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Re: Egwene vs Rand, a retrospective gban007 Send a noteboard - 21/11/2013 06:00:44 AM

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View original postI think what makes me like Rand, and dislike Egwene, as I seem to be more accepting of his rages, basically believing that he genuinely can't control this, but is trying the best he can, while I dislike arrogance (pride in one's self I can handle, arrogance I can't). Rand listens to those around him, and is willing to have his mind changed / back down if pointed out he is being foolish, but Egwene seems to believe that it is her way or the highway, and will tend to act / decide alone, and doesn't seem to back down if proven wrong (something Nynaeve seems to share as well).

As for that, it depends quite a bit. Egwene's arrogance remains largely consistent throughout the series, while Rand's is perpetually growing. Eye of the World Rand is far less arrogant than Egwene, but Knife of Dreams/The Gathering Storm Rand is far more arrogant than her.

I think - as far as I am concerned anyway - that the difference is not so much in the arrogance of the characters themselves, but in the ones who surround them. Rand was perpetually hounded by people far more arrogant than he, so when he starts counter-arrogance, it's easy to side with him. Whereas Egwene was, in the early series, one of those more arrogant people.

More importantly, Rand is surrounded by people dedicated to keeping him humble, from Cadsuane to the likes of Egwene herself. So the desire to defend him pops up as a contrarian instinct. Meanwhile, Egwene was largely surrounded by people who kept praising her or were obviously wrong, so I just want to drop her down a notch.


I think that is fair, and I think shows that Egwene was never really getting the support she needed, and Elayne and Nynaeve disappearing almost as soon as they were reunited in Lord of Chaos didn't help that either.

In some respects it is somewhat ironic or amusing, though potentially poor writing, that the Aes Sedai, who invented the Daes Dae'mar, were really so poor at it when it came to trying to manipulate Egwene, compared to those who supposedly amateurs in comparison to Aes Sedai and their dealings with Rand.

I think in some ways it is fortunate for Egwene that she didn't survive the Last Battle, and in the aftermath have to start dealing with those who wouldn't praise her or be obviously in the wrong.

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She does perhaps get less credit than she deserves. - 19/11/2013 09:41:49 PM 1627 Views
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Well... - 04/12/2013 05:54:16 AM 1194 Views
Okay, I can get behind that... - 06/12/2013 11:39:23 AM 1170 Views
Re: Well... - 06/12/2013 06:37:50 PM 1163 Views
Re: Well... - 06/12/2013 07:17:26 PM 1143 Views
Go Egwene! - 22/11/2013 02:24:51 PM 1184 Views
Exactly! She died as she lived; trying to wield too much power - 22/11/2013 04:05:51 PM 1232 Views
Re: Go Egwene! - 23/11/2013 07:26:10 PM 1210 Views
Egwene wasn't Rand's enemy in the middle books, but she obviously was bitter/jealous of him - 04/12/2013 02:47:06 PM 1496 Views
I quite enjoyed that scene - 05/12/2013 05:32:38 AM 1155 Views

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