What is your opinion on Aram?

[Arkelias]

Aram was a mainstay of the series.  He first appeared when Egwene and Perrin were guided to the tinkers by Elyas.  At that time he was carefree and interested only in women, song and dance.

 

When the trollocs came to the two rivers and decimated his people he put aside the way of the leaf and took up the sword.  He started following Perrin around without any explanation why, and seemed fanatically loyal to him ever since.

 

Then, in KoD with very little foreshadowing he suddenly starts following Masema, and decides that Perrin is Shadowspawn and needs to die.  When he turns they don't even have a real fight, Aram is cut down by Aiel from behind.

 

I have to admit I'm a bit mystified.  I was never sure where RJ was going with Aram, and this is not the ending I expected.  I feel like I'm missing some connection or foreshadowing maybe.

 

Why did Aram turn on Perrin?  Was that out of character in your opinion?  How did you expect things to end with Aram?

[sketching sedai]

Why did Aram turn on Perrin? 

I’m pretty sure Aram fancied Perrin. ;D  It was probably the classic case of ‘If I can’t have you...

 

 

[Majsju]

The foreshadowing is there, but it is difficult to spot. I think that difficulty is a result of RJ not wanting to give too many clues. Not that I think he wanted to go as far as making Aram a red herring for a forsaken-in-hiding, but...We were allowed to know quite early Aram would turn against Perrin, but not the full reasons why until later.

 

And if we look at the whys and hows...

When Aram takes up the sword, he loses everything he has ever known. His home, his family. So at this point he more or less ODs on anger and grief. Attaching himself to Perrin and Faile is the only chance he has at finding some stability in a life that has been shattered.

 

Perrin however does not fill the role of fatherfigure/brother that Aram needs, at least not in Arams eyes. And it gets even worse when Faile gets kidnapped, as that is when Elyas returns to Perrins life, and immidiatly becomes one of Perrins closest and most trusted men. The same Elyas who Aram have learned to be wary of pretty much his entire life. So now neither Perrin nor Faile is there for him, the people he trusted to be there when he lost everything.

Incidently, this is when Masema and his jolly bunch arrives. A bunch of people who are just as fanatic as Aram. People who does not turn him away, but instead welcomes him. Classic outsider-behaviour. At first, Aram just wants a place to belong, but the more time he spends with masema and that gang, the more he listens to them. At the same time, Perrin does nothing to indicate that he wants Aram around, and he does a number of things that is rather questionable, like making an alliance with the Seanchan. For Masema, it becomes just a matter of pushing the right buttons. Like how Aram still cares deeply for Faile, does he really think it is in her best interest to be reunited with someone, with something like Perrin?

 

Arams story is one of the more tragic in WOT, as we get to see a good young man corrupted by his own darkness.

[Arkelias]

Thanks Maj.  Well said.

[Mashiara Sedai]

I think that Aram's character is just there to influence Perrin's life.  This might sound strange, but hear me out.

 

Perrin dislikes Aram from the start, and we even learn that Aram is struggling following The Way of the Leaf.  His grandparents are a little afaid from the off that he might never be at peace with their beliefs.

 

When Aram finally realizes that he is unable to follow that path, he picks up the sword and joins Perrin.  Notice how Perrin feels so guilty for letting him have a sword, but Perrin's beliefs are such that any man should be able to defend himself and his family.  Perrin really struggles with this, though.  He almost sends Aram back to his grandparents.

 

All throughout their time together, Perrin (I think) resents Aram a little.  Aram becomes so focused on violence and Perrin only does violence if necessary.  They never see eye to eye on any subject but protecting Faile.

 

When Aram is killed, Perrin would never have been able to kill the Tinker himself.  Afterwards, Perrin is so caught up with saving Faile, we don't see him think about Aram's death.  However, when he has time to ponder it, I think Perrin will feel such guilt and horror at what he helped turn Aram into that he will be unable to do violence.  I know that sounds silly (and Faile wouldn't stand for it) but I think after TG is over, Perrin will put away his hammer and never pick it up again.  And I think it is Aram and Aram alone who would lead him to this decision.  Perrin will not become a Tinker, but he'll stop doing any violence and help the world find the Song and make green things grow (like in Min's viewing).

 

Does that make sense or am I just rambling?

 

~Mashiara

[Tirade]

I'm glad Aram's gone.

 

RJ's extreme characters are never as interesting as his nuanced ones.  After the end of the Two Rivers battle and he and his people were separated, Aram ceased to be interesting in any way.  His motivations and reactions were 100% predictable from then on.  All internal conflict was extinguished and he might as well have been a robot.  RJ should have had him turned on Perrin 5 books ago.

[Balefire to da face!]

Aram is another example of how RJ just didn't write Perrin's whole storyline very well in the last few books imho.

