Frame narratives are stories told within another story. In Tress of the Emerald Sea, the story of Tress is told from the perspective of Hoid, whose narration occurs outside the time and space of the plot. He tells the story as if in reflection on the past rather than in real time. He also speaks directly to the reader, which draws attention to the fact that the reader is reading a story. This strategy of using Hoid as a narrator both creates distance from Tress as well as incorporates the reader into the fiction.

Hoid is a character who appears throughout Sanderson’s Cosmere. Sometimes Hoid makes fleeting, nameless appearances, with minor clues as to his identity, and sometimes he engages more deeply with whatever world he is in, such as his extended role as Wit in the Stormlight Archive series. His true identity and power have not yet been revealed by Sanderson in any of the Cosmere series, but it is clear that he has more power than most or all of the characters. He generally provides at least some level of support for the protagonists, and he also weaves stories for some.

Hoid, especially as Wit, is often mischievous and humorous, and it is this

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