I agree with all your points about Cadsuane's importance to both the story and Rand. And while Cadsuane technically failed, she certainly was a necessary presence for something to happen so Rand could realize he was being all crazy. Except Sorilea (who was more limited than Caddy), no one else even seemed to realize where he was headed. Without her around, how much faster would he have descended to his lowest?
She was not actually mysterious but actually rather simple and shallow. She was not amazingly competant, capable and all-knowledgeable, she simply pretended that she knew everything already and that everything that happened was according to her design. She was far better at spinning events to make her look good than actually achieving anything.
While I would say that Moiraine was at least decently competent (especially in comparison to almost any other old-school Aes Sedai except Verin), I agree her greatest ability was in projecting an air of being in control. But that was a useful skill, and did serve some good purpose.
Except she had to do a literal village by village search since any open search would mean the Blacks would find out.
Nynaeve shot Rahvin in the back, and with Moghedien, she was fighting someone of her own weight class. Moiraine was punching far above her limits. With Be'lal, at least, she deserves credit for surprising him and doing the deed quickly, something a load of others in this series seem incapable of doing. And I give her credit for figuring out Balefire and using it prudently. She figured she'd be opposing people far stronger than her and took the initiative to even the odds a little.
That's the stupidest logic I've ever seen. The only reason Moiraine decided to sneak out was because she was the only real threat to the Trollocs. Everyone else, except Lan and possibly Loial, were dead weight. Had she the current versions of these characters to work with, her response would certainly have been vastly different.
What she has is Rand thinking she was some sort of super-adviser who he could trust, Nynaeve thinking she was effective, the Aes Sedai seeing her as a legend likely equal to Cadsuane (at roughly tenth her age), Egwene greatly respecting her, and, of course, the fact that everyone will be spooked to see her alive.
And given that she's been best at manipulating how people perceive her, she'll have no difficulty being the top adviser/trusted confidante of any of the main cast she chooses.
She was not actually mysterious but actually rather simple and shallow. She was not amazingly competant, capable and all-knowledgeable, she simply pretended that she knew everything already and that everything that happened was according to her design. She was far better at spinning events to make her look good than actually achieving anything.
While I would say that Moiraine was at least decently competent (especially in comparison to almost any other old-school Aes Sedai except Verin), I agree her greatest ability was in projecting an air of being in control. But that was a useful skill, and did serve some good purpose.
Her single greatest accomplishment - finding the Dragon Reborn - took almost 20 years, without anyone actively opposing her or hiding him.
Except she had to do a literal village by village search since any open search would mean the Blacks would find out.
Much is made over her killing two Forsaken, but in both cases, she basically shot them in the back while they were concentrating on Rand. Nynaeve may not have any fatalities to her credit, but she blows Moiraine out of the water when it comes to their track records confronting Forsaken.
Nynaeve shot Rahvin in the back, and with Moghedien, she was fighting someone of her own weight class. Moiraine was punching far above her limits. With Be'lal, at least, she deserves credit for surprising him and doing the deed quickly, something a load of others in this series seem incapable of doing. And I give her credit for figuring out Balefire and using it prudently. She figured she'd be opposing people far stronger than her and took the initiative to even the odds a little.
Think back to EotW, when the group was reunited in Caemlyn, and then imagine their little conference in the Queen's Blessing taking place among the characters at their current levels of power and ability, and their being told that the city they are in is surrounded by a secret, hidden army of Trollocs and Myrdraal. Moiraine's plan of "sneak out of the city using the Ways" would have everyone else laughing at her and putting her in the corner with a doll to play with while the grown-ups discussed the best way to handle the situation that would result in maximum damage to the the Shadowspawn with the optimum political gain and minimal casualties for their side!
That's the stupidest logic I've ever seen. The only reason Moiraine decided to sneak out was because she was the only real threat to the Trollocs. Everyone else, except Lan and possibly Loial, were dead weight. Had she the current versions of these characters to work with, her response would certainly have been vastly different.
What does Moiraine REALLY have anymore? Things that all the other channelers take for granted would be legendary feats to her eyes, and all of them possess superior military & political power (even Nynaeve: Lan > no Lan; or to put it another way: Lan's poontang + marriage vows > Lan's warder bond + oath of fealty. Regarding political power, Rand, even at his worst, trusts her more than he ever does Moiraine and Elaida's old job is Nynaeve's if she ever decides to go take it up. Whereas Moiraine has pretty much zero personal political power. What she does derives from House Damodred whose current big-shots are more beholden to Rand or like him better than they do Moiraine).
Moiraine will be important only for what she may get out of her sojourn among the 'finns, and for how her return is perceived by the important characters, not for anything she already had before her "death".
Moiraine will be important only for what she may get out of her sojourn among the 'finns, and for how her return is perceived by the important characters, not for anything she already had before her "death".
What she has is Rand thinking she was some sort of super-adviser who he could trust, Nynaeve thinking she was effective, the Aes Sedai seeing her as a legend likely equal to Cadsuane (at roughly tenth her age), Egwene greatly respecting her, and, of course, the fact that everyone will be spooked to see her alive.
And given that she's been best at manipulating how people perceive her, she'll have no difficulty being the top adviser/trusted confidante of any of the main cast she chooses.
What was the purpose of Cadsuane to the storyline?
- 15/08/2010 07:24:38 AM
1216 Views
suspense
- 15/08/2010 10:19:18 AM
772 Views
Right. Moiraine's captivity also served to keep Mat occupied until the start of TG.
- 15/08/2010 04:32:24 PM
631 Views
To give us somebody totally Awesome to be... well, in total awe of. *NM*
- 15/08/2010 08:38:33 PM
263 Views
To show what was going on with Rand
- 16/08/2010 12:15:19 PM
639 Views
Re: To show what was going on with Rand
- 17/08/2010 06:29:11 AM
665 Views
But she was at her peak - they were just starting out. Moiraine was already falling behind by tFoH
- 20/08/2010 07:04:58 PM
1102 Views
On Moiraine...
- 17/08/2010 07:22:48 AM
625 Views