The Narrow Road Between Desires

As a Fae man living in a human town, Bast has a distinctive insight into the influence of perception on identity. Because the townspeople believe that he’s human, Bast is able to take on a number of roles, including Rike’s defender, Kostrel’s friend, and Dax and Emberlee’s paramour. Throughout the novella, the protagonist purposefully cultivates and utilizes others’ misperceptions of him: “With the notable exception of Crazy Martin, most of the townsfolk found Bast pleasant enough, though most of them also considered him somewhat simple in the head, a fact Bast didn’t mind in the least” (143). Being underestimated helps Bast enact his schemes, such as when he attacks Jessom and damages Martin’s still without attracting suspicion from the local gossips. Rothfuss adds to the story’s humorous, lighthearted mood through comedic scenes that play with the concept of perception. For example, Bast pretends that he is “woefully nearsighted” and that the admiring audience that has come to see him bathe is simply “sparrows chattering among the branches” (67). However, there are very real stakes for Bast’s careful maintenance of others’ perceptions; he knows that his ability to remain part of this community depends on the townspeople’s certainty that he is human: “One day everything was kisses and cake, but let one little secret slip and suddenly the only choice was fire and iron, or flee and leave it all behind” (54). Bast’s conditional acceptance in the town of Newarre highlights the ways that individuals moderate others’ perceptions of them to protect their identities.

Rothfuss also develops the influence of perception on identity through Kote’s and Rike’s negative self-images. The people of Newarre know legends about Kvothe, but they have no idea that the heroic figure in these tales is “the man who r[uns] the second-most successful taproom in a town so small it only ha[s] one inn” (40). As explored in more detail in Rothfuss’s novels, Bast fears that others’ perceptions of his master damage his sense of identity, meaning that being viewed as Kote, an ordinary innkeeper, makes Kvothe believe that’s all he is. While outside perspectives exacerbate the world-weary Kvothe’s loss of identity, others’ perceptions help Rike regain his belief in himself. At first, the boy sees himself in a harshly negative light: “I’m not good. I know it. I know better than anyone” (166). Bast helps Rike fashion a new identity by changing how the boy views himself and his potential: “You are brave, and strong, and full of love” (202). By empowering Rike to see himself as someone capable of change, the protagonist helps Rike become more like the person he wants to be. In this way, perception serves as a steppingstone toward identity. Rothfuss’s story reveals that perception can have either a helpful or harmful influence on identity, encouraging his readers to be mindful of the narratives they construct about others and themselves.