“The Fifth Season” by N. K. Jemisin (post 2): Readers must continue to think of themselves as the protagonist, and there is a Mirror scenario

As previously noted, readers are supposed to be the female protagonist, Essun, and are supposed to see, think, do, feel, and say everything that she is directed to see, think, do, feel, and say, as in the following scene:

“You [the reader and Essun, the female protagonist] shake your head…

“…you rise and go into…bathroom, where you wash your face…

“ ‘Nassun,’ you whisper to your reflection. In the mirror are the eyes your daughter has inherited from you, gray as slate and a little wistful. ‘He [Jija] left Uche [their son] in the den. Where did he put you?’

“No answer. You shut off the tap. Then you whisper to no one in particular, ‘I have to go now.’ ” (1, p. 24).

Multiple Personality, Mirror Scenario

As discussed in various past posts (search “mirror” and “mirrors”), people with multiple personality may sometimes see an alternate personality when they look in the mirror.

In the above scene, at first the reader may think that Essun is looking at her own reflection in the mirror, as she thinks about where her daughter may be. Objectively, she is looking at her own reflection. But if, subjectively, she had been looking at her own reflection, she would not have expected an answer. “No answer” implies that she had expected an answer, but that she was disappointed.

So it seems more likely, in her subjective experience, Essun sees and addresses her daughter’s face in the mirror (an alternate personality representing her daughter), and, at the end of the scene, whispers “I have to go now” to other, unnamed, alternate personalities.

Thus, when the author (or, at least, the authorial personality) asked readers to be Essun (see previous post), it was assumed that readers could and would think like a person with multiple personality. Some readers are able and willing to do this, but others are not.

Of those readers who are not able to do this, some will give up on the book, while others, who enjoy other aspects of the story, will rationalize or ignore what does not make sense to them.

1. N. K. Jemisin. The Fifth Season. New York, Orbit Hachette, 2015.