Author Topic: How has your views on WoT characters changed over the years?  (Read 12637 times)

darxbane

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Re: How has your views on WoT characters changed over the years?
« Reply #15 on: March 07, 2008, 10:00:37 PM »
I still like Perrin and Faille best, although I like all the main characters, these two stand out slightly above the rest.  Lini is cool, too. 
I wanted to write something profound here, but I couldn't think of anything.

Blane_Firehand

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Re: How has your views on WoT characters changed over the years?
« Reply #16 on: April 08, 2008, 04:45:33 PM »
Hmmm, one thing that I don't remember bothering me when I was younger but that does annoy me now is the superior attitude held by virtually all the female characters. "Men think with the hair on their chests" and "We let them play with their toys and we'll handle the real business" (not exact quotes, but you get the idea). I think this might have something to do with older sisters and democrats, but I'm not really sure. Of course, it might just be because I'm ticked that women really are smarter than us men...  :P

Mat sticks out as my favorite character. I could talk about him being a rogue/scoundrel yet responsible when need be, but that seems to have already been covered pretty well. I used to empathize with Rand when he was the main character, but the story stopped revolving around him after the first couple of books. I also used to like Perrin quite a bit, especially because I thought the whole "wolf-brother" thing was cool. He was solid and dependable, like a rock. However, also like a rock, he eventually started to become a bit boring.

I really need to reread the series, especially with the last book on the way. I am looking forward to, although dreading slightly, seeing how my perceptions of the characters have changed.

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Re: How has your views on WoT characters changed over the years?
« Reply #17 on: April 29, 2008, 04:31:13 AM »
All of my views on the characters have changed, because they've all grown as characters throughout the series.

Mat most of all, as he started out as the semi-dependable, mischievous kid who was always able to wriggle out of a situation, only to turn around and get into another one. As we watch him interact in steadily more serious situations, we come to realize that Mat isn't a bad guy at all, really just Chaotic Good. He pushes through the hard times with the dagger, his own force of will keeping him alive, then he goes on to help Rand in the Waste, showing that he really is a dependable friend, and ends up dying for it. As we see him continue to grow with more "I'm not a bloody noble!" lines popping up in the text, we see that he's still stubborn and resisting the inevitable, but when the time comes and he finally see that he can help Rand and the World by accepting his fate as Prince of Ravens, he takes it on graciously.

Perrin holds the converse honor for me. He's been the most consistent character in the books, while Mat has been growing up and shifting radically and Rand has gone on to go insane, Perrin stayed stalwart and calm-headed. Until he met Faile, he never changed much, really just staying as the voice of gentle reason, a little introverted, but always a strong leader and a strong spirit. He came back to the Two Rivers and learned that he couldn't just depend on himself all the time, and that his friends weren't always going to be there to help him back, so he took in Faile. The big change comes from his stubbornness converting itself into aggression in a wonderfully lupine way.

Elayne, Min, and Aviendha all pretty much start to gravitate toward each other as far personality shifts go, which is dramatic from their starting personas, but comes about so smoothly that you hardly notice in until you actually stop to think about it.

Egwene goes through some pretty interesting transitions, from trying to be an adult to trying to be worthy of the Amyrlin Seat, her ambitions change dramatically and yet her odd mix of stubbornness, kind empathy, and honor all stay fairly persistent, though ow she acts in accordance to them changes as she realizes new truths about the world. I think it's fairly funny, that one scene where her and Elayne are talking and Elayne says "I'm going to be Queen of Andor" and Egwene relies that she is going to be the greatest Aes Sedai ever, or something to that effect.

Moraine starts being an overpowering force of personality, almost to a point that she starts to oppress everyone else's, and really seems to be a bit of a b*tch, to say it pointedly. As it progresses, especially after she meets her sisters in the borderlands, then later in the Stone, she goes through a few personality shifts as she learns that she has to trust in her companions a bit more. It amazes me still that she finally realizes that she has to give ground with Rand in order to gain any, and she goes through with it. I cannot wait for them to rescue her from the Tower of Ghenji, and see what changes she's gone since she 'died'.

Lastly Lan and Nynaeve, the've both managed to soften each other up, and somehow they've managed to umbue each other with a deeper sense of duty and strength. Their dynamic is amazing, how they're constantly dodging and weaving from each other in a metaphorical fashion, and then they finally come together right in the middle of Nynaeve v. Moghedian.

That's all, I guess...
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Natalie Perkins

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Re: How has your views on WoT characters changed over the years?
« Reply #18 on: April 30, 2009, 03:56:01 AM »
Ok So I've only read up to Book 9, and now I'm rereading from the beginning just because.
Rand: Pisses me off. To no end. I didn't like him all that much in the Eye of the World until I read it a second time and just because he's the Dragon Reborn shouldn't make him a jackass all the time. Yeah, I get it, it sucks to be him, but whining about it and being an ass isn't gonna stop it. Might as well make the most of what he can. Things were looking up with him last time.
Mat: He really is annoying up until The Shadow Rising where he slowly starts to improve. And then he actually became one of my favorites once he was in Tanchicho
Perrin: I started loving him once he met Faile. I loved his POV and got really excited everytime he made an appearance starting in The Dragon Reborn. That excitement has faded but eh, whatevs.
Moraine: I love Moraine. I have always loved Moraine. It hasn't changed.
Elayne: I have never liked Elayne. She was annoying, has always been annoying, and will probably always continue to be annoying.
Min: I mean, whatever. She's fine. I really have no opinion about her. Maybe a little annoying.
Egwene: I LOVE EGWENE! She can be kinda dumb sometimes (Particularly in The Dragon Reborn and The Shadow Rising) but I love her almost all the time. Ugh, I was so pissed when her and Rand stopped loving eachother. And I'm not longer pissed, but I still feel they should have stayed together. Maybe she would have stopped him from turning into a jackass.
Faile: Love Faile. Always have loved Faile. Nuff said.
Bairelan (I know this is spelled wrong, don't want to look it up) : I used to find her annoying, but I have a new respect upon rereading the series for her.
Lan: He's legit awesome. Probably one of my favorite characters.
Aviendha: I love her too. Probably Third behind Egwene and Lan. I think Rand should really just blow off Min and Elayne and stick with her.
Siuan - wasn't gonna mention her, but I vaguely remember me being very impressed with her after she was stilled and very entertaining to read.
My mind grows fuzzy. I should go read to clear it =]
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readerMom

