Ah well, few things bring out the crazy in people around here like a good I-hate-Egwene fest. I personally don't hate Egwene. I'm not always pleased with her actions, but hate? Unapologetic no.

Even the who-killed-Asmo debates never devolved into the ad hominem idiocy that is a good I-hate-Egwene-and-you-should-too fest.



So, in general, I agree. Whether or not this is what RJ intended, this is how I found myself interpreting Nynaeve's character in EOTW: I HATE Moiraine...she called me 'girl'! SHE called ME girl! And then she goes and lures Two Rivers folks away...I'll teach her, I will. I'll bring them home! Where they belong! Asking MY permission before acting!

Now, granted, I am exaggerating here, but basically, Nynaeve in the early books was a the hero's quintessential bossy older sister, her righteousness a cloak for her desire for recognition. Yes, Nynaeve did care about the Two Rivers kids, that is true, but she was largely motivated (it seemed to me) by a desire to show Moiraine up, because Moiraine called her 'girl'. So much of her behavior in the early books was reactive to Moiraine...Moiraine's no angel, but I wanted to slap Nynaeve half the time, and strangle her the other.

Nyneave shows a similar attitude towards Elayne. Now, it is true that Elayne has her faults, but she can't help being written to take so many baths. When N and E are traveling the world together, Nynaeve seems to take especial pleasure whenever she can show Elayne that she knows something the high-and-mighty Daughter-Heir doesn't. It's ridiculous at times. I remember a few times once Aviendha joins them where Aviendha reflects on Nynaeve's blindness (Nynaeve has just said something to the effect of, "I can't abide women who stick there noses in everyone's business and tries to boss people around from morning 'til night" ) . And then Aviendha bursts out laughing, thinking Nynaeve has made a self-effacing joke. Nynaeve...just...looks...at...her. Silly wetlander. Now, again, Nynaeve is not a bad character, but she is, up until Rand comes and asks her to risk her life cleansing saidin, remarkably blind to her own baser motivations and faults. From that moment on, aside from some tussles with Cadsuane (who, as Tam points out, is a bully), she begins to act unselfishly, and I began to like her much more. Even though it still took Rand exerting his tremendous ta'averen effect over Tuon in TGS to get Nynaeve to finally admit that Mat had saved her life in the Stone...something Elayne was able to admit several books earlier.