Some Thoughts on Memory of Light Ending (Spoilers) WoT:Mistborn.

[Mesothalassa]

I'm new to the forum and forum posting in general. Apologies if this is the wrong place to be talking about what I'm about to..

 

I've been reading Wheel of Time since about 1996. I love the series. Jordan's death was tragic, all the more because he didn't get to finish. It really seemed like he wanted this all wrapped up in 12 books no matter what. I'm glad his wife was able to find someone like Brandon Sanderson to put the final pages down. The spirit of the series goes on so even if Jordan doesn't get to see it finished at least his legacy is intact. This post is largely about that. I've been rereading the series recently. When I read the last book to have come out I realized I'd forgotten so much. I also bought the Mistborn series. I finished it in one sitting but I can't say I liked it. In fact, it ranks in there with Conan for me. Bottom of the pile. I gave it to a friend who adores it. Still, I walked away feeling better about the situation for Wheel of Time's ending from reading it. I also gathered a few nagging thoughts about what that ending might be.

 

Way early in the series I started thinking about how often Ishamael nagged Rand about how he would serve him. That he had done so in the past. I kept thinking that really was a nice touch. It meant the super star character was just as potentially a nobody as any other character. Rand could go join the Dark One. It didn't necessarily mean the world would end. Since then Rand has moved more and more from the "could be any of us hero" to "Christ." I think that's a fair description too. Before Christ there was civilization. After Christ, the Dark Ages, the destruction of the roots of most of European civilization, and monotheism continues that momentum. Easily a world destroying figure. Rand also leans toward the warrior-destroyer type. "Chosen of god" sort. So he's completed the role of monotheistic dogma or seemed as though he would. Then in the last book he does a one-eight. He destroyed the Coedan Kal. As usual with fantasy stories the man is always the one challenged with using the big destroying thing or tossing it away. The one's one was 'flawed' *cough cough*. However, when Rand comes down from Dragonmount things get complicated..

 

Rand's suddenly all Lion of Narnia on us. Usually Egwene is the one acting all high and self-righteous. It was nice to see Rand finally do the same. It really shows why these two characters would butt heads in two Ages. They're both arrogant enough to hate and can only suffer assistance for just so long without feeling inadequate. But... why is Rand wandering around demonstrating his sudden Christly-Buddhahood? Before he seemed like he wanted to replace Mohamed. It's a very confusing character. I decided to try to answer this question another way...

 

Why did the Jordans decide on Sanderson? If you haven't read the Mistborn series this may seem like a wide tangential thought. If you have, you probably know where I'm going next. Near the end of the Mistborn series we discover some interesting things about the world. Particularly we discover that the "god"/"creator-being" had had a bout of schizophrenia in the distant past. Somehow this results in the single deity becoming two. One is all about order and life, the other all about decay and destruction. The characters of the story are all focused on fighting this one evil lord in their world. Slowly they discover that fighting him is beyond pointless in itself. The real problem is that the deity of the series is now two separate deities. The magics in the series are powers which come from remnants of these greater beings and the beings themselves are sealed away. Long story short, the seeming heroes of the story end up dying. This one rather unlikely and unlikable character then ends up saving the day. The final piece to saving the Mistborn world comes from a priest-scholar whose abilities have to do with retaining memories of the world before it was destroyed by the evil lord they've been fighting again. Once all the other characters die he gains the powers of both the good and the bad sides of the dieties and reunifies them. In so doing he becomes the new deity-thing and resurrects the fallen.

 

It seems to me the religious-mythos of the Mistborn series is why Sanderson was chosen to finish up Wheel of Time (that and his excellent ability to write). I think the Jordans were aware they would need an author who would appreciate the same sort of mythology taking place in Wheel of Time. That is, the One Power and True Power are essentially the residual energies from a single Power. That Power, however, entirely only that: a power. There is no creator outside the pattern in Wheel of Time. Instead, somehow, the Creator and the Dark One are the same being. This would be much in the same way as monotheistic deities are simultaneously benevolent and rapist, patriarchal evil things. The reason the cycle repeats is because people eventually seek unity with the god-thing and discover that there isn't unity even in the god-thing. Ta'avern are brought to the bore each time where it is resealed just by them being there (because while the Wheel continues to Weave) their presence enables it to weave the bore closed again. End of cycle. Then a few Ages later someone bores into the thing again. Beginning of New Cycle. Repeat, repeat. The solution Rand is seeking in the this last book is probably going to be something like the solution in the Mistborn series. Likely, Rand and Mordin are polar opposites. They die/merge into each other after having some kind of Powers battle. Then the person in Min's viewing kills Rand. Logain then comes into this somehow.

 

 

This story is really becoming very male top heavy but seems to me this is the most likely way Memory of Light will end. Maybe the new creator will be Moiraine. That would be a nice turn of events. Or Verin.

[Suttree]

There is no creator outside the pattern in Wheel of Time. Instead, somehow, the Creator and the Dark One are the same being. This would be much in the same way as monotheistic deities are simultaneously benevolent and rapist, patriarchal evil things. The reason the cycle repeats is because people eventually seek unity with the god-thing and discover that there isn't unity even in the god-thingnts. [/font]

 

Sorry but we know per RJ that both the creator an dark one exist outside the pattern and are seperate entities...

 

INTERVIEW: Jun 26th, 1996

Compuserve Chat (Verbatim)

MARTIN REZNICK

How was the Dark One created, i.e. is he a fallen angel, an inherent part of the universe, etc.?

ROBERT JORDAN

I envision the Dark One as being the dark counterpart, the dark balance if you will, to the Creator...carrying on the theme, the ying yang, light dark, necessity of balance theme that has run through the books. It's somewhat Manichean I know, but I think it works.

 

Great interview database for you to check out here....

 

http://www.theoryland.com/wheel-of-time-interview-search.php

 

As an side this post is probably better placed in the "General Wheel of Time" discussion area.

[Mesothalassa]

Thank you! That helps a lot. I'll read though it. I'll leave the post here for now just because I don't know how to move them.

[Mashiara Sedai]

I think the duty of choosing Brandon was solely Harriet's. I don't think they discussed it while RJ was alive.

 

I feel Brandon was chosen because his ability to write magic. You bring up the example of allomancy in the Mistborn series, and rightly so. Channeling will be a HUGE part of A Memory of Light, with the Last Battle, and all. So, they needed an author who could write the magic system correctly. The allomancy scenes in Mistborn are amazing! Out of all the concepts in Wheel of Time, I'm most confident in Brandon's ability to accurately describe and detail channeling.

 

Of course, that's just speculation on my part, but I think it's logical. :)

[Bastor]

I also kind of disagree to a point that I doubt we will ever learn much more than we know about the Dark One and the Creator.

 

The endless struggle between life and death, light and darkness...it's just "heavy" enough.

Untouchable, colossal.

 

Too heavy and too core to the series to be defined in a specific way. The Dark One is more of a force of nature that just IS than a being....

 

I think they should not be defined or characterized. Would ruin the massivity of the story.

 

I mean we are looking at hundreds if not thousands of characters, defined in small or large ways, given well...character and if in the end we are told that they and their story are but tiny specs in the endless wheel of time - now that would be a nice nihilistic ending...I guess....

 

I'm not sure I can get my feelings through on this issue.

[Morden]

Ive actually wondered more about whether Rand will somehow be able to tap into the True Source, not just the One Power(Saidin or Saidar)

 

From everything that is said the One Power is derived from the True Source, and that essentially the True Source is the power of creation. Just like the True Power is the power of destruction. it is the Dark One.

 

How to reseal what only the creator could make? the power of creation itself