The VOICE in EOTW...

[Sigur]

Not sure if there are discussions going on about this. If so a thousand apologies.

 

Here's the passage:

 

pg. 758 (Paperback)

 

Against The Shadow

 

"The Light blind you, Ba'alzamon! This has to end!"

IT IS NOT HERE.

It was not Rand's thought, making his skull vibrate.

 

I WILL TAKE NO PART. ONLY THE CHOSEN ONE CAN DO WHAT MUST BE DONE, IF HE WILL.

 

"Where?" He did not want to say it, but he could not stop himself. "Where?"

The haze surrounding him parted, leaving a dome of clear, clean air ten spans high, walled by billowing smoke and dust. Steps rose before him, each standing alone and unsupported, stretching up into the murk that obscured the sun.

NOT HERE.

 

 

 

 

 

So who is the VOICE?

 

The Creator? more than likely.

 

What are your thoughts?

[moratcorlm]

Well, this discussion has popped up now and then for 21 years now, I'd imagine, but we're no closer to an answer now than we were then, so there's no need for apologies. Basically, some people think the Voice is the Creator; others (like me) think it's Shai'tan, but the assumptions all of us make are kind of tenuous and the only answer the authors give is RAFO.

[yoniy0]

If memory serves, this was only a RAFO by extension, meaning that RJ never intended for us to get to the FO part.

 

For what it's worth:

(a) We've never had so much as a whisper of a hint (other than this, arguably) that the Creator takes an active role in Randland events.

(b) We have seen the DO TALK, and it always does so in ALL CAPS. Admittedly, we've never known him to be able to TALK with anyone outside the Pit of Doom, but the first Seal on his prison did break just about then, so...

 

Still, in the absence of contradictory proof, I prefer to believe the Creator does watch over Randland.

[Aliriel]

Please don't quote me on this as I don't have my books anywhere at hand, but when the DO speaks isn't it in bold, italic caps? I'm most likely wrong, but as I said, I don't have my books with me.

 

A.

[Nooska]

If memory serves, this was only a RAFO by extension, meaning that RJ never intended for us to get to the FO part.

 

For what it's worth:

(a) We've never had so much as a whisper of a hint (other than this, arguably) that the Creator takes an active role in Randland events.

(b) We have seen the DO TALK, and it always does so in ALL CAPS. Admittedly, we've never known him to be able to TALK with anyone outside the Pit of Doom, but the first Seal on his prison did break just about then, so...

 

Still, in the absence of contradictory proof, I prefer to believe the Creator does watch over Randland.

This is true, but

© The statements made do not make sense if we place the DO as the speaker, and only makes sense as the creator.

 

That being said, this was the climax of book 1 of a trilogy, written to be able to stand alone in case of bad sales, so it being the creator (the intuitive / logical assumption at that point in the series where the DO has never spoken either) is easier accepted as being out of whack with the later books. At this point in the series there were no rules that had to be upheld.

[yoniy0]

The statements made do not make sense if we place the DO as the speaker [...] it being the creator (the intuitive / logical assumption at that point in the series where the DO has never spoken either) is easier accepted as being out of whack with the later books.

Hmm, I don't know about that. Perhaps, if the book did end up standing on its own, we could've believed what you said. It was certainly my first thought as well. However, 'the CHOSEN one' does seem a bit telling, in retrospect. We know that the DO itself wanted Rand as his champion, that wasn't just Ishamael's intention. Perhaps it thought that Rand could be turned at that meeting (which was most likely somewhere near Shayol Ghul). Consider, Rand has still been unsure where he needs to go when the Skimming Gateway appeared. So the theory that it's been created by him is somewhat weakened (its greatest advantage was that we previously had no alternative). But what if it was a TP Gateway?

 

Those are just a couple of points in favor of it being the DO. As I already said, I don't necessarily choose to believe that myself, and since - as I understand matters - nothing in future books will reveal who it was to us, everyone can choose for themselves what to believe.

[Tiinker]

Well "I will take no part." clearly doesn't sound like the DO. Unless he's lying through his teeth..

[yoniy0]

Well, then... It must not be it after all. No, wait a minute, yeah - I was thinking of a different DO. This one seems to be OK with lying.

[Tiinker]

Yea yea w/e :P I stick by my awesome arguement..