68. Aim for the Sun
Spoiler Warning: This analysis contains detailed plot points from Oathbringer, Book 3 of The Stormlight Archive. If you haven't finished the book, proceed with care.
Summary
Shallan, still in her dark-haired disguise, follows Wit to a crem-encrusted tavern where the innkeeper berates Wit for not bringing customers. Wit ushers Shallan into a private room and easily sees through her illusion, critiquing her posture. When Shallan asks outright if he is a Herald, Wit deflects, then reveals he is far older than the Heralds themselves, describing himself as “the bones of a foreign species.” He speaks of a vague oath he made long ago, but deliberately undercuts the moment with humor. As they eat simple grain cakes and cremlings, Wit watches a Cult of Moments procession outside. Shallan confesses she wants to learn to change the world like he does. In response, Wit warns her about the burden of power, the dangers of trying to stop the “boulder of time,” and the rarity of those who truly nudge the world. He describes two foolish types of important men—those who stand in front of the boulder, and those who take credit for its motion—praising only those who walk beside it and create tiny deviations. The conversation turns to her mission: Elhokar wants her to infiltrate the cult. Wit reveals the cult feasts on the Oathgate platform under the influence of the Unmade Heart of the Revel, and he can get her in if she brings them real food, not simple Soulcast grain. After dispensing final advice, Wit slips out behind the innkeeper, leaving Shallan to plan her next move.
Key Events
- Wit leads Shallan to a quiet tavern and immediately identifies her disguise.
- Shallan asks if Wit is a Herald; he denies it but admits he predates them by “dozens of lifetimes.”
- Wit explains that he is compelled to be where he is needed, but the location is often random.
- Through a parable about the boulder of time, Wit teaches Shallan that true change comes from subtle nudges, not grand gestures.
- Shallan expresses her desire to change the world; Wit stresses that power is a knife that wounds the wielder.
- Wit identifies the Cult of Moments as dangerous, and reveals their revelry is driven by the Unmade Heart of the Revel.
- Wit offers to arrange Shallan’s entry into the cult if she can provide exceptional food for their feast.
- Wit leaves by slipping out of the room when the innkeeper enters, leaving behind cryptic parting words.
Character Development
Shallan
This chapter deepens Shallan’s insecurity and ambition. She feels foolish admitting she wants to be like Wit, yet her desire to change the world is genuine. Her earlier personas collapse when challenged, showing that her confidence is still borrowed. She shifts from admiration to a sharper understanding of the cost of power. Her willingness to infiltrate the cult, and her practical response to Wit’s condition, reveal a growing determination to meet Kholinar’s crisis with cleverness rather than force.
Wit (Hoid)
Wit’s ancient nature is laid bare. His humor is a shield that drops momentarily when he tells Shallan that he is “the bones of a foreign species.” He admits he can know where he must be but not why. His advice on power is both pragmatic and deeply weary, reflecting millennia of witnessing human folly. Despite his flippancy, he repeatedly warns Shallan away from self-delusion (“No you don’t,” he says when she claims she wants to be like him). His small act of swapping plates and pushing her to eat shows a guarded but sincere care.
Pattern
Pattern’s quiet presence is noted, though he rarely speaks. His reaction to Wit—“he feels like … mmm … one of us”—hints at Wit’s cognitive shadow or spren-like existence, feeding the mystery of Hoid’s true nature.
The Innkeeper
A minor character who provides comic relief and grounds the absurdity of Wit’s behavior. His frustration and resignation suggest he has been Wit’s reluctant host before, and his obliviousness allows Wit’s final disappearing act.
Themes, Symbols, and Motifs
- The Nature of Power: Wit’s boulder metaphor redefines power not as control but as subtle, studied influence. The knife comparison emphasizes that power inevitably hurts the user. Shallan’s earlier statement—power is the ability to change lives—is challenged by Wit’s cynicism.
- Hedonism vs. True Enjoyment: Wit sharply distinguishes between savoring life and the cult’s indulgence. The Heart of the Revel turns beauty into carnal noise, making the cult’s feasting a hollow parody of the “drinking in life” Wit espouses.
- Identity and Illusion: Shallan’s disguise fails under Wit’s scrutiny, paralleling her inner conflict. Her red hair reasserts itself when she stops the illusion, symbolizing that her true self resists burial. Wit’s own enigmatic identity—older than Heralds, feeling like a spren—deepens the series’ exploration of selfhood.
- Unmade Influence: The Heart of the Revel is explicitly linked to the cult’s behavior, providing a tangible piece of the Unmade mystery. The cult’s consumption is a literal manifestation of the Unmade’s corrupting power.
- Aim for the Sun: The title phrase, uttered by Wit as a sardonic rebuke, captures the chapter’s central tension: lofty goals are necessary but must be tempered with wisdom, lest they cause unintended harm.
Why This Chapter Matters
Aim for the Sun is a crucial pivot point in the Kholinar arc. It moves Shallan from passive observer to active infiltrator by giving her both a concrete goal (gather extraordinary food) and a philosophical framework for wielding power. Wit’s revelations about his age and the nature of change add immense detail to the Cosmere’s deepest lore, while his boulder parable will echo through Shallan’s decisions. The chapter also introduces the Heart of the Revel as a direct obstacle, transforming the abstract threat of the Unmade into an immediate infiltration challenge. Finally, it reaffirms that Shallan’s greatest weapon is not her Shardblade but her ability to adapt and deceive, setting the stage for her most dangerous persona yet.
Study Questions and Answers
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What does Wit mean by the “boulder of time” parable, and how does it apply to Shallan’s situation?
Wit describes three types of people: those who try to stop the boulder (and get crushed), those who claim to have directed it (and get others crushed), and those who walk beside it and nudge it slightly. This teaches Shallan that true change comes from patient, subtle influence—not brute force or self-congratulation. In Kholinar, she cannot save the city by combat alone; she must infiltrate, understand the cult’s dynamics, and apply a small but decisive action (activating the Oathgate) at the right moment. -
Why does Wit insist that he is not a Herald, and what clues does the chapter give about his true nature?
Wit denies being a Herald, stating he is “not stupid enough to get mixed up in religion again” and that he predates the Heralds himself. He describes himself as a remnant of a foreign species, and Pattern later remarks that Wit feels “like one of us” (a spren). Combined with his ability to know where he is needed and his agelessness, these clues reinforce that Wit is a worldhopping being of the Cognitive Realm, possibly a cognitive shadow or something older still. -
How does Wit’s advice about power contrast with Shallan’s initial understanding, and what does she take away from the conversation?
Shallan initially defines power as the ability to change people’s lives for better or worse, with herself as an unimportant fulcrum. Wit reframes power as a knife that always cuts the wielder, and warns that grand heroism often leads to disaster. Shallan learns that her ambition must be paired with wisdom and a willingness to accept personal cost. She leaves not discouraged, but focused: she immediately begins planning how to procure the special food, applying Wit’s lesson that small, strategic actions are the engine of real change.