IntroductionQuite a few years have passed since last I compiled a thorough accounting of Egwene’s misdeeds, discourtesies, hypocrisies, treacheries, and instances of arrogance and incompetence. Two additional books have been released, and while the new author’s grasp of the original characters remains suspect, the events therein are nonetheless the events and possibly similar words to what Robert Jordan would have had her say, and thus, must sadly be viewed as canon and as valid sources of Egwenish behavior and words. For this reason, I think it behooves me to go back and at least try to consider her actions with additional context.

I am not remotely taking any sort of meta-perspective to this project, by which I mean, considering RJ’s intentions or wishes or opinions of the character. This is a highly subjective essay, and RJ’s opinions on Egwene are just that – opinions. If he believed he was writing about a great and heroic woman, well, the more fool him. He was wrong, and I like to think he created this heinous anti-hero with all the deliberate malevolence he used to render his Forsaken as utterly contemptible, despicable and unsympathetic. Within the context of the extreme Evil menace, Jordan still portrayed lots of shades of gray, and it seems to have been his intention to show the wide variety of possible perspectives, which in turn explains the mechanics of his stated theme of miscommunication. While some of those hoped-for shades of gray have proven to be misleading as the not-quite-evil antagonists have been thoroughly dismissed and discredited (Elaida) or else proved to have been evil all along (Mazrim Taim), or else brought around to the right way of thinking (Galad, Moiraine), I like to think that Egwene is part of the design intending to show how bad guys who are not Evil still have a place in the Big Tent of Good. Accordingly, I don’t want to see any responses to this project based on her status as a point of view character or a powerful leader among the alliance that stands against the Ultimate Evil.

I no longer have access to the original posts that comprised my first attempt at this (for my own sake, the current writing is an attempt to reconstruct my case), so these may or may not differ from what someone might remember me saying at another time. I remain confident that there will be little to no inconsistency in my arguments then and now. The original version started when someone on wotmania.com stated that Egwene turned bad at a certain point in the series. In response, I posted a list of her major transgressions prior to that point. Then I listed the rest of her malfeasance for completeness’ sake. Then I later went back to that list as a sort of outline for the Egwene’s Evil series, and filled in or clarified details as I went. I’m going to try to do this one in a more organic fashion, that will hopefully be more thorough and unified in themes, being done closer in time, and with the benefits of personal maturation I have since accrued.

Finally, some quick FAQ:
Why do you bother reading the books if you hate the characters so much?
a. I don’t hate the characters. Just Egwene. And Min. And Siuan. And Morgase. And Gawyn. And Dyelin. Okay, moving on.
b. I actually LIKE reading about Egwene & her doings. It is part of the story, which I like. I am also history buff, and interested in politics so pretty much most of my reading is about horrible, depressing & futile struggles that go nowhere and horrible people doing horrible things.
c. I like the character AS A CHARACTER. My critique of her is based on what kind of a person is depicted in this characterization. Egwene is an amazingly consistent, well-fleshed out, plausibly motivated portrayal of a wretched selfish person.

Why do you have a problem with strong women?
Why do you swan about assuming your motivations of real people are the only valid ones and thus the only thing you need to ascertain is WHY they are that way? What you meant to ask is, “Are you merely raging against Egwene because you dislike seeing a strong woman violate the unspoken limitations placed on her because of her gender, or because you resent successful female characters due to your own personal inadequacies and insecurities vis a vis your society’s expectations of your gender role?” The answer is “No” to both questions.

Well then why do you attack such a strong female character?
Because she has it coming regardless of her gender. If Gawyn was in the damn thing more often, I’d be going after him. Furthermore, to answer the implicit assumption, I take issue with the characterization of Egwene as “strong.” This work is in part an attempt to correct that misperception. Also, strong does not equate to good, or at least it should. When one person’s definition of strong deviates from the definition of good, I take issue with the actions or person that fit that definition. IMO, since “bad” more or less equates with “selfish” right down the line, there is seldom any strength to be found in “bad” actions, since it does not take “strength” or courage to act in one’s own best interests.

______ is not a very nice thing to say about X character.
They are not real people I am criticizing or ridiculing. And by going to such lengths and extremes, I am being nice to the author by taking his work so seriously. And nice to the rest of you in explaining myself.

Why do this now, and not after the last book?
a. The Board is dead now, and won’t be then.
b. I retain some small hope that the point I’m making with this effort will be obvious by the time the last book comes out.
c. I can never get around to doing a proper re-read while waiting for the books to come out, and since I doubt Brandon Sanderson will have the class and consideration of the producers of the Resident Evil movie series to include a recap before the final volume, this structured effort will hopefully motivate me to go through each book and thus be prepared at the end.

Why do you spend so much time and effort on this rather inconsequential project, when you could be curing cancer?
Because it’s fun. Why do people film Legos acting out movie scenes and post them on YouTube? Why do people draw or paint pictures that will never be sold for a cent or hang in a museum? Why do people play music when they will never ever get a recording contract? Why is Glee a thing? This is MY pointless art, which I do for fun and to see what it looks like when I’m done. And I would never try to cure cancer. Even if you don’t end up with zombies, the world would invent something worse to throw at us. I’m pretty sure cancer is the Horseman Pestilence’s revenge for getting rid of polio.

