The Obelisk Gate
Chapter 13: you, amid relics
by Jemisin, N.K.The protagonist reflects on their life in Castrima, a community where their identity as an orogene is openly acknowledged—a rare luxury compared to past experiences. While adjusting to this new environment, they observe the harsh landscape, noting the proliferation of boilbug mounds, a potential threat. Teaching a group of young orogenes, they emphasize practical survival skills over theoretical knowledge, aware that the children must learn quickly to navigate a world that may turn against them. The protagonist’s methods are harsh but necessary, driven by the urgency of the ongoing Season and the need for self-preservation.
During a training session, the protagonist demonstrates advanced orogenic techniques, correcting the children’s mistakes with stern discipline. One near-fatal error prompts a forceful lesson on the consequences of carelessness. The children’s mixed reactions—fear, resentment, and subdued obedience—highlight the tension between survival and compassion. The protagonist grapples with guilt, recalling past failures with their own children, Nassun and Uche, and the unresolved regrets that weigh heavily on them. The chapter underscores the brutal reality of their world, where kindness is a luxury and survival demands sacrifice.
Later, the protagonist discusses their teaching methods with Alabaster, who critiques their approach as inefficient and misguided. Alabaster argues that the children’s rudimentary training detracts from the protagonist’s own advanced lessons, which are crucial for mastering deeper orogenic abilities. His disdain for the children’s potential contrasts with the protagonist’s defensive pride in their students, sparking a brief but revealing exchange. Alabaster’s criticism forces the protagonist to confront the limitations of their current path, both as a teacher and a learner.
The chapter closes with Alabaster revealing a critical flaw in the protagonist’s training: their focus on practical skills has dulled their sensitivity to finer orogenic manipulations. This setback underscores the tension between immediate survival and long-term mastery, mirroring the broader struggle of life in a fractured world. The protagonist’s frustration and Alabaster’s cryptic insights hint at deeper mysteries yet to be unraveled, leaving the reader with a sense of unresolved tension and impending revelation.
FAQs
1. How does the protagonist’s teaching approach with the orogene children differ from the Fulcrum’s methods, and why?
Answer:
The protagonist employs a harsh, accelerated teaching method focused on immediate practical survival skills, unlike the Fulcrum’s gradual, theory-based approach. She forces the children to quickly master torus control through intimidation and correction (even physically punishing mistakes), acknowledging they’ll only achieve crude imitation rather than refined skill. This contrasts sharply with the Fulcrum’s safe, gentle methods that allowed years for emotional development and theoretical understanding. The protagonist justifies this harshness by believing Castrima will eventually turn on the orogenes, and the children must be prepared to survive—a perspective shaped by her own traumatic experiences and the urgent demands of the Season.2. Analyze the significance of the boilbug mounds in this chapter. What do they symbolize, and how do they contribute to the atmosphere?
Answer:
The proliferating boilbug mounds symbolize both environmental decay and latent danger. Their increasing numbers suggest ecological imbalance (“not a good thing”), mirroring the precariousness of Castrima’s societal stability. The mounds also serve as a teaching tool: the protagonist uses them to demonstrate orogenic sessing, highlighting how survival skills are intertwined with environmental threats. Their presence—detectable as “pent” heat and pressure—creates a tense atmosphere, reminding readers that even mundane landscapes in this world are fraught with hidden perils, much like the ostensible safety of Castrima-over masks underlying tensions.3. How does Alabaster’s critique of the protagonist’s teaching reveal deeper conflicts about orogeny and power?
Answer:
Alabaster critiques the protagonist on two levels: pragmatically, he argues that teaching basic torus control wastes time that should be spent on her own advanced lessons (noting it dulls her sensitivity to finer orogenic manipulation). Philosophically, his dismissal of the children as “rock-pushers” reflects his elitist view of orogeny as either crude tool or profound art—a binary the protagonist challenges by referencing Innon, her late mentor. Their debate underscores tensions between survivalist pragmatism and mastery, communal responsibility versus individual advancement, and whether orogeny should be weaponized or refined.4. What does the protagonist’s reflection about Nassun and Uche reveal about her character development?
Answer:
Her regret over Nassun—whom she trained harshly, justifying it as necessary for survival—shows her grappling with the emotional costs of her methods. Contrasting this with her gentler approach to Uche suggests she’s begun questioning whether survival alone justifies cruelty, even as she repeats similar patterns with Castrima’s children. The “compressed iron” metaphor for her regrets conveys how guilt weighs on her identity. This introspection reveals her internal conflict: she vacillates between hardened pragmatism and a longing for connection, unable to reconcile love with the brutality her world demands.5. Evaluate Ykka’s vision of Castrima as a harmonious comm. Why does the protagonist consider this naive?
Answer:
The protagonist views Ykka’s idealism as naive because her own experiences (e.g., the Fulcrum, Meov) have taught her that societies inevitably scapegoat orogenes. She observes “resentful looks” from use-caste members, recognizing these as precursors to violence. Her skepticism stems from understanding that survival stress exacerbates prejudice—a pattern she’s seen in prior comms. Ykka’s hope for unity ignores the systemic othering of orogenes, which the protagonist believes will culminate in betrayal. This tension between hope and cynicism reflects the novel’s broader themes about cyclical oppression and the fragility of trust.
Quotes
1. “It makes a difference that here, everyone knows what you are. That is the one good thing about the Fulcrum, about Meov, about being Syenite: You could be who you were. That’s a luxury you’re learning to savor anew.”
This quote captures the protagonist’s reflection on the rare freedom of being openly recognized as an orogene in Castrima, contrasting it with the concealment required in most communities. It highlights a central theme of identity and acceptance in the narrative.
2. “You cannot be careless! People die when you make mistakes. Is that what you want?”
During a harsh training session with young orogenes, the protagonist emphasizes the lethal consequences of uncontrolled power. This moment underscores the brutal necessity of their teaching methods in a world where mistakes have dire outcomes.
3. “You were gentler with Uche for that reason. And you always meant to apologize to Nassun, later, when she was old enough to understand… Ah, there are so many regrets in you that they spin, heavy as compressed iron, at your core.”
This introspective passage reveals the protagonist’s deep remorse over past parenting choices, particularly regarding their children Nassun and Uche. It adds emotional depth to their character and motivations.
4. “You’re wrong to teach them at all, because their lessons are getting in the way of your lessons.”
Alabaster’s critique challenges the protagonist’s priorities, suggesting that focusing on teaching others is hindering their own crucial development of advanced orogenic skills. This represents a key conflict between responsibility to others and personal growth.
5. “The Fulcrum’s methods are a kind of conditioning meant to steer you toward energy redistribution and away from magic.”
Alabaster explains the hidden purpose behind the Fulcrum’s training techniques, revealing how institutional systems shape orogenic abilities toward specific ends. This insight exposes deeper layers of control in the story’s worldbuilding.