Who do you feel most sorry for?

[randsc]

Perrin, whose entire family was slaughtered. I honestly don't see how you can put any of the other main character's travails in the same class.

 

Then Rand, for the many reasons already mentioned.

 

All of the various people killed by either the ta'veren events around Rand, or the bubbles of evil.

 

Mat and Morgase, for being raped.

 

And Karede, whose entirely justifiable pride at his son's actions (do I have a bias here? ) can't compensate for the pain of losing him.

[Elan Tedronai]

lol at the people feeling sorry for logain inspite of glory to come....oh wait he might kneel to egwene and the aes sedai.

And double LOL at mat 'sexually abused' claims. A man who can fight a gholam cannot defend himself against a woman with a knife.

[randsc]

lol at the people feeling sorry for logain inspite of glory to come....oh wait he might kneel to egwene and the aes sedai.

And double LOL at mat 'sexually abused' claims. A man who can fight a gholam cannot defend himself against a woman with a knife.

 

Tylin's "favor" was the only thing that kept Mat's men protected from the Seanchan.

 

And I rather doubt Logain will be kneeling to Egwene. I think he will be her equal in the post-TG, combined Tower.

[Feral]

Perrin, whose entire family was slaughtered.

 

 

I have to say this had no effect on me whatsoever. I thought RJ either didn't want it to, or he just handled it badly. I mean Perrin runs away from home without even saying good bye (I think) and I can't really remember him thinking of his family at all in any of his PoVs. If he does then it's not much. Not as much as I'd have expected at any rate. I don't think I even knew he had siblings until he found out they're dead. I don't remember him ever thinking "oh will my family like Faile? Will Faile like them?" Then after a year or however long he goes home, finds out they're dead and goes into shock for quite a while. Then he has a mini melt down and after that he's pretty much fine again, and we hardly ever see him thinking about his family. I know family isn't all that important next the the Last Battle and everything, but still thinking about them a bit more wouldn't hurt. Look how much Rand thinks about Tam, who's not even his real dad. And several times he thinks how he regrets never meeting his real parents.

 

Anyway, rant over.

[randsc]

We don't hear much about Egwene missing her parents and sisters, or Mat missing his. We don't know if Nynaeve has any family at all. We know Moiraine does, but hear nothing about them. Gawyn is raised from birth to be his sister's protector and chief minister, and ignores that duty to moon around after his horrific girlfriend. Elayne's immediate reaction to seeing her mother alive is to wonder about the political implications. The fact that Faile's brothers died is a source of pain to her, but only in the sense that it meant she had to take on the duties of the eldest child. Min thinks about her aunts only as sources of earthy wisdom, not as living people that she misses. Aviendha's mother and sister. Suian's family. Etc, etc.

 

Honestly, I think we see more about Perrin's feelings for his family than anyone else's feelings for theirs. Granted, it's after they're dead. But Perrin doesn't have a whole lot of screen time before that, especially not time where he doesn't have more pressing concerns.

[Elan Tedronai]

yeah no matter how much i cant stand neutered perrin i think it was sad when his parents got murdered. It's only fitting that he finishes off fain

[randsc]

Hell, the various channeling characters really have no excuse. Rand kinda, in the sense that he doesn't want to draw attention to the Two Rivers. But Egwene could pop home to have lunch with her parents at any time, and no one the wiser. Ditto Nynaeve and her family, if she has one. Or Avi and hers.

[Beidomon]

Nynaeve's braid.

[David Selig]

It's a minor pet peeve of mine how little most characters think of their family and especially parents. Egwene for example. She's thought of her sisters something like two times in total so far, and of her parents not much more than that.

 

Nynaeve's parents are dead, but IIRC the only place this is mentioned is the "Ravens" prologue, which is only in the two parts kids version of EOTW. Her father only gets a mention that he taught her hunting and tracking, her mother not even as much.

 

In New Spring Moiraine's sisters are mentioned only once, and only in relation with their possible claim for the Sun Throne.

 

For the first three books IIRC Perrin's family wasn't mentioned at all, she only thought of Master Luhan and his wife as parent figures.

[AvroChris]

 

For the first three books IIRC Perrin's family wasn't mentioned at all, she only thought of Master Luhan and his wife as parent figures.

 

She? Now there's a new dimension to the Perrin/Faile relationship

[Feral]

Well I can understand it a bit more from Nynaeve and Min's point of view seeing as they're older. And Mat...well, it just wouldn't fit with him to fret over his family too much. But yeah Egwene's very bad really. It's not like the Aes Sedai would fall apart if she disappeared for 15 mins to have a cuppa with her parents.

 

Put it this way, I don't have much sympathy for any character who loses their family if they hardly ever think about them, but I have a new group of people I DO feel sorry for! All the poor neglected families!

[Haggis]

The Family of Bors the whitecloak/darkfriend Murdered and tortured one by one simply because they related to him.

[pamela]

I've just read one of the last PoD scenes, just after Dashiva's unsuccessful attempt to kill Rand, and the thing with Fedwin Morr made feel so sad... I wa really sorry for that. He went mad, so Rand very carefully gave him some poisoned tea to drink, with a hug and a smile, and with a childish smile he died calmly on his breast, as Rand said "Sleep, Fedwin".