 

Maj explained it beautifully, and to that extent I can actually appreciate the storyline. And I like not being held by the hand with storytelling, but it would have been nice if we would have seen a little more of Aram's story then just having to devine it.

 

To top matters off I think it shows poor story telling that I wasn't really grasping the nuances that Maj pointed out, but as Tirade said I could still totally see where Aram was going. What's the point of trying to be nuanced as an author when the outcome is still pretty blantantly obvious?

 

If RJ did mean it to come off as Maj put it, it's like we got none of the texture of Aram's story, but gained nothing in it's obstification, either. Honestly, did anyone not see Aram's double cross coming from about a mile and a half away?

[Majsju]

Problem with showing more of Arams story is that it would have given away information that RJ might have wanted to keep until the final moment. Information that concerns Arams motivation for turning against Perin. We knew very early that he would do it, just not how or why. Until Aram finally snaps, we can not be 100% certain whether he is a DF or not, whether a forsaken sneaked into his tent at night and Compelled the crap out of him, or something similar. I always saw the actual reason as the most likely, but there were always the possibility of something else going on.

 

And the uncertainity does not concern Aram alone. If we are not sure about what is going on with him, we are also somewhat in the dark (sorry, bad pun) about Masema.

 

It will be ineresting to see how Perrin reacts to this in TGS, once he can relax having secured Faile and all that. The kidnapping arc has seen Perrin adopt a 'whatever-it-tkes' mindset, and Arams death might be helpful getting him to snap out of it a bit.

[OptimusPrime]

I think that Aram's character is just there to influence Perrin's life.  This might sound strange, but hear me out.

 

Perrin dislikes Aram from the start, and we even learn that Aram is struggling following The Way of the Leaf.  His grandparents are a little afaid from the off that he might never be at peace with their beliefs.

 

When Aram finally realizes that he is unable to follow that path, he picks up the sword and joins Perrin.  Notice how Perrin feels so guilty for letting him have a sword, but Perrin's beliefs are such that any man should be able to defend himself and his family.  Perrin really struggles with this, though.  He almost sends Aram back to his grandparents.

 

All throughout their time together, Perrin (I think) resents Aram a little.  Aram becomes so focused on violence and Perrin only does violence if necessary.  They never see eye to eye on any subject but protecting Faile.

 

When Aram is killed, Perrin would never have been able to kill the Tinker himself.  Afterwards, Perrin is so caught up with saving Faile, we don't see him think about Aram's death.  However, when he has time to ponder it, I think Perrin will feel such guilt and horror at what he helped turn Aram into that he will be unable to do violence.  I know that sounds silly (and Faile wouldn't stand for it) but I think after TG is over, Perrin will put away his hammer and never pick it up again.  And I think it is Aram and Aram alone who would lead him to this decision.  Perrin will not become a Tinker, but he'll stop doing any violence and help the world find the Song and make green things grow (like in Min's viewing).

 

Does that make sense or am I just rambling?

 

~Mashiara

 

I like it.

[mb]

Why did Aram turn on Perrin?

He was influenced by Masema; that is why.

 

How did you expect things to end with Aram?

Some possibilities::

-He stay dead. (very likely)

-His soul going to Telaranrhiod. (seemingly unlikely)

-His body used to hold another Forsaken's soul. (slight chance)

-He becoming resurrected. (unlikely)

 

[Blackhoof]

I can't help but feel sorry for Aram; his story is just tragic. But i feel sorry for people easily.

[nnokwoodeye]

I know that sounds silly (and Faile wouldn't stand for it) but I think after TG is over, Perrin will put away his hammer and never pick it up again.

 

Not going to happen. The only reason Perrin use the hammer now is because unlike the axe it is a tool of creation, not destruction. He would never give it up.

[Paviel]

Yeah. Perrin already threw away the axe, but the hammer is good for a lot more than just smashing things.

[Amayahoshi]

I think that Aram's character is just there to influence Perrin's life. 

 

~Mashiara

 

I agree. Min's viewing suggested that Aram would have an impact in Perrin's life, and as it wasn't through his chivalry or heroic deeds, I think his example will be enough to stop Perrin descending into a blood thirsty non entity. Not that there was much chance of that I feel, but with this added incentive Perrin will remember his responsibilities, and think he will try to preserve others innocence lest they turn out like Aram - which in my opinion will lead to him picking up the axe again, but ensuring that he will never take a liking to it.

[Astus]

I always disliked Aram. From the first moment we saw him to when he was taken out in the end.

It was a relief when he was removed from the equation.

 

I understand about his tragic tale, from having his mother die and growing discontent with The Way of the Leaf to completely abandoning the Way and trying to find his new place in the world. I can sympathise with that however, I just did not like the man. Maybe if we had a POV from him, there might have been some room for greater empathy but that wasn't to be.

[Blackhoof]

I agree, we should have had his view, but i still feel sorry for him.