Watcher already did "A counter arguement" but I'm going to do a response of my own as well.
Would you be a male in the WoT?
Yes, if I had to live in the WoT world, I would probably prefer to be male.1. If you can channel the One Power, you'll go mad or you'll rot alive. If you avoid these you'll be subjected to the rough treatment of the Red ajah, and you will die from depression a few years later.
2. If you're part of the new generation of Ash'aman who channel without the taint, you may be in luck. You need to survive the harsh training where you might die or be burnt out. There's also a huge gathering of darkfriends there, and lethal discipline is not uncommon. If you manage to channel and stay Light, you'll find that Rand al'Thor has just agreed to have you bonded to the Tower against your will. Or Taim... he's agreed to have you bonded to the Red ajah. Not the Greens, the Reds.
3. If you're a warder you won't get tired easily and you're a killing machine, but if an arrow takes out your fragile Aes Sedai you'll go insane and get yourself killed. Either way, it's a life of servitude if that's what you like.
4. If you can channel in Shara or Seanchan you're killed on sight. If you're Aiel you're sent to the Blight to face the Dark One (this always ends badly).
I'm lumping the first four together because I agree with you, that would suck. I, like any sensible man in the Wheel of Time, would want as little as possible to do with the One Power.2. If you're part of the new generation of Ash'aman who channel without the taint, you may be in luck. You need to survive the harsh training where you might die or be burnt out. There's also a huge gathering of darkfriends there, and lethal discipline is not uncommon. If you manage to channel and stay Light, you'll find that Rand al'Thor has just agreed to have you bonded to the Tower against your will. Or Taim... he's agreed to have you bonded to the Red ajah. Not the Greens, the Reds.
3. If you're a warder you won't get tired easily and you're a killing machine, but if an arrow takes out your fragile Aes Sedai you'll go insane and get yourself killed. Either way, it's a life of servitude if that's what you like.
4. If you can channel in Shara or Seanchan you're killed on sight. If you're Aiel you're sent to the Blight to face the Dark One (this always ends badly).
5. On a seafolk ship a man has almost zero authority unless it has to do with cargo decisions.
On a seafolk ship, everything is a cargo decision.6. In Andor you can never be king.
Well, Rahvin was briefly...7. In most other nations you can be king, but almost never are.
This is not a WoT limitation. In most nations in our own world you can be a king or a president or a prime minister, but almost never are.8. Even in small villages, the Woman's Circle emasculates almost every man and runs things.
What we have seen of the rural municipal ruling systems does not support this. The Women's Circle and the Village Council both believe they are in complete control. In actuality, despite the inevitable friction, they work together in relative harmony.9. In Shara, Ayyad men aren't taught to read, write or do anything except make babies at the age of 16. At the age of 21 they are executed and cremated.
You're right that would suck, but there are a lot of third world countries in the real world that I wouldn't like to live in either. Also, this is another case where the underlying problem is not being male, but being associated with the Power.10. You can be the most powerful Clan Chief in the Aiel, but the Wise Ones run the show.
Much like the Women's Circle and Village Council situation above, these are two halves of a whole. Chiefs have their areas of dominion, as do the Wise Ones.11. Two out of three Clan Chief initiates die in the Rhuidean ter'angreal, but the Wise Ones use the same ter'angreal at a stage and almost never die.
Before that stage, apprentice Wise Ones have to enter a different ter'angreal, which men never have to face, and some of them die.12. Almost all the male Forsaken are dead, but almost none of the women.
Their time will come. Male or female, alive or dead, being a Forsaken would suck.13. One of the greatest men in history died in infamy after sealing away the Dark One and all the Forsaken, whereas the woman who killed off the remaining Shadowspawn got the title 'Cutter of the Shadow' and died a hero.
The highly overrated Lews Therin earned his infamy. Killing shadowspawn is, in fact, more heroic than slaughtering one's entire family and then committing suicide. Just because one specific man sucked doesn't mean that all of them do.14. The great ta'veren Hawkwing had all his major mistakes reversed due to the better thinking of a woman at his side, namely Amaline or Tamika.
Intelligent women serving a man? That seems to contradict the overall theme.15. The Dragon Reborn will kill you without a second's thought if you cross him, but if you're a woman you won't die or get tortured. You might not even get punished.
Yes, the Dragon Reborn is a sexist. This one's easy enough to avoid though... just don't cross him.16. Dreamwalking is very rare in men.
It's also very rare in women. We have seen exactly the same number of non-channeling male and female dreamwalkers. For channeling dreamwalkers, the results are skewed due to the rarity (until the advent of the Asha'man) of male channelers. With info we have from the Age of Legends, we know that the talent was common in both genders.17. The main protagonists are often displayed as childish impulsive men with clear thinking and intelligent women at their sides.
I disagree. I would say that the main protagonists are more often displayed as childish impulsive men with childish impulsive women at their sides.18. A woman in Ebou Dar can kill a man with very little defense needed.
A man in Ebou Dar can kill a man with very little defense needed as well. Also, Ebou Dar sucks.19. Male nobles in Seanchan are forced to try on the a'dam for fun by the Empress. Sometimes they die.
They're still better off than the woman on the other end of the a'dam.20. Male Trollocs are for war and are always massacred. Female trollocs are safe in the blight making babies.
Female trollocs are kept as prisoners and slaves for their entire lives. Their only purpose is to bear sons who will then be taken from them to be sacrificed on the field of battle. Male trollocs get to see the world and indulge in all of their primal pleasures.21. The Dark One is referred to as 'he'.
Watcher said it all for this one: So is the Creator.22. If you're a male Forsaken you might come back in a woman's body, but the reverse has not been shown to apply.
That was a single isolated incident,a practical joke due to a specific individual's behavior and character. Besides, he/she/it ended up liking it.23. Men can't link. If you can't do it alone, you can't do it ever.
Sure they can. If you can't do it alone, you can do it with a woman. 24. Most mainland armies are composed of men alone, and thus these are the people most often butchered in the multitude of battles we see.
And almost all of them are there by choice.
The suckiness of being a male in WoT
- 11/10/2009 07:56:33 PM
1135 Views
Suck it up and join the Whitecloaks or become a Wolfbrother. *NM*
- 12/10/2009 12:26:52 AM
247 Views
Re: The suckiness of being a male in WoT
- 12/10/2009 03:02:06 AM
634 Views
Re: A counter arguement
- 12/10/2009 11:30:06 AM
683 Views
Re: A counter arguement that is infinitely more correct, i might add.... *NM*
- 12/10/2009 07:30:05 PM
244 Views
It wouldn't suck that much
- 12/10/2009 02:05:08 PM
683 Views
Ah, but you forget the benefits...
- 12/10/2009 09:55:09 PM
779 Views
Re: Ah, but you forget the benefits...
- 13/10/2009 12:51:20 AM
597 Views
Therava is never seen being mean or domineering, or even interacting at all with any man
- 13/10/2009 12:54:30 PM
587 Views
Re: Therava is never seen being mean or domineering, or even interacting at all with any man
- 13/10/2009 10:30:33 PM
540 Views
Re: The suckiness of being a male in WoT
- 13/10/2009 09:47:31 PM
553 Views