The Dragon Reborn

[Talmanes]

So I'm doing a reread for the first time in a while, and just finished TDR, and at first thought it was strange how the book literally called 'The Dragon Reborn' barely contains any POV from Rand. Thinking on it though, the whole book still completely revolves around him even though you don't see him much.

 

There's the obvious note with Perrin's party literally chasing after Rand and seeing the effects he has on people/towns if course.

 

Then Egwene, Elayne, and Nyn going to Tear to chase Black Ajah, but why to the Black Ajah want them there? To bait Rand into coming. 

 

Mat's is the least direct where he's technically chasing after the girls, but the circumstances show the Pattern weaving a reason for him to go (being the least likely one to go for Rand alone).

 

The Aiel of course are introduced because they are looking for Rand, and you see the ta'veren approach of Perrin meeting one and literally telling them to go to Tear.

 

Really looking at it RJ paints a vivid picture of how the Pattern pushes ta'veren and especially how ta'veren can push the Pattern around them (especially Rand who's the strongest ta'veren) and while barely having Rand on screen, shows early on how much of an effect he has on the world. 

 

We see the effects a lot more later on (i.e. when he heals the land around him after accepting who he is in TGS) but I still find it interesting. 

 

There is the blatant part of Moirane explaining what is happening, but the whole story actually revolves around the same thing happening on a wider scale.

 

I've noticed a ton of subtle and not so subtle foreshadowing in the early books that doesn't come into play for a long time, so I've really been keeping an eye out for things like this big and small.

 

Anyone have thoughts comments?

 

 

[wotfan4472]

This has been happening since the moment we saw Rand journeying to Emond's Field with Tam. It is just that now we are seeing the world react to him, afterwards, which we did not see previously, apart from Domon and Thom, of course.

[Talmanes]

Oh definitely and there have been little things here and there, I just found it interesting how much TDR focuses on it while not giving Rand much screen time. It's an interesting way to tell the narrative, and gives Rand a more of a mysteriousness. Is he going mad? Who knows? That one POV sounded like it.

 

Of course having read through the series several times I know that's not the case but like I said it's a bold literary strategy, and looking at it through the lens of a first time reader especially.