[Puny]

Yeah, that was a sad moment.

I dk.. sometimes I do feel sorry for all the darkfriends who thought that all the oathswearing and promising to the Dark One was just a game, or something not to take serious. I feel sorry for them when they realize they were wrong.

Hm... seems there are alot of things you can feel sorry for lol.

[dobraine]

Okay not going to use quotes, otherwise this reply would be huge.

 

@liltempest I agree with almost all of your points. I still like Min she's one of the

few people that genuinely cares about Rand. Avi and Elayne seem in love with the idea

of love rather than Rand. Poor Mat and Nyn, still like Lan but that relationship is going to

end in pain. Your view made me think about Faile but I just can't bring myself to like her.

 

@Seeker Matt, I agree mate those arcs could end very badly.

 

@ArborCantor, definitely poor, poor Mat... Good point about Nyn that is kinda depressing and funny.

 

@Sleeper, Your edit is why I have no regard for that character.(That and she's the too dumb to live

trope embodied.)

 

I feel sorry for Alivia, that many years as damane makes me feel bad for her.

There do seem to be quite a few characters that get the short end of the stick.

[PhoenixUK]

there are a lot of characters who have had a rough time of it. Even someone like Olver, who lost his parents to war. Rand though has got to be near the top, all that pressure, the Taint, fearing he was going mad with Lews therin in his head, tortured by aes sedai, tortured by Semirhage, losing his hand, breaking the Aiel. It would be enough to break anyone. How he is still going is beyond me. Verin living as a darkfriend, and moiraine in unending torture under the Finns is also quite awful to think about.

[Kidicaris]

Nynaeve, for being so desperate for friendship that she has to be friends with Elayne. And for loving a man who's trying to commit suicide.

 

LOL! This is verging on insulting to Nyneave. And because I am a card carrying member of the Nyneave fan club I have to insert my indignation

"how DARE you!"

 

Yet, I too am sorry for any person who must put up with friends such as Elayne and Egwene, and all all that stuff about loving a man who is committed to the idea of dying prematurely.

 

Speaking of Elayne.

Can I put forth the name.... Birgitte Silverbow! For being bonded to Elayne. She may as well be bonded a sorda rat, http://wot.wikia.com/wiki/Sorda . If I remember correctly Rand was once told about how such vermin are so stupid they will continually fall into traps and pitfalls even if they have already done so a hundred times as long as you put food on the other side. Elayne is such a character. Maybe next time she will go into a den of black ajah--alone, carrying a sack of valuable items--which they take, and is rescued in the nick of time--again.

[Duskfire]

I feel most sorry for Mat, but only because I identify with him the most. He is constantly forced into situations that he doesnt wish to be involved in, and yet due to his hidden generous spirit he does them anyway. And in extension, Olver too. When Olver showed Mat his possessions in LoC - including the Snake and Foxes game - I felt suddenly so sad for the lad; for a kid to lose their parents is just beyond horrible.

 

I didnt feel sorry for Rand strangely until TGS. I think that was the book that for me showed how much of the world Rand has on his shoulders and just how much of an effect the pressure and stress and constant attention was getting to him.

[Shimmer]

I feel most sorry for Lan because he has to shoulder the entire weight of Malkier and still, he goes to willingly sacrifice himself for his country and was willing to do it alone - which I think takes the greatest courage.

[Elan Tedronai]

Lan? i hope the self righteous tool ends up in a trolloc cookpot. He should have died long ago. Lanfear should have finished him off.

[Sleeper]

Lan? i hope the self righteous tool ends up in a trolloc cookpot. He should have died long ago. Lanfear should have finished him off.

Lan never struck me as self righteous.

 

Egwene on the other hand...

[Sleeper]

EDIT: Double post

[Elan Tedronai]

Lan? i hope the self righteous tool ends up in a trolloc cookpot. He should have died long ago. Lanfear should have finished him off.

Lan never struck me as self righteous.

 

Egwene on the other hand...

 

I guess you must have missed the part where he says MY WAR WITH THE SHADOW/ONLY HAVE A SWORD/UNCROWNED KING/MISHIARA BLAH BLAH non stop.

 

He will certainly die in AMOL. I cannot wait when the shadow finally takes him.

[Sleeper]

Lan? i hope the self righteous tool ends up in a trolloc cookpot. He should have died long ago. Lanfear should have finished him off.

Lan never struck me as self righteous.

 

Egwene on the other hand...

 

I guess you must have missed the part where he says MY WAR WITH THE SHADOW/ONLY HAVE A SWORD/UNCROWNED KING/MISHIARA BLAH BLAH non stop.

 

He will certainly die in AMOL. I cannot wait when the shadow finally takes him.

I don't understand how him saying he has sworn to fight the Shadow is self-righteous, and he is the last leader of Malkier.

 

<sarcasm> Bonus points for presenting your argument in a very well-crafted and thought-provoking way.</sarcasm>

[randsc]

That's not what self-righteous means, Elan.

 

He's a bit single-minded, for sure. But "having an exaggerated awareness of one's own virtuousness; moralistic; sanctimonious" Not seeing it.

 

Egwene, Nynaeve and (especially) Galad are self-righteous.