EOTW = The thing protecting Rand from the Madness

[EmperorMayhem]

I agree about Rand already being insane. His moment of revelation was the moment, I believe, when he gained his protection (the web of light covering the taint in his brain that Nyn sees). I re-read the scene in book 1 when Rand uses the Eye, and a voice speaks to him after he Travels to Tarwin's Gap. I agree with the theory that it was the Creator, and that when he has his revelation on Dragonmount, he is fully steps into his role as the Creator's champion, and the Creator lends him his protection. Hence, the transformation of sanity- going from insane, to a fully rational amalgamation of LTT and Rand Al'Thor. I think it would be cool to pit Rand, Champion of the Light, with Callandor and the Creator's protection, VS. Ishamael, Nae'blis, with the other sa'angreal and the DO's protection.

[Kahsm]

The problem with this theory is that Rand was totally insane until his moment of revelation on the dragonmount...

 

Then he was the most rational, clear thinking, and focused insane person I've ever heard of...

 

Being clinically depressed due to stress causing mood swings is hardly "insanity" as it's described to us in terms of the taint.

 

Um....he had full blown conversations and arguments with an imaginary voice in his head. Where are you from where that is NOT insane??? And clear thinking....he almost murdered his own father, he wanted to murder an army of people because they only wanted to meet with him in a place where he cant channel, and the make believe voice in his head controlled his actions from time to time?

 

Rand was full blown insane in every sense of the word.

 

Don't worry mate, that Rand was insane has been acknowledged all around. Indeed he was neither clear thinking or rational for many books.

 

TGS

Rand reached up, running a hand through his hair. Or he tried to . . . but he used the arm that was only a stump, and it accomplished nothing.

 

Light! he thought. I’m losing control. Half the time, I don’t know which voice is mine and which is his. This was supposed to get better when I cleansed saidin! I was supposed to be safe. . . .

 

Not safe, Lews Therin muttered. We were already mad. Can’t turn back from that now. He began to cackle, but the laughter turned to sobs.

 

He's a hypocondriac, so of course he thinks he's insane. The same way people go "nuts" about cleanliness after watching scare tactic news reports on how many germs are on a door handle at work.

 

I hope you're not suggesting that trying to run a hand through your hair after you've had it removed is insanity, because just claiming that is nuts. Amputees often still feel as if lost limbs are still there.

 

Rand's interactions with the voice are perfectly sane. His Dragon Reborn plans are still perfectly logical throughout. Even destroying Greandal's palace was a damn smart plan on the face of it. He's not insane because he was so emo enough to think killing all those brain-dead people was worth it. Lots of people would sacrifice more to kill a Chosen.

 

Ok, having a voice in your head makes you insane, but the voice is populated by real memories, so it seems reasonable ot assume the memories caused the voice as a coping mechanism, not a destined "madness", particularly since this so-called taint-induced-madness isn't manifesting in Rand in any way remotely similar to how it has for anyone else. Except maybe from what we hear from Semi, I grant you that much. But then voices are likely common. Rand's voice is pretty special.

 

So at most I think you could say Rand is mildly insane, yet he has waaaaayyy more black stuff in his head than our other obviously insane MCs, so that raises a rather large red flag.

 

And as for being "taken over", Rand said himself they were always the same, that INCLUDES when he was "taken over". Which means he wasn't "Taken over". The simple explanation is that since he had compartmentalized the LTT memories into a seperate personality in his head, he was simply acting on instinct, instinct that his accessible mind could not recognize as actually being him. At VoG he goes "aw crap, yeah that was me, my bad." If he was just nuts he would have said "Damn man, I as f***ing crazy!". He did not.

[Suttree]

" If he was just nuts he would have said "Damn man, I as f***ing crazy!". He did not.

 

It's called denial, you are allowed any interpretation you want but it is taken for granted by 99% of the fans, commented on in text and been stated by BS that Rand is very much insane. You twisting definitions of what would constitute "mild" doesn't change that.

