psyche, blurring her self-criticism (“you pretended to hate him because you were a coward”) with broader truths about orogene identity. Parenthetical interjections (e.g., “I’ve been there. It’s difficult to describe”) create intimacy, suggesting Essun’s fragmented self-awareness as she oscillates between past and present. The conversational tone during Alabaster’s monologue (“you’re mindful of how much he hates being interrupted”) contrasts with her internal numbness (“no suitable thoughts… besides [haircuts]”), highlighting dissociation. This structure mirrors orogenic attunement—readers “sess” Essun’s emotions as she does Alabaster’s grief, making trauma palpable.
Quotes
1. “You pretended to hate him because you were a coward. But you eventually loved him, and he is part of you now, because you have since grown brave.”
This quote captures the protagonist’s emotional journey and the theme of self-deception giving way to courage. It reveals how fear of one’s own potential can manifest as hatred, and how embracing truth leads to growth.
2. “‘Crazy’ is what everyone thinks all roggas are, after all—addled by the time they spend in stone, by their ostensible alliance with the Evil Earth, by not being human enough.”
This powerful statement exposes the systemic dehumanization of roggas (magic-users) in this world. It critiques how society pathologizes difference and frames oppression as justified concern.
3. “When they shake a person apart, if you’re attuned to that person, it feels like a niner.”
This haunting description of the Guardians’ lethal magic illustrates the deep sensory and emotional connection between orogenes. The comparison to a “niner” (severe earthquake) makes the violence visceral and cosmic in scale.
4. “Once, we were so much more.”
Alabaster’s lament about humanity’s diminished state in their current apocalyptic world serves as both backstory and thematic anchor. The ruins of Corepoint represent lost potential and forgotten histories, contrasting with the characters’ survival-focused present.
5. “I cried for you and Innon and Coru for three days, there in that city of who we used to be.”
This emotional confession ties personal grief to civilizational loss. The setting of the ancient city makes private mourning resonate with larger themes of cultural memory and what endures through catastrophe.