Elayne

[Durinax]

I actually really like Elayne as a character because she makes bad decisions like any other 18 year old would.

 

Let's see:

Underage drinking

Running away from school (2X)

Joining the circus

Single parent

Teen pregnancy

Assault

Terroristic threatening

Living in a trailer

Attempted suicide (30X and counting)

 

I'm not sure what kind of 18-year-olds you hang around with, but when I was 18 a rebellious night was staying out late playing pool.

let me reduce your list to the true ones

 

underage drinking (very common)

funning away from school (once the trip to tear, the other one was being led away by a teacher type thing)

joining the circus

teen pregnancy (not a single parent yet/will be rand will own up to his kids)

not sure what teh assault is about

terroristic threatening (not really, she was mostly pointing out her options. but if you insist it stands, look at the american legal system in states with teh death penalty, they use it as a stick to get confessions)

living in a traile not sure what this is about

attempted suicide she hasnt done that yet.

 

 

 

so what we have is:

underage drinking

running away from school

joining the circus

teen pregnancy

threats

biting off more than she can chew

[Superhal]

Terroristic threatening was when she threatened to behead Perrin and Faile in ToM.

Assault: bullying people with the OP. She didn't take the oaths, so she used it as the attacker, not the defender.

Living in a trailer: while traveling with Luca's circus.

Attempted suicide: any of the number of times she got captured by the Black Ajah, she was either trapped or trying to spring a trap. I would also include the times she rushed into danger ahead of her armsmen (Bowl of Winds with the Gholam.)

[Mr Ares]

Terroristic threatening was when she threatened to behead Perrin and Faile in ToM.

I'm not sure how threatening someone with a perfectly legal punishment for their crimes constitutes "terroristic threatening", but I'm sure you'll enlighten us all.

Assault: bullying people with the OP. She didn't take the oaths, so she used it as the attacker, not the defender.

When?

Attempted suicide: any of the number of times she got captured by the Black Ajah, she was either trapped or trying to spring a trap. I would also include the times she rushed into danger ahead of her armsmen (Bowl of Winds with the Gholam.)

That might be considered reckless disregard for her own life, but it cannot be considered attempted suicide by any strectch of the imagination (or dictionary).

[Kahsm]

Hmm...

 

Several decades of one person being in power who may or may not be incompetent...

 

...versus many different people holding power for a few years at a time, some of whom will certainly be incompetent.

 

Both systems have flaws. It always amuses me whenever democracy is assumed to be so much better and more progressive than monarchic rule, despite democracy having its own share of inefficiencies.

 

Given Elayne had to win an election to hold the throne, Andor might be considered a republic of sorts. Sure, it's heavily based on money and might to gain that support, but is the US so different?!

[randsc]

Hmm...

 

Several decades of one person being in power who may or may not be incompetent...

 

...versus many different people holding power for a few years at a time, some of whom will certainly be incompetent.

 

Both systems have flaws. It always amuses me whenever democracy is assumed to be so much better and more progressive than monarchic rule, despite democracy having its own share of inefficiencies.

 

Given Elayne had to win an election to hold the throne, Andor might be considered a republic of sorts. Sure, it's heavily based on money and might to gain that support, but is the US so different?!

 

Short answer? Yes.

 

"Of the various forms of government which have prevailed in the world, an hereditary monarchy seems to present the fairest scope for ridicule." -- Edward Gibbon

[Kahsm]

Hmm...

 

Several decades of one person being in power who may or may not be incompetent...

 

...versus many different people holding power for a few years at a time, some of whom will certainly be incompetent.

 

Both systems have flaws. It always amuses me whenever democracy is assumed to be so much better and more progressive than monarchic rule, despite democracy having its own share of inefficiencies.

 

Given Elayne had to win an election to hold the throne, Andor might be considered a republic of sorts. Sure, it's heavily based on money and might to gain that support, but is the US so different?!

 

Short answer? Yes.

 

"Of the various forms of government which have prevailed in the world, an hereditary monarchy seems to present the fairest scope for ridicule." -- Edward Gibbon

 

Was an attempt at a little political satire.

