Where does Egwene’s confidence come from?

[jsbrads]

Egwene as Amyrlin brings me back to the origins of the series

 

Teens leave small town and conquer the world; Rand walks with his head up and Lords bow.

 

I have matured since the series began, but that teenager mentality persists. It's okay, but obviously not consistent with reality, but perhaps offset by Taveren-osity.

 

Yeah, a youth will have a lot of spunk, but it rarely gets you to the end of a race.

 

About someone being prez after very little experience, well you don't have to look far to find an example of that.

[Kahsm]

I also agree with David. Plot device, enabled by the ineptitude of the other Aes Sedai. You don't even have to be especially arrogant to think that you are capable of leading an organization of idiots.

 

The Aes Sedai, as a group, are nearly as lame as the Foresaken. There is really no excuse for women who are 300 years old to be as clueless and foolish. If you had lived through every war since 1711, don't you think you might be a bit wary about defense? Where's that wariness from the Aes Sedai?

 

A couple factors I can think of to contribute to lack of wariness:

 

1. They have a monopoly (from their point of view) on the use of the One Power.

 

2. No one has successfully attacked the Tower since the time of Amalasan, if I remember correctly. And shortly thereafter, Hawkwing -- after uniting the entire continent and regarded as one of the greatest strategians ever -- failed to even set foot in Tar Valon during his siege.

 

3. They no longer have any real enemies besides the Trollocs, who haven't come past the Borderlands in centuries, and the Whitecloaks, who are far too few to deal any damage.

 

4. The general Aes Sedai superiority complex from centuries of power.

 

I imagine these factors combined to give them a feeling of invincibility. Who would attack the White Tower, after all? The Trollocs? Haven't been seen south of the Borderlands in centuries. The Whitecloaks? Don't have anywhere near the military strength required. Of course, they should be more wary due to recent developments -- the Seanchan, the Asha'man, the coming Last Battle -- but they're arrogant and cleave to tradition.

 

IMO, it's understandable that they aren't wary of an attack due to arrogance, though I agree that their general foolishness is over the top.

 

5. They've pretty much got a near literal ivory tower syndrome. Most sisters stay locked up in there and rarely leave, only ever dealing with each other. They deal with the world from a distance, and their experience with it is largely academic. The lack of true challenges to it's status and power also play a role.

 

I've heard people say this before but is it really true? Seems to me a large number of sisters spend the majority of there time outside of the tower. We see various rooms with items gained from years of adventure and even now a third of the tower is out in the wide world.

 

It always seemed to me that the "good" ones leave. Cads was a green off chasing MCs, Moir was off hunting for Rand, and the twins were off writing a history of the world in an Arafel cottage. Particularly the last example could have been done in the tower, but clearly they felt the tower is not the place to do serious work. Also, a lot of Aes Sedai didn't come back to the WT or Salidar during the conflict, and I assume it's the same ones who probably don't think much of their "sisters". Thus, it would still make sense that the ones who are tower-dwellers actually are the more naive and cloistered ones.

 

And of course there's the theory out there that Cadsuane has corralled the rest, or some of them, and they're the ones rotating through Caemlyn.

[yoniy0]

This is besides the point, but the twins were actually retired. Their location said nothing of their feelings toward the Tower, only that they were ready to end their lives in retirement.

As to the rest, each and every sister's rooms we've seen contained personal souvenirs that had to be collected over long periods of time in the outside world. Combine that with the fact that when Siuan was deposed over a third of the AS were busy outside of the Tower, and about a third felt the break in the Tower didn't merit leaving their work outside (despite an order from one of the Amyrlins), and we have a very different picture than the one you try to paint.

[cmsnaith]

I don't think the Aes Sedai have been portrayed poorly. Romanda and Lelaine were vying for power. I think a lot of the tantrums, blunders and petty bickerings were mainly showmanship and maneuvering. The Game of Houses was strong within the Tower, and I just don't think you can take everything from the Aes Sedai at face value. There were so many different threads that affected that power struggle. Romanda and Lelaine, Siuan and Egwene, Sheriam, Arangar. The Rebels had a vested interest in setting up a puppet Amyrlin, and there was a struggle between inner factions who wanted to control her. The Black Ajah, and the Shadow also wanted a puppet Amyrlin. Egwene was Siuan's ticket back into a power role. I don't think this makes the Aes Sedai stupid... (well, I guess it does in the end), just weak, because they all wanted a piece of the Amyrin pie.

 

Keep in mind that the Aes Sedai were manipulated by the Shadow as well. The Shadow split the Tower right down the middle, it created two warring factions, it set up a weak Amyrlin in the Tower, one that could be controlled, and they wanted to set up a weak Amyrlin in the Rebel camp that could also be controlled. The Keeper of the Chronicles on both sides was Black Ajah.

 

You also had elements within the Camp and the Tower creating fear and panic. A man who could channel in the Rebel Camp, who was invisible to them because he'd been remade into a woman. And a Forsaken in the Tower. Both murdering Aes Sedai under Aes Sedai noses.

 

Then there was the element of the Dragon Reborn. Both sides wanted to claim his allegiance. Both mishandled him.

 

Again, also, the Black Tower. Both sides finding themselves being tied to Ashaman.

 

Let us also not forget the fact that the foundation of Aes Sedai life had been shattered. The White Tower broken? Black Ajah real? The whole strength and purity of the Tower smashed to bits in their faces. I can't imagine how that would have shaken their foundations, made them more controllable.

 

Anyway, my point is, I don't think the Aes Sedai were portrayed in an unrealistic manner.

 

As a side note, Aes Sedai aren't all 300 years old. Cadsuane, perhaps the oldest of the Aes Sedai, was over 300, but most Aes Sedai don't live that long. Yes, they live longer than ordinary people, but Aes Sedai aren't like Damane, the Kin, the Wise Ones, or the Windfinders. They don't live as long because their lives are limited by the Oath Rod. Cadsuane is unusual.

[yoniy0]

They do show a tendency to be blind to what they don't want to see, and they believe themselves all-knowing (which is always stupid), but I generally agree.

One thing, though; unless I'm much mistaken, Mesaana never killed AS in the Tower. Not that we're told, anyway.

[Suttree]

They do show a tendency to be blind to what they don't want to see, and they believe themselves all-knowing (which is always stupid), but I generally agree.

One thing, though; unless I'm much mistaken, Mesaana never killed AS in the Tower. Not that we're told, anyway.

 

I think it's safe to say DF murders in the WT can be said to have a similar effect however.

 

Agree with the Randlander's post above, setting all the AS faults aside I always thought it was odd that critics never really take into account all that has been going on from within (Forsaken, BA, Fain's Influence) to undermine the WT.