I agree there are plenty of underdeveloped and somewhat one-sided relationships in the series
ßelals Girl Send a noteboard - 28/04/2011 08:15:52 PM
But the whole Egwene/Gawyn "relationship" sees to stand out even among these.
Most of the characters had at least some "courting" time with their love interests before that love was declared, and even more underdeveloped cases, like Rand and Elayne, had "it was fated to be" to fall back on (which isn't as satisfying as a developed romance, but is at least a valid reason for one in a story where fate plays such a heavy role). Egwene and Gawyn...didn't. She goes from being engaged to Rand to lusting after Galad to...being madly in love with Gawyn. With no reason for it except for that creepy dream she got pulled into...and even that isn't really an excuse, since a dream like that would need some preexisting feelings for the other person in order to make it pleasurable, otherwise it would technically be like some sort of rape).
And most of the relationships in the series also have to involve a lot of compromise, given that they are between very powerful and/or important people with lots of obligations and often many cultural differences as well. And while I've often complained that it seems to be the men who do most of the compromising, I can't deny that most of the women have to do some as well. But not Egwene. Nope, Gawyn comes pre-whipped, and her only problems with him involve him not being whipped enough and the things she'll have to do to make him so. And you know in the end, she'll be sucessful, and this will be portrayed by the story as a good thing, and they'll have a happy relationship for the rest of their lives.
Which of course, irks me to no end, because Egwene is one of the most ruthless, single-minded "good guys" in the series, and one of the least altruistic, and yet she doesn't have to pay nearly the price the other characters have to pay for their ruthless and single-minded actions, even though they may be forced into them for the greater good far more often than Egwene is. Yet they have to suffer (often romantically) for these actions, and pay the price dictated by fate, and yet you KNOW Egwene is going to end the series with all the power and respect, a loving relationship with a perfectly whipped husband, and the love and loyalty of all her "friends," despite her treatment of them, while the other characters may or may not be left to twist in the wind.
Blaugh! God I hate that character!
Most of the characters had at least some "courting" time with their love interests before that love was declared, and even more underdeveloped cases, like Rand and Elayne, had "it was fated to be" to fall back on (which isn't as satisfying as a developed romance, but is at least a valid reason for one in a story where fate plays such a heavy role). Egwene and Gawyn...didn't. She goes from being engaged to Rand to lusting after Galad to...being madly in love with Gawyn. With no reason for it except for that creepy dream she got pulled into...and even that isn't really an excuse, since a dream like that would need some preexisting feelings for the other person in order to make it pleasurable, otherwise it would technically be like some sort of rape).
And most of the relationships in the series also have to involve a lot of compromise, given that they are between very powerful and/or important people with lots of obligations and often many cultural differences as well. And while I've often complained that it seems to be the men who do most of the compromising, I can't deny that most of the women have to do some as well. But not Egwene. Nope, Gawyn comes pre-whipped, and her only problems with him involve him not being whipped enough and the things she'll have to do to make him so. And you know in the end, she'll be sucessful, and this will be portrayed by the story as a good thing, and they'll have a happy relationship for the rest of their lives.
Which of course, irks me to no end, because Egwene is one of the most ruthless, single-minded "good guys" in the series, and one of the least altruistic, and yet she doesn't have to pay nearly the price the other characters have to pay for their ruthless and single-minded actions, even though they may be forced into them for the greater good far more often than Egwene is. Yet they have to suffer (often romantically) for these actions, and pay the price dictated by fate, and yet you KNOW Egwene is going to end the series with all the power and respect, a loving relationship with a perfectly whipped husband, and the love and loyalty of all her "friends," despite her treatment of them, while the other characters may or may not be left to twist in the wind.
Blaugh! God I hate that character!
Egwene vs. Gawyn (ToM spoilers of course)
- 28/04/2011 05:01:46 AM
4115 Views
There's fifty feet of crap between rock bottom and your post... *NM*
- 28/04/2011 07:40:04 AM
504 Views
Almost three days since the last post...at least I'm trying.
