Why does Rand fight?

[Kura]

An interesting thought I had was the exact reasons why Rand fights. As far as I can tell, he isn't fighting for anything at this moment; he is simply fighting because he has to. He is the Dragon Reborn, destined to fight the DO at TG, and because of the tendency of prophecies to fall into place around him, he continues on to fight the DO. Now, what’s wrong with this?

 

Well I know that when someone once started hurting my cousin, I hit the guy harder than I think I could duplicate. Translation, I fought/hit harder because I had a reason to fight, my family. It seems like Caddy has about the same idea with the making him 'strong' as opposed to his current 'hard'. He is fighting because he has to, not because he has any "personal" reasons. This with his current mental instability could cripple him in that final moment, when he seals the bore by whatever means you like. (Please, no getting into bore sealing theories in this thread. ;))

 

However, if he fought for his love(s), his friends, and truly realized all the people that he had to fight for, that he had to protect, combined with him making the necessary switch that Caddy is trying to get him to go through, then at that final moment he will be strong. He'll be able to summon whatever he needs to defeat the dark one.

 

Your thoughts?

[Davian93]

He is the Dragon Reborn

 

That's your answer right there...along with his sense of duty and commitment.  Rand fights because he knows that there is no one else who can do it and all those other things you brought up go into why he has this sense of duty.  He knows that if he doesn't fight all those that he loves will die.

[Ahaz Flagg]

Rand Fights because there is no one else to carry the load. Also, look to the schools he has started, I think he is also fighting to leave something behind accept pain and loss.

[Briwan Dragain]

You know... that actually does become something of an interesting point. I dislike Cadsuane immensely, I'll be the first to admit that... but for the first time I think there might actually be a need for her.

 

I think Rand fights, right now, primarily for duty purposes. Because he's ending up more like Lews Therin than he wants to admit, in my opinion. Sure, he spends time with Min.. but he distances himself from everyone else, uses them without much care, and beats himself continously for all of the women he's gotten killed.

 

Kura makes a good point, although I think Rand does have those same reasons to battle.. he just doesn't.. awknowledge them fully, perhaps? I think he is too hard and not strong, a little more focused on fighting because he must instead of because he should. I mean, sure, it's right. And he knows that. But he doesn't want to do it anymore than I'd want to go to war, only the position he is in forces him to it.

 

At the start, he wanted to protect his family.. and his friends. But I think he realizes, maybe, that the chances of him protecting/saving people are so slim that it hurts him just to consider which of his friends he'll lose.. so he chooses to have none, which in the end could hurt him more than help.

 

Dunno. We'll see how things work out.

[dmanmiller34]

I have to agree also. I don't see Rand fighting for anything but duty and thats why he has become so hard. He lacks Passion for anything except getting it over with. To quote Lini " What cannot be changed must be endured." I think tht he is just enduring to the end. WHile that is noble its not enough I think to truly fuel him to finish what he needs to do. He needs more of a reason. If Min discovers a way for him to Survive TG then his survival woul;d be an extremely important thing to himself and would hopefully stop his recklessness with himself.

[Moiraine_Damodred]

Rand fights because the Pattern makes him fight, same for Perrin and Mat

[Vambram]

I believe that Rand is fighting with a lot more then Duty motivating him. He accepted the fact that he is the Dragon Reborn, and yes its true that fulfilling his duty to defeat the D.O. and the Forsaken is a large part of his motivation. However, its because he truly does care about common folk that various reforms of his were instituted around the Lands. Its because he does not want to break the world like LTT did, that shows he has other motivational reasons besides an exceptionally strong sense of duty to fight and win against the D.O. at Tarmon Gaidon. Everyone knows about the real and sincere love that he has for Elayne, Min, and Aviendha. That motivates him as well. Also, he seeks to find a way for himself, his friends, and his allies to win without millions of dead casualties around the Lands.

I completely agree that Rand's very strong sense of duty and honor motivate him to fight. But I see other equally strong emotional and moral reasons within Rand's personality which are also motivating him. Yes, its true that he keeps those emotions and feelings hidden from all except Min, & possibly a few other characters. However, as readers of Rand's POV's, I am sure that we can see that Duty, combined with the other factors mentioned are all make up what motivates Rand to fight at Tarmon Gaidon and defeat the D.O.'s plans.

 

[trakand_01]

He's fighting to get everything ready in time for TG. Of course he has no schedule to work to, TG could come tomorrow, or in 3 year's time, all he knows is that the world must be ready.

 

Most of the 'fights' he has are consequential to his actions; he had to fight the Shaido because they rebelled after he proclaimed himself Car'a'carn.

 

He has to fight the Forsaken because every one he kills now is one less to kill at TG.

 

He has to fight those who oppose him, who oppose the figurehead of the Dragon (which just happens to be him), those who threaten the unity of the world at TG (I believe Rand knows it is very important that the world is united behind him, or at least clearly defined as GOOD (behind him) and BAD (behind the DO). Any rebel factions or groups 'sitting on the fence' cannot be had.

[BrainFireBob]

The Shadow is a wolf, and he's a shepherd. He's doing as his nature bids- he loves, he defends.

 

He's forgetting that there are rams amongst the sheep.

[Kura]

Yeah, I'm not saying those other reasons aren't there, but he seems to be moving more and more away from 'save everyone you have ever loved' to 'duty is heavier than a mountain, death is lighter than a feather.' That quote sums it up entirely, he would like to give up, but he can't. I'm not saying he should want to fight, or be the dragon reborn, but he is becoming less the knight in shining armor, saving the damsel in distress, and more the guy with a sword, who hires himself out to be a mer canary, because he his stomach is growling. Mercs tend not to get the job done unless the battle is in their favor the whole time, and not much goes off without a hitch with Rand. It just seems that in his hardness, he is forgetting why he should fight, and drilling why he has to fight.

[Briwan Dragain]

Kura stole my response. Lol.

 

But, to piggy-back off of that, Rand (in the last book especially, and before that) really has.. nothing driving him but duty. In my opinion, at least. I agree that he cares for the common folk.. but his mentality is quickly becoming 'do what I can now.. and let them fight it out when I die.'

 

He needs the people behind him, and it's getting less and less to the point where he can start making rules and enforcing them. The last battle is coming sooner than any would like and Rand knows it. Knows he has to have EVERYONE behind him and he's trying to do that, in some cases it seems against the better judgement of his morals as they were at the start.

 

He needs Moiraine. Bad. I miss her, haha. But, to stay on topic. Rand seems, to me at least, to be fueled by need and not desire. He doesn't want to win, he has to win. And to win he must die. He's resigned to that, he believes it with everything he is.. and the closer he gets to the battle, the less he cares about anything but ensuring victory. After he dies.. well... let the lords of chaos duke it out.