I am approaching this from the angle of the overall story and structure
RugbyPlayingAshaman Send a noteboard - 31/08/2010 07:32:54 PM
I really think that RJ wanted to have three female protagonists with different attributes and characteristics to be romantically involved with Rand. There was no need for LTT to have the same type of relationship because by the time the main story opens, he is long dead and reborn.
Yes, it does seem rather shallow, but I believe he wanted Rand to be with a brunette, a strawberry blond and a red-headed woman. I think their personalities went through multiple changes in his rough draft, so just like a child playing with a doll, he might have played with individual quirks and characteristics before deciding.
And as Tom says, there are sexual fantasies at play here. The same sexual fantasies that create The Feminine (or Masculine) Mystique and reduces (or uplift) a human being to the role of a larger-than-life archetype and an idol at the same time. I'm not sure that RJ can conceive of a woman as an entity unto herself without a romantic attachment - all of the female protagonists have relationships that are very much cornerstones of the story, and we meet very few single woman that are happy with their situation. This is an overall character trait, actually - there are very few single people in general that are personable, happy and well-balance with no interest in romance.
It just seems to me to be exacerbated in Rands' situation - very few of his relationships with his wives are well-developed and the indication I get is that he gets what he needs from the particular woman that is best able to provide it. Stranger still, in the story, though it's treated as comedy, he often makes comments in his POV that indicate he doesn't really know them that well, which is actually sort of sad to me.
Yes, it does seem rather shallow, but I believe he wanted Rand to be with a brunette, a strawberry blond and a red-headed woman. I think their personalities went through multiple changes in his rough draft, so just like a child playing with a doll, he might have played with individual quirks and characteristics before deciding.
And as Tom says, there are sexual fantasies at play here. The same sexual fantasies that create The Feminine (or Masculine) Mystique and reduces (or uplift) a human being to the role of a larger-than-life archetype and an idol at the same time. I'm not sure that RJ can conceive of a woman as an entity unto herself without a romantic attachment - all of the female protagonists have relationships that are very much cornerstones of the story, and we meet very few single woman that are happy with their situation. This is an overall character trait, actually - there are very few single people in general that are personable, happy and well-balance with no interest in romance.
It just seems to me to be exacerbated in Rands' situation - very few of his relationships with his wives are well-developed and the indication I get is that he gets what he needs from the particular woman that is best able to provide it. Stranger still, in the story, though it's treated as comedy, he often makes comments in his POV that indicate he doesn't really know them that well, which is actually sort of sad to me.
"Those who think they have no time for bodily exercise will sooner or later have to find time for illness."
This message last edited by RugbyPlayingAshaman on 01/09/2010 at 03:18:26 PM
Why does Rand have 3 wives?
31/08/2010 05:26:04 PM
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Re: Why does Rand have 3 wives?
31/08/2010 07:18:42 PM
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I actually like Aviendha, but I also think her role could be combined or minimized
31/08/2010 08:02:52 PM
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I am approaching this from the angle of the overall story and structure
31/08/2010 07:32:54 PM
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I think it must have to do with the Arthurian legends.
01/09/2010 01:26:31 AM
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Isn't one in some versions actually named Elayne? Also say Egwene al'Vere really fast and you get... *NM*
01/09/2010 02:19:38 AM
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There are Elaines in Arthurian legends, yeah, but they're involved with Lancelot more than Arthur.
01/09/2010 02:24:56 PM
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Yeah...
01/09/2010 02:58:36 AM
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You're right that Moiraine, Nynaeve and Cadsuane would make a better fit.
01/09/2010 02:28:04 PM
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Huh?
02/09/2010 06:18:08 AM
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I think you misunderstand.
02/09/2010 02:44:16 PM
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He does
03/09/2010 03:03:17 AM
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Re: He does
03/09/2010 12:48:02 PM
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Re: He does
04/09/2010 12:16:34 AM
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I think you need another edit to clean up the double-post-within-a-post a bit. Very interesting! *NM*
04/09/2010 01:45:45 PM
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Morgan le Fay = Meirin IMO, not Min. *NM*
01/09/2010 05:05:25 AM
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Yeah, I meant if I had to pick from those three. Otherwise, there are better candidates. *NM*
01/09/2010 02:23:50 PM
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Well, RJ dated two women at once - and they were cool with it - but there's more
01/09/2010 02:57:38 AM
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Re: Well, RJ dated two women at once - and they were cool with it - but there's more
01/09/2010 03:22:18 AM
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