[Kahsm]

" If he was just nuts he would have said "Damn man, I as f***ing crazy!". He did not.

 

It's called denial, you are allowed any interpretation you want but it is taken for granted by 99% of the fans, commented on in text and been stated by BS that Rand is very much insane. You twisting definitions of what would constitute "mild" doesn't change that.

 

After VoG Rand is in denial? ANd the quote from BS pretty clearly refers to Rand's "troubles" not related to the taint....

 

Question: Was the taint influential in the creation/development/existence of the voice of Lews Therin in Rand's head?

Brandon answered that the taint was influential, but not the only factor. He referenced Semirhage, that of course we can't believe the Forsaken always, but yes, that the taint was an influence in the the voice. That we have to accept that in fact, in a way, Rand is going insane (as in as the books progress).

 

In a way? So not "totally insane" at all, and possibly not in the way 99% of the fans assume then, more in a way like having a second personality in his head that was caused by real memories, not (directly at least) by the taint. Furthered by the other quote...

 

BS: Robert Jordan dropped a bomb at the end of Knife of Dreams, with what Semirhage was saying about or to Rand, talking about his level of stability. I remember as a reader, going through as a kid—I think Robert Jordan blindsided me with Lews Therin, because I’d been told that “Rand will go mad, Rand will go mad,” but I didn't accept that voice as Rand going mad. I accepted that as another person, inside of Rand’s head, and not a delusion or anything like that. Across the course of the books, Robert Jordan brought together this thing that he’d promised: “No, look, this guy is just going crazy. Yes, he’s seeing part of his past life, but he’s going insane. It’s the immense pressure that’s doing this.” In looking through the notes, and seeing what Rand has to go through, it’s hard not to sympathize with the poor guy.

[Suttree]

" If he was just nuts he would have said "Damn man, I as f***ing crazy!". He did not.

 

It's called denial, you are allowed any interpretation you want but it is taken for granted by 99% of the fans, commented on in text and been stated by BS that Rand is very much insane. You twisting definitions of what would constitute "mild" doesn't change that.

 

After VoG Rand is in denial? ANd the quote from BS pretty clearly refers to Rand's "troubles" not related to the taint....

 

Question: Was the taint influential in the creation/development/existence of the voice of Lews Therin in Rand's head?

Brandon answered that the taint was influential, but not the only factor. He referenced Semirhage, that of course we can't believe the Forsaken always, but yes, that the taint was an influence in the the voice. That we have to accept that in fact, in a way, Rand is going insane (as in as the books progress).

 

In a way? So not "totally insane" at all, and possibly not in the way 99% of the fans assume then, more in a way like having a second personality in his head that was caused by real memories, not (directly at least) by the taint. Furthered by the other quote...

 

BS: Robert Jordan dropped a bomb at the end of Knife of Dreams, with what Semirhage was saying about or to Rand, talking about his level of stability. I remember as a reader, going through as a kid—I think Robert Jordan blindsided me with Lews Therin, because I’d been told that “Rand will go mad, Rand will go mad,” but I didn't accept that voice as Rand going mad. I accepted that as another person, inside of Rand’s head, and not a delusion or anything like that. Across the course of the books, Robert Jordan brought together this thing that he’d promised: “No, look, this guy is just going crazy. Yes, he’s seeing part of his past life, but he’s going insane. It’s the immense pressure that’s doing this.” In looking through the notes, and seeing what Rand has to go through, it’s hard not to sympathize with the poor guy.

 

It never ceases to amaze me how differently you read quotes than anyone else on this site. Splitting hairs over phrases and spinning quotes doesn't change what we all know to be true. Your misrepresentation of author meanings reaches Felix like levels at times.

[Kahsm]

I don't see how I'm splitting hairs to suggest that, "It’s the immense pressure that’s doing this", means "it's the immense pressure that's doing this". And not, "It's the taint that's doing this", which is what you suggest.