Chapter 32: Side Carry
Spoiler Notice
This page contains details about events in Chapter 40 of The Way of Kings. If you haven't read this chapter yet, proceed with caution.
Summary
Bridge Four has been practicing the side carry, but their technique remains clumsy and slow. Kaladin sees new recruits being distributed and insists on picking one. He chooses Lopen, a cheerful one-armed Herdazian, who volunteered. During a bridge run to the Tower plateau, Kaladin grows anxious about their reduced numbers. Before the assault, he orders his men to carry the bridge on its side as a shield. He leads them in a zigzag pattern, timing turns to block Parshendi arrows. The tactic works: Bridge Four suffers no losses. However, other crews try to copy them without practice, causing chaos. The bridge line becomes disjointed, the cavalry charge fails, and the Alethi are repelled. Kaladin realizes his innovation disrupted the entire battle. Afterward, Lamaril and Gaz confront him. Kaladin bargains to shift blame onto himself, trading a beating for his men's safety. His spheres, now dun and empty, scatter on the stones.
Key Events
- Bridge Four continues to practice the side carry with limited success.
- Kaladin selects the one-armed Herdazian Lopen as a new recruit.
- Lopen, Dabbid, and Hobber bring water during the bridge run, improving the crew's endurance.
- Approaching the Tower, Kaladin decides to use the side carry as an arrow shield.
- Kaladin leads Bridge Four in a zigzag pattern, blocking arrows; the crew is unharmed.
- Other bridge crews' confusion leads to a failed cavalry charge and Alethi defeat.
- Lamaril and Gaz confront Kaladin; he is beaten but not killed.
- Kaladin's spheres, drained of Stormlight, scatter across the ground.
Character Development
- Kaladin: Demonstrates tactical creativity but also shortsightedness. He accepts blame and a beating to protect his men, showing self-sacrificial leadership.
- Lopen: Introduced as an irrepressibly optimistic Herdazian with a quick tongue. His cheerfulness stands in stark contrast to the despair of typical bridgemen.
- Rock and Teft: Show fierce loyalty, ready to defend Kaladin, but obey his order to stand down, reflecting their trust.
- Gaz and Lamaril: Reveal their corruption and obsession with self-preservation as they punish Kaladin to shield themselves from their superiors' wrath.
Themes, Symbols, and Motifs
- Leadership and sacrifice: Kaladin willingly takes the blame and physical punishment for the sake of his crew, embodying the burdens of command.
- Innovation vs. established order: The side carry saves Bridge Four but undermines the army's coordinated tactics, highlighting the tension between individual ingenuity and systemic inertia.
- Light and Stormlight: The dun spheres, empty of light, symbolize Kaladin's waning hope and the mysterious depletion of his powers.
- Value of life: Kaladin's choice to recruit Lopen, a seemingly useless man, echoes Tien's memory and defies the army's view of bridgemen as disposable.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter marks a turning point in Kaladin's leadership. His tactical innovation proves effective on a small scale but reveals his lack of consideration for the broader battle, resulting in a disastrous defeat. It introduces Lopen, a key supporting character whose optimism will bolster Bridge Four. The beating and the dun spheres foreshadow Kaladin's coming struggles with his powers and the oppressive system. The chapter also underscores the moral complexity of rebellion within a rigid military hierarchy.
Study Questions and Answers
- Why does Kaladin pick Lopen over more physically capable recruits? Kaladin chooses Lopen because his eagerness and spirit remind him of Tien's advice to turn liabilities into advantages. He sees potential in Lopen's attitude beyond mere physical utility.
- How does the side carry both succeed and fail? It succeeds as a shield, protecting Bridge Four from arrows. However, it fails because other crews attempt to copy it without training, disrupting the coordinated bridge advance and causing a chaotic assault that loses the battle.
- What do the dun spheres symbolize at the end? The scattered, dun spheres represent Kaladin's depleted physical and emotional reserves. They also hint that his unexplained bursts of strength are tied to Stormlight, which he has unknowingly exhausted.