The Kingkiller Chronicle, #1
The Name of the Wind
by Patrick Rothfuss
Contents
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT Sympathy in the Mains
Overview
Kvothe attends Master Hemme’s basic sympathy lecture in Mains and finds it beneath his level, resolving to learn elsewhere. In the Archives, Fela orients him to Tomes versus the restricted Stacks. Kvothe’s search on the Chandrian yields only children’s tales, and Master Lorren privately warns him to avoid Chandrian and Amyr inquiries, striking his request to protect Kvothe’s reputation.
Summary
Kvothe navigates the labyrinthine Mains to his first University class and discovers a theater-like hall where Master Hemme teaches Principles of Sympathy. Hemme publicly punishes tardy students Gel and Basil with demeaning assignments and makes a crude remark at Rian before delivering an overly basic lecture. Kvothe realizes the class offers nothing beyond what Abenthy taught him.
After class, Kvothe diplomatically asks Hemme about advancing beyond the basics. Hemme deflects the conversation to the next day, prompting Kvothe to seek his own education in the Archives.
At the Archives desk, Fela registers Kvothe and explains that Tomes is the main reading room while the Stacks are restricted to the Arcanum. She orients him to procedures, the quiet rules, and warns that nothing may leave the Archives, citing Lorren’s severe response to a past infraction.
Inside Tomes, Kvothe requests material on the Chandrian but receives only a children’s book of faerie stories, confirming the futility of that approach. He then requests works on the Amyr and returns to reading a bestiary while he waits.
Master Lorren summons Kvothe to a private reading hole after seeing the ledger. When Kvothe admits his curiosity is personal, Lorren briefly outlines the Amyr’s Aturan origins and judicial role, then advises Kvothe to avoid the appearance of childish obsession with Amyr and Chandrian. To protect Kvothe’s standing, Lorren strikes the request from the ledger, warning that such interests could complicate his first term.
Who Appears
- KvotheNew student; finds Hemme’s class elementary, pursues research in the Archives, and is cautioned by Lorren about Chandrian/Amyr inquiries.
- Master HemmeSympathy instructor; humiliates late students, delivers a very basic lecture, and dismisses Kvothe’s request to advance.
- Master LorrenMaster Archivist; explains the Amyr’s Aturan origins, warns Kvothe to avoid controversial topics, and strikes his request.
- FelaArchives attendant; registers Kvothe, explains Tomes vs. Stacks, enforces rules, and warns against removing books.
- BasilLate student in Hemme’s class; assigned a report on calendars; later seen studying in Tomes.
- GelLate student; punished by Hemme with an assignment on the sympathy clock.
- Rian (Ria)Only woman in class; singled out by Hemme for a crude remark, then ignored.