- 28/04/2011 12:17:59 PM
1016 Views
What is to discuss here? You hate Egwene and will spin anything to put her in a negative light
- 28/04/2011 12:59:58 PM
1075 Views
But he's so good at it. all the pieces are in there and close to the right place... like a picasso.
- 03/05/2011 12:51:54 AM
1041 Views
I'd say there's no need to take it so seriously when there's so few posts lately. You should see
- 28/04/2011 05:59:19 PM
983 Views
while i agree with you on most of this
- 28/04/2011 04:53:06 PM
1160 Views
hmpf, i post a good point and nothing
- 28/04/2011 11:09:53 PM
930 Views
*NM*
you could say the same about a lot of the relationships in this series
- 28/04/2011 04:59:19 PM
1118 Views
I agree there are plenty of underdeveloped and somewhat one-sided relationships in the series
- 28/04/2011 08:15:52 PM
1164 Views
Re: I agree there are plenty of underdeveloped and somewhat one-sided relationships in the series
- 29/04/2011 06:55:14 PM
989 Views
In regards to the letters...
- 28/04/2011 05:28:13 PM
1209 Views
But Gawyn was not Egwene's subject
- 28/04/2011 06:09:31 PM
1008 Views
Which was why I thought it was appropriate, since he meant to act as Egwene's Warder.
- 28/04/2011 06:19:53 PM
970 Views
The only issue is that Warders are not minions - they are honored junior partners.
- 28/04/2011 07:39:18 PM
1133 Views
No, the junior partners are Accepted. Warders are essentially personal bodyguards and/or assistants.
- 28/04/2011 08:00:17 PM
934 Views
Accepted are not anything, let alone junior partners. Don't think N&E's experience was typical
- 28/04/2011 09:32:22 PM
1178 Views
Here's the thing though...
- 28/04/2011 11:20:32 PM
981 Views
No, but it's cute and quirky when Faile does it.
- 29/04/2011 03:06:50 PM
1147 Views
But...
- 29/04/2011 10:52:03 PM
942 Views
That's not really clear
- 29/04/2011 11:41:20 PM
1075 Views
Actually, it is...
- 30/04/2011 06:37:42 PM
1096 Views
Re: Actually, it is...
- 30/04/2011 11:17:21 PM
973 Views
Didn't Siuan, Gareth and Gawyn tell her about the Bloodknife they encountered?
- 02/05/2011 02:33:08 PM
979 Views
Re: Accepted are not anything, let alone junior partners. Don't think N&E's experience was typical
- 28/04/2011 11:36:24 PM
999 Views
My two cents: yes, a little, maybe, and possibly not.
- 28/04/2011 06:05:09 PM
1118 Views
Regarding your reference to another Emond's Fielder: What are you talking about?
- 28/04/2011 09:06:13 PM
985 Views
both together, couldn't separate them in my mind - perrin's evasiveness or nyn's trickiness *NM*
- 28/04/2011 10:16:57 PM
512 Views
It isn't the worst romance in WoT
- 28/04/2011 08:10:23 PM
1282 Views
Galad is a great option for a political marriage
- 28/04/2011 09:04:46 PM
975 Views
Yes, but...
- 28/04/2011 09:40:39 PM
1007 Views
but galad knew nothing of berelain's closeness to rand, so that couldn't have affected anything
- 28/04/2011 10:12:23 PM
1050 Views
Yes. An often overlooked point is that ELAYNE, not Egwene, gains the most power in ToM
- 28/04/2011 09:42:43 PM
1360 Views
Except they're both really hot.
- 28/04/2011 10:01:46 PM
1153 Views
I can only quibble; Egwene became so insufferable in ToM I'm convinced her fate will be unpleasant.
- 04/05/2011 12:41:53 AM
1142 Views
Siuan...
- 04/05/2011 05:42:59 AM
1115 Views
Re: Siuan screwed up big time.
- 07/05/2011 03:35:46 AM
989 Views
Good points all round (do you switch brains when getting into real world politics? ) & re: the Talk
- 12/05/2011 02:04:06 PM
936 Views
Thanks, (and no, you just become less and less astute as we move farther from fiction. )
- 15/05/2011 11:46:41 PM
1295 Views
)
- 15/05/2011 11:46:41 PM
1295 Views