The Alloy of Law

“‘The best performances,’ Tan said, smiling and looking down at Lessie’s figure, ‘are those that can be performed only once.’”

Spoken by the killer Bloody Tan immediately after tricking Wax into fatally shooting his wife, this line reveals Tan’s philosophy of life as a form of grotesque, unrepeatable art. Tan’s statement transforms a moment of extreme personal tragedy into an aesthetic spectacle, establishing a worldview where human lives are mere props for Tan’s performance.

“He closed the lid of the trunk on his old life. ‘Take this, Tillaume,’ Wax said. […] ‘I won’t be needing it,’ Wax said, turning away from the trunk. ‘Put it somewhere safe, but put it away. For good.’”

Following a traumatic event, Wax locks away his mistcoat and Sterrion revolvers. This symbolic act, with the trunk representing the compartmentalization of his past self, shows his attempt to abandon his former life. The specific objects are tangible extensions of his identity as a frontier lawman. By putting them away “[f]or good,” Wax attempts to sever himself from his past to embrace his social duty as a lord, establishing the theme of Reconciling Personal Identity With Social Duty.

“Upon marriage, there shall be no more than three conjugal encounters per week and no fewer than one until a suitable heir is provided. After that, the same numbers apply to a two-week span.”

This clause from the marriage contract Steris presents to Wax exemplifies the importance of contracts and ledgers to Elendel society, which prioritizes logic and order over passion. Steris’s clinical, bureaucratic language reduces intimacy to a scheduled obligation, reflecting the values of an industrialized Elendel, where personal relationships are managed like business arrangements. This pragmatic, impersonal approach serves as a direct