The Stone Sky
Chapter 20: NASSUN AND ESSUN, ON THE DARK SIDE OF THE WORLD
by Jemisin, N. K.The chapter alternates between the perspectives of Nassun and Essun, both poised to enact world-altering decisions. Nassun, at sunset, resolves to collide the Moon with Earth, driven by a twisted love and despair. She cares for Schaffa, her guardian, ensuring his comfort before her departure, acknowledging the inevitability of destruction. The narrative reflects on her capacity for love despite her traumatic experiences, framing her catastrophic choice as a tragic response to a broken world. Meanwhile, Essun awakens at dawn, preparing for her own transformative mission, surrounded by companions who have gathered to bid her farewell.
Essun’s journey is marked by reluctant camaraderie and unresolved emotions. Her companions—Lerna, Tonkee, Hjarka, Ykka, and others—assemble in a makeshift camp, their presence a mix of support and unintended burden. Essun grapples with their admiration, feeling unworthy yet determined to prove herself. The group’s dynamic is bittersweet, blending humor and melancholy as they prepare for an uncertain future. Ykka’s reappearance, especially, stirs mixed feelings, as she balances her leadership duties with a grudging affection for Essun.
The chapter underscores themes of inevitability and cyclical tragedy. Nassun’s belief that some things are “too broken to be fixed” mirrors Essun’s own resignation to a doomed world. Both characters act from a place of love and despair, their choices framed as the only responses to systemic suffering. Nassun’s reference to a “commandment set in stone” hints at the inescapable patterns of history, while Essun’s companions embody the fragile hope of breaking those cycles. The narrative juxtaposes their parallel journeys, emphasizing the weight of their decisions.
Ultimately, the chapter captures a moment of transition, where characters confront the limits of their agency. Nassun’s cold determination contrasts with Essun’s reluctant leadership, yet both are united by their desire to end suffering. The gathering of Essun’s friends—some joining, some staying—adds a layer of poignancy, highlighting the human connections that persist even in the face of annihilation. The chapter closes with a hint of dark humor, as Essun laughs at the absurdity of their “quest,” underscoring the surreal tension between hope and inevitability.
FAQs
1. What motivates Nassun to set the Moon on a collision course with the Earth, and how does this reflect her character development?
Answer:
Nassun’s decision to collide the Moon with Earth stems from her belief that some things are “too broken to be fixed” and her desire to end the cycle of suffering. Despite her traumatic experiences, she demonstrates deep love and care for Schaffa, ensuring his comfort even as she plans the world’s destruction. This paradoxical combination of destructive power and nurturing tenderness highlights her complex character—a child shaped by trauma yet capable of profound love. Her actions reflect both despair (seeing no way to repair the world) and agency (choosing to end its pain permanently). The narrative emphasizes that her choices are limited by her experiences, inviting readers to empathize rather than judge her drastic solution.2. How does the contrast between Nassun’s and Essun’s perspectives in this chapter illustrate their differing approaches to changing the world?
Answer:
Nassun operates in isolation, making a unilateral decision to destroy the world to end suffering, while Essun is surrounded by a community offering support. Essun’s section emphasizes relationships—Lerna’s admiration, Tonkee and Hjarka’s companionship, Ykka’s farewell—and her reluctance to endanger others (“What kind of person would you be to pressure them?”). This juxtaposition highlights their divergent paths: Nassun embraces absolute finality, whereas Essun’s journey is collective, marked by guilt (“You haven’t earned his admiration”) and determination to act despite imperfections. The chapter frames their choices as products of their environments—Nassun’s loneliness versus Essun’s hard-won connections.3. Analyze the significance of Ykka’s reappearance in Essun’s narrative. How does this interaction deepen themes of leadership and sacrifice?
Answer:
Ykka’s return, wearing her fur vest and “old brashness,” symbolizes resilience and the burdens of leadership. Her pragmatic humor (“I should be having you killed”) masks care—she breaks comm norms to bid Essun farewell, acknowledging the gravity of her mission. Their exchange underscores themes of sacrifice: Ykka stays to lead Castrima, while Essun departs for a greater cause. Ykka’s line about Tonkee (“I’ll never see you again”) bittersweetly accepts individual choices for collective survival. The scene contrasts Nassun’s solitary resolve with Essun’s community, emphasizing that change requires both personal courage and communal support.4. How does the chapter use secondary characters (e.g., Danel, Maxixe) to reflect on legacy and storytelling?
Answer:
Danel’s transformation—her shortened hair and “black tint” lips—signals her shift from warrior to chronicler, embodying the theme of preserving history (“an Equatorial lorist wants to record for posterity”). Maxixe’s neat scars hint at an untold story, reminding readers that every character carries hidden depths. Their presence reframes Essun’s mission as a “rusting quest,” elevating it from personal struggle to mythic narrative. These details suggest that even in apocalypse, humanity seeks meaning through storytelling, and that legacy isn’t just about survival but how experiences are remembered and interpreted.5. Critical Thinking: Both Nassun and Essun are described as deciding to “change the world.” Compare the ethical implications of their chosen methods.
Answer:
Nassun’s method—annihilation—raises questions about whether ending suffering justifies destroying all potential for future joy. Her childlike perspective lacks nuance, seeing destruction as the only escape from cyclical trauma. Essun’s approach, while unclear in this chapter, involves collaboration and risk-taking (“a rusting quest”), implying a belief in imperfect progress. Ethically, Nassun’s absolutism contrasts with Essun’s willingness to let others choose their roles. The chapter invites reflection on whether radical change requires erasure or whether redemption lies in enduring struggle together. Both characters grapple with limited options, highlighting how trauma constricts moral imagination.
Quotes
1. “IT’S SUNSET WHEN NASSUN DECIDES to change the world.”
This opening line powerfully sets the stage for Nassun’s pivotal moment of transformation and agency. It encapsulates the chapter’s central theme of world-altering decisions made in darkness, mirroring Essun’s parallel dawn resolution later in the text.
2. “The same stories, cycling around and around. The same endings, again and again. The same mistakes eternally repeated.”
This quote reflects the novel’s core theme of cyclical trauma and historical repetition. Nassun’s realization about the world’s patterns underscores why she believes radical change is necessary, even if destructive.
3. “She makes you feel like a better person than you are. And this is what makes you regret, again, endlessly, that you cannot stay to see his child born.”
This poignant reflection from Essun’s perspective reveals the complex interplay between self-perception and others’ admiration. It highlights the tragic tension between personal connections and world-changing responsibilities that both protagonists face.
4. “You weren’t counting on finding all of them in the lobby… But you really, really weren’t expecting Ykka to walk in, with an air of something like her old brashness”
This moment captures the unexpected warmth of community amidst apocalyptic circumstances. The gathering represents both farewell and solidarity, contrasting with the solitary world-changing decisions both women are making.
5. “Now it’s not just a caravan. It’s a rusting quest.”
This humorous yet profound realization marks Essun’s acceptance of her mythic role. The self-aware narration blends the mundane with the epic, reflecting the story’s larger themes about how personal journeys become legendary.