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Re: How has your views on WoT characters changed over the years?
« Reply #19 on: April 30, 2009, 05:58:24 AM »
Since I first read the first couple of books I have gotten married and had a lot of kids.  This read through, the first in a long while, I find myself empathizing a lot more with Moraine than ever before.  I think it is the herding people without being too obvious about it and then having them do what they want to anyway thing.
I love Mat in the later books, but he is too agressively obnoxious in the earlier books. 
The thing I've always hated about all the characters is how no one talks to anyone else.  It would have made for a much shorter book if even a few of the characters would communicate with each other. The older I get the more this bugs me, but that could be because I am working on becoming a crotchety old woman and its a process that starts early. :P

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Re: How has your views on WoT characters changed over the years?
« Reply #20 on: April 30, 2009, 09:20:27 AM »
There's a whole number of things that could have made for shorter books, ReaderMom, least of which is how much characters talk to eachother...
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Re: How has your views on WoT characters changed over the years?
« Reply #21 on: April 30, 2009, 10:56:50 AM »
I was already a grup when I started on Eye of the world, so my view hasn't changed much at all.  I've reread several times and each time through it's a transition for most of the characters as the develop and change a lot over time, but I find my EotW Rand is still as I left him, and my SR Nyneave is just as much the spoiled brat she always was.

I really respect Elayne and Egwene, each manages to take the reigns of power and growup without becoming frightened and domineering like Nyneave or manipulative and arrogant like Cadsuane.

Faile well she's the lovable brat, until the trials of the Shaido fort.  Then she became a bit too pragmatic and loses a bit of my respect and affection.  Beralain is incorrigible.

Every character grows to fill a necessary role and I treasure them all, but they always remain comfortably themselves, no matter how I age. ;P
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Re: How has your views on WoT characters changed over the years?
« Reply #22 on: April 30, 2009, 06:35:24 PM »
I find Rand the most enjoyable to read, even though his duty has crushed him and run him through a press, he accepts the cards he has been dealt and goes on the best of his abilities. He is becoming morbid but the love he feels for Min Eylane and Aviehenda keep him from doing something truly stupid...he is far from the two dimentional character some people describe him as...

I also enjoy Aviehenda and other more adaptable Aiel, and strangely I find myself liking Galad more and more...Thom was always fun too.
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Re: How has your views on WoT characters changed over the years?
« Reply #23 on: May 13, 2009, 10:11:42 PM »
Quote
Hmmm, one thing that I don't remember bothering me when I was younger but that does annoy me now is the superior attitude held by virtually all the female characters. "Men think with the hair on their chests" and "We let them play with their toys and we'll handle the real business" (not exact quotes, but you get the idea). I think this might have something to do with older sisters and democrats, but I'm not really sure
I hear what you're saying. However, I think this was just a slight exaggeration on what SOME people (of either sex) may think about the opposite one (although not what they would actually say). I actually found it very entertaining.
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Re: How has your views on WoT characters changed over the years?
« Reply #24 on: May 14, 2009, 04:44:28 PM »
Well men's IQ's are sporadic while women's are more centralized (men have both more geniuses and retards litterally retarded I'm not miss using the disorder) though i believe the mean of men's IQ is higher...though that means little it all comes down to work ethic
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Re: How has your views on WoT characters changed over the years?
« Reply #25 on: May 15, 2009, 03:57:23 AM »
I fail to see the relevance of your post.
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Patriotic Kaz

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Re: How has your views on WoT characters changed over the years?
« Reply #26 on: May 15, 2009, 04:51:07 AM »
some post near the top i saw talking about women being smarter than men...
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Re: How has your views on WoT characters changed over the years?
« Reply #27 on: May 15, 2009, 02:23:06 PM »
I've only been reading the series since I was a freshman in high school, so not much has changed for me.
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Re: How has your views on WoT characters changed over the years?
« Reply #28 on: May 15, 2009, 04:58:42 PM »
Something that has changed for me is my view of Paddin Fain.  In EotW he was a pathetic example of the mediocrity of evil.  Then he is hit with this irreconcilable set of geas'.  It complicated him, in spite of himself, and the taint from Mashaddar, made him something new and interesting, about the time that he became so powerful, rebellious and cunning that even fades are frightened of him. . .  Well he becomes a whole new player on the board.  I hate him of course, for his evil.  But he's actually earned a modicum of respect.  I never expected that.
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Re: How has your views on WoT characters changed over the years?
« Reply #29 on: May 15, 2009, 08:18:21 PM »
He's a fun read... certain bad guys like Fain are just SOOO much fun to hate ;D
"Words are double edged blades. Only the great and the foolish play with knives." - Kaz the Buddah

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