That was kind of a nit-picky violation you listed in that entry? Aren’t you fishing just a bit here?
These little minor details paint a bigger picture of her attitudes, interests and agendas. Even if they don’t condemn her in and of themselves, they tend to support the general theme of Egwene’s personal degeneracy. So, yeah. They’re relevant. As a WoT-character would say, the Dark One is in the details, and that’s where we’ll find him when it comes to Egwene.

That was so awesome, You should be a real author!!!1!
For the last time, I am not signing your breast. What is wrong with you people?

On that note, on with Egwene’s Evil, 2.0!


Ravens
I’ve alluded in the past to the way Egwene’s character as a nine-year-old is consistent with her later flaws, but I don’t think this chapter made the list. As there is not much Evil a child of nine can get up to, I will instead offer examples of character traits that will vex right-thinking readers in books to come, with tiny print examples of the same flaws in later books on a larger scale:

Throughout the chapter, Egwene evinces the attitude that will become all too familiar to readers: envy. She is constantly motivated and driven by those who are in some way privileged or in an advantageous position, and wants as much for herself. She also resents any expression of superiority or authority from a person more highly placed than she, even if such expressions are positive and benevolent towards her. She simply cannot stand anyone acting as if they are higher-ranking, more experienced, older or otherwise entitled to respect from her, even if they are.

Egwene initially presents as determined to do a good job at her assigned task of carrying the water, but it is not long before she gives away her true motivation: “If she was good enough at carrying water, maybe they would let her help with the food or the wool, next year, instead of two years later.” Passing through the ranks as quickly as possible is going to be something Egwene will be fixated on later as well. For Egwene, doing a good job is nothing more than a means to getting a better one, which will later explain her interest in securing her claim to the Amyrlin Seat over and above doing anything about the myriad problems afflicting the world.

She is also consistently uncharitable in her estimations of other people (”Can’t you recognize emotions, Moiraine?” “Rand is getting such a swelled head, giving orders to soldiers without saying please, and acting like a king, just because he rules two nations!”).
- She has little or no sympathy for her elder sister, Berowyn, who has recently lost a husband and a child, and finds the affection of Berowyn tiresome and annoying. Where this poor woman expresses gratitude that at least her baby sister survived the same sickness, Egwene only resents her use of the term ‘baby’ - a commonplace term for the youngest child of a family, regardless of age or maturity – and privately accuses her of substituting Egwene for the lost husband and child (and small grief on Egwene’s part for the loss of a brother-in-law and niece or nephew – if the first and only nephew/grandson in most families dies, it is devastating to the whole family. I have 9.2 nieces and nephews, and I cannot imagine how badly we would take it if anything happened to any one of them, much less the levels of sympathy its mother would receive.
- She feigns sympathy for her sister Elisa’s dilemma of not being allowed to braid her hair as young as their older sisters were, because of her personal irritation at Elisa’s dire habit…of quoting trite sayings. Funny how it becomes acceptable in a best friend, when said friend is a noblewoman and future Aes Sedai, and thus a person of power…. What is more amusing, is that Egwene herself is not allowed to braid her hair until she is 17, a full year past the standard of 16 that even Nynaeve met, despite setting a goal to be the youngest girl ever allowed to braid her hair.

Egwene, of course, loves to intrude herself in where she has no expertise, either making light of others’ knowledge or ability or else offering her own opinion, unasked and incorrect. (The efficacy of the Dragon Reborn’s plan to deal with the Dark One. He’s only the man designated by Prophecy as the only one capable of handling the Dark One, and has only been pondering this issue for months – surely he needs the help of an 18-year old with absolutely no relevant experience or germane study to her credit! )
- She scoffs at the older boys herding sheep, and is sure she could handle their job, that it seems easy.
- She interjects herself into an adult issue, inadvertently publicly comparing Elisa to Calle Coplin, the town slut, and then fuming over being called a child - when the issue at hand is her complete and total ignorance of sex and its implications, there is really nothing else you COULD call her in that circumstance.

And of course, there is her hypocrisy:
- Despite her covert railings at people who treat her like a baby, she lashes out at Perrin’s little sister, mocking her age and her playing habits. Adora’s transgression which inspires this rejoinder? She questions Egwene about her actions, comparing her to another girl Egwene had been mentally criticizing.
- Where earlier in the chapter, she complains more than once to herself about practices she finds distasteful, but which are followed due to authority figures’ decrees or else tradition, when her unbraided sister calls her a child, she fumes ”I should have told her sheisn’t a grownup…Not until the Circle lets her braid her hair… Ah, rules. Fine for everyone else, but why should Egwene have to follow them, just because someone said so?
- When she decides she wants to see Rand, she steers her water-carrying job in his direction, as “she ignored anyone who motioned for water…”, and keeps on with her pretense, despite being repeatedly told the group Rand is with, to which she is carrying drinking water, has no need of her services! Egwene has a pretense and by the Light, she is GOING to carry it out. And this is one sentence after she thinks that she has to DO her job, and one page after she critically noted another girl slacking at her assigned job to talk to boys.
- When Wil al’Seen contemplates her dishonest response to his query, the following marvelous moral stance comes through her mind: …kicking Wil’s shins would not get what she wanted from him… The major reason Egwene abstains from violence and assault – it will not work. Wrong? What does that have to do with anything? Getting Egwene what she wants is the sole criterion under which a course of action should be considered!

Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose!


Next: Part 1, where Egwene is a brown-nosing, boyfriend-baiting...hmmm. What else begins with a "B"?