I also commend you for wasting your time discussing this matter with a certain person, since nothing you say will ever sway him. Instead, he'll just keep calling you stupid/moron/whatever and refuse to consider any other options than the one he has grasped as though holding onto it was a deciding factor in whether he will live or die. Reminds me of Egwene...

Back on topic, I hope you're right, but I have my doubts. Egwene is the Bella of the story, much as you indicated in your NB to me on facebook. It was intentional on RJ's part, I'm sure (I don't see how an author could write a character so unbelievably Mary Sue-ish without it being intended...most authors would at least have someone think what an obnoxious bitch she is and be shown as "correct" yet I lack your conviction that he intended to remedy the situation. Though I would love to see her get her comeuppance, or at the very least be forced to take a step back and support Rand after so vehemently planning a war against the man if he refuses to submit to her authority, I'm not convinced in the least that it will happen. Still, I can see where you're coming from. There have been parallels between her and Elaida from the day she took office and, if I look at it from your POV, it does seem intentional (her blasting Elaida for mentioning using the Oath Rod to force people into obedience to her when she forced people who are bound by the OR to swear personal fealty to her, her wanting to punish Rand for doing the same while thinking there was nothing wrong with her doing it, her thoughts that you mentioned from ToM where she's thinking how Nyn can't ever admit she's wrong when Egwene is the one displaying that particular trait, and the list goes on...and on...and on...).

What's more, we've seen that, from day one, Egwene was somewhat of a narcissist who grows into an even worse narcissist. She has never been told 'no' by someone who reinforced it in a way that made an impression on her. With the Wise Ones, she "owned up" to her lying after the fact when whatever punishment they gave her was not something she could not handle. By accepting the spanking they gave her, she still kept their respect and love and all was forgotten so she could screw them over again in the future. Had they refused to have anything to do with her again, that would've made an impression on her, but that's not their way because the Aiel believe that the humiliation and submission involved in accepting the physical punishment (as well as the knowledge that she disappointed them, failed them as a friend and student, and showed a lack of honor through her actions) will keep the perpetrator from committing the same act again. Unfortunately, that only works if the person feels that she has done a bad thing and that the consequences are not something she wishes to face again - that is not the case with Egwene. Spanking her has about as much effect on her as throwing M&Ms at someone as punishment, mainly because she never truly submits to anyone's authority. The Aes Sedai never understood that about her. Even Silviana, who was presented as a "good" MoN, never had the brains to figure out the fact that spanking Egwene was pointless because Egwene never truly submitted and accepted Silviana's authority over her. Instead, Egwene saw herself as a victim/prisoner/whatever (before, when she was a novice and Accepted, spankings were just things she had to tolerate in order to keep doing as she pleased, without real consequences for her actions).

Had Silviana - or even the Wise Ones - truly wished to get through her, there were many things they could've done. She understands the meaning of da'tsang, and if Silviana had wanted to get her attention, she should've dressed her in black, given her a spoon and forced her to dig a hole with it and then fill it up. In other words, Silviana made a fatal mistake in not hitting Egwene's ego. Elaida could've effectively ended Egwene's crap when the Sitters were there by using Air to silence her instead of trying to beat her (which just fed Egwene's vision of herself as this awesome martyr prisoner goddess who was always right and accepted pain without bending her neck). Allowing Egwene to speak was the mistake. Gag the bitch with Air and sit her in a corner with her hair in pigtails while holding a doll so that others see her as the bratty child that she is and she won't be able to take it.

The problem is that the Aes Sedai operate under the assumption that every girl who goes to the Tower accepts its authority and spankings will humiliate them and force them to behave in the future. They had never come across someone like Egwene, who accepts no authority over her, especially after being collared. They never encountered someone like Egwene who takes spankings and still keeps the attitude that she is better than everyone there. When I first read KoD, I found it ridiculous that the sisters there pretty much gave up on punishing her and allowed her to get away with behaving as though she was higher ranked than they were, but now I get it - it wasn't that they accepted her preposterous claims to the Amyrlin Seat, it was that they didn't know what else to do. They could not vaguely comprehend the fact that a girl could take so many spankings and refuse to give even a millionth of an inch because every last one of them had taken those spankings and gotten back in line with their behavior. Because of this, they were unable to make the connection that it took more than a strap to assert authority over someone like Egwene. Elaida had given specific orders not to break Egwene's spirit (much like Egwene, Elaida wanted everyone to submit to her by choice since that is more brag worthy than forcing them to do so), so they were limited in their actions. Egwene is all about the ego and being seen as "above" everyone else and in control of everything. Even when Elayne and Nyn were her "equals", she couldn't stand not being seen as the one in control. She refused to even consider Nyn's suggestion because Nyn had once been her "boss" and threw tantrums and acted like such an ass to the point where Elayne, Ms. Peacemaker, had to slap her down. So the question is, when Rand refuses to submit to her at FoM, what option gives her the best chance of being seen as the god she believes the Amyrlin is?

Unfortunately, I don't think she'll comprehend that the best option is to back down and support him. If that thought even vaguely crossed her mind, she wouldn't have been so adamant about gathering armies (to the detriment of the countries she was leaving undefended) to use against him. She wouldn't be thinking about the fact that she doesn't want Rand to force her hand. I have absolutely no doubt that she will try to attack him when he refuses to submit to her - it will be a hard and extremely public blow to her authority, which is something a narcissist can't handle. I believe we may see a mirror of the Elaida-Egwene scene in tGS...only this time it will be Egwene attacking Rand and Rand peacefully taking it in hopes people will see what a power hungry fool she really is. And I really think Perrin will be the one to save him from it. I just hope that, when it is all done, Egwene loses everything. I've always hoped that Elaida's foretelling about the WT being "whole and stronger than ever" meant only one thing: that it will, indeed, be whole and larger due to Egwene dragging all female channelers under her authority, but it will also be isolated and cut off from the world until the Aes Sedai change their attitudes. I also hope "the remnants cast out and scorned" will be those Aes Sedai who choose to support Rand - Nyn, Cadsuane, Moiraine, and all the other "bad examples" of Aes Sedai that Rand referred to. They'll help Rand in the Final Battle while Egwene leads the other AS to what she believes will be "glory" only to be left out of what's really important. That, in my opinion, would be a just end to the WT's storyline.