 

"No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time." - Winston Churchill

[Erunion]

I really like Elayne as a character - she's 18, was raised as a pretty, spoiled, entitled princess (literally, and figuratively) and, instead of being brave (which is facing down your fears) she simply does things that she isn't aware she should be afraid of.

Consequently, she is a reckless, entitled mess. And she should be, because that really fits her character.

I think she's a great character, but I really, really do not like her. (Guillotine sounds like a good idea...)

 

However, I fully support the idea of limiting her power. Elayne's nobles/citizens need to make Andor a constitutional monarchy, because as it is, having Elayne as Queen is a very, very dangerous situation for Andor.

She is unstable.

[Suttree]

Given Elayne had to win an election to hold the throne, Andor might be considered a republic of sorts.

 

Andor is an Elective Monarchy

[Durinax]

I really like Elayne as a character - she's 18, was raised as a pretty, spoiled, entitled princess (literally, and figuratively) and, instead of being brave (which is facing down your fears) she simply does things that she isn't aware she should be afraid of.

Consequently, she is a reckless, entitled mess. And she should be, because that really fits her character.

I think she's a great character, but I really, really do not like her. (Guillotine sounds like a good idea...)

 

However, I fully support the idea of limiting her power. Elayne's nobles/citizens need to make Andor a constitutional monarchy, because as it is, having Elayne as Queen is a very, very dangerous situation for Andor.

She is unstable.

who isnt a bit unstable when their kids?

 

she will grow out of that. Currently she wants to try to prove herself type deal to brigitte so she is taking more risks (especially because everyone is telling her to sit in the chair and do nothing else)

[randsc]

 

"No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time." - Winston Churchill

 

Which makes it better than, for example, monarchy.

 

Chop! Chop!

[mb]

Read up through Gathering Storm.

 

To me Elayne has not seemed arrogant since she generally seems to look out for others.

[Luckers]

My only point here is that the whole 'teen pregnancy' thing isn't a negative thing in and of itself--in fact in a society with Randlands limited medical care, it would be healthier to have children at a younger age.

 

Elayne also doesn't face the economic or career impediments that can afflict teenage mothers in modern times.

[Superhal]

3 million Jokes with the Same Punchline

 

Why did the chicken cross the road?

Why did the rooster cross the road?

Why did the goose cross the road?

Why did Rand cross the road?

Why did the Aiel cross the road?

Why did the Windfinders cross the road?

Why did Jesus cross the road?

Why did Barack Obama cross the road?

Why did Richard Nixon cross the road?

Why did the Ultimate Warrior cross the road?

Why did Spiderman cross the road?

Why did Kung Fu Panda cross the road?

Why did the Old Lady who Lived in a Shoe cross the road?

etc. etc. etc.

 

Punchline:

To rescue Elayne from the Black Ajah.

[Durinax]

actually it seems stranger to me that the other women arent preggo, since during the time period equivilent of WoT that early pregnancy would be very common

[Superhal]

Yeah, apparently Min is bonking Rand like every night, and Faile is in Saldean Farmgirl mode.

[XXX]

actually it seems stranger to me that the other women arent preggo, since during the time period equivilent of WoT that early pregnancy would be very common

 

They have some herbal drink..Heartleaf or something which prevents conception. They talk about it at some point.

[Durinax]

actually it seems stranger to me that the other women arent preggo, since during the time period equivilent of WoT that early pregnancy would be very common

 

They have some herbal drink..Heartleaf or something which prevents conception. They talk about it at some point.

I am speaking more about them wanting to be pregnant due to cultural constraints and the norm of having children young

[Mrs. Cindy Gill]

do we see evidence in the books that there is a norm of having children young?

[Manscher]

Deira spends quite a while speaking about the amount of grand children she wants from Faile and Perrin to secure the line, and Faile seems rather keen on given her the first grand child asap.

 

If I'm not mistaken, Morgase was also rather early out to have children, both of these scenarios of course are both noble/royalty related and we aren't really given any examples of commoners in the same situation.

[Mrs. Cindy Gill]

yeah, i don't think we have enough information to figure out what the cultural norm is, or if there is a cultural norm over the whole world. i also don't think we can assume the life expectancy is particularly short in the WOT.