Nynaeve's Healing

[John Everyman]

This is something that has been bugging me somewhat for the past few books, ever since The Path of Daggers or so.  This is something I alluded to in another thread, but I'm interested in what other people think about this.

 

So, while Nynaeve is far from my favorite, I find that I do like her character quite a bit.  At first I was annoyed with her (weren't we all?), but as time goes on I've found that I find her unintentionally hilarious.  That said, I get the feeling she's one of the least popular characters among the main cast (though that's based on very limited knowledge).  With that in mind, it seems that Robert Jordan has been "gimping" Nynaeve over the past few books, knocking her down a few notches (though of course a case could easily be made that she might need it, though I think she's earned a bit of humility since leaving Two Rivers). 

 

Starting in The Great Hunt, Nynaeve is the most powerful channeler seen in ages.  As time goes on, though, very small and, dare I say, irrelevant characters are revealed to be stronger than her.  That's fine; I get the feeling that was RJ's way of saying "the main characters are not the most impressive beings in the world just because they're main characters).  What I found kind of odd, though, is that Nynaeve's greatest skill, arguably her defining attribute, her aptitude for healing, is kind of casually displaced as time goes on. 

 

Her ability with Healing is called "miraculous" by Cadsuane, it's able to Heal the unhealable (stilling and gentling).  Yet, RJ casually throws mentions of other channelers easily outstripping her, namely among the Sea Folk and the Kin.  I suppose you could also count Damer Flinn, but personally I just saw Flinn as Nynaeve's male counterpart (I originally interpreted his ability to Heal the stilled Sisters to full strenght as being the fact that a man has to heal a woman's stilling and a woman has to heal a man's gentling in order to restore full strength). 

 

I'm on Knife of Dreams, so who knows, maybe Nynaeve is set to get her groove back, but I can't be the only one who is somewhat annoyed by this.  But Nynaeve has been channeling for something like two years, and we know women's ability progress "smoothly", where mens seem to jump, so like I said, she might very well prove to be the best at her craft in due time.

 

Thoughts?  Is it good that the main characters shouldn't be made to be the best at everything?  I can certainly see where those who might say this are coming, but I'll admit I have a weakness for the "main character effect".  And hey, in a world with ta'veren, I wouldn't find it surprising that the pattern specifically weaved some of the most skilled individuals together. 

[Suttree]

Keep reading mate...that's all I have to say.

[John Everyman]

Haha, irrelevant thread then. 

 

Ah well, reassurance is nice I suppose. 

[he who comes with a bong]

I agree keep on reading

[Viperswhip]

Heh, keep reading, and I think, Min is my favourite character (isn't she every man's ideal girlfriend?), Nynaeve runs a close second.

[elric]

Nyn started as 1 of my least favorite but turn to 1 of my most favorites :)

i find Nyn 1 of the most realistic Char , a fuller rounder char then most (cougfh Eggy Cough :)  ),

 

regarding only up to KoD i dont agrea with u about gimping Nyn.

notice it not like all the Sea falk and Kin outstrip her

but 1 speicific Kin who had HUGE talent for healing and 400+ (not sure here, correct me if i'm wrong plz) year of experience know better then her :))

also notice that Sumako  hadnt reach Nyn discoveries .

 

with the WF 1 speicific Channeler beat her in a practice duel

and if u Examine Talaan -> strong as Nyn , younger in age (19 to 25) but  more experience as channeler -> grow up in a channeling family, and subject to probably the harshest most gruelng training any char we met been trough.

 

i c it as not let keep Nyn dowm but more as hey -> there are other amazing ppl around, it  not their story but they do exist :)

[Suttree]

with the WF 1 speicific Channeler beat her in a practice duel

and if u Examine Talaan -> strong as Nyn , younger in age (19 to 25) but  more experience as channeler -> grow up in a channeling family, and subject to probably the harshest most gruelng training any char we met been trough.

 

The WFs had no idea shielding was even possible and no experience in that type of op usage. There is zero evidence to show she has more general experience outside of working with weather. The WFs were very specialized in their weaves.

[bigdoug1971]

Keep reading dude.  I HATED Nyneave at first, but she really grows on me.  By the end of The Great Hunt, when she rescued Egwene and left the collars on the Seanchan and told Egwene that it was truly justice being done there.......Well, that changed my whole view of Nyneave from there. 

 

And compared to some of the other main characters, I'd Nyneave all day long over Egwene, Elayne, or Faile 100% of the time!

[David Selig]

 I love Nynaeve as a character, but I also like that there are some Healers in the story arguably better than her. I am not really a fan of the fantasy trope of young persons with minimal training suddenly becoming by far the best at their job because they are just so special and unique, experience be damned. It makes sense that one of those who had hundreds of years of experience would be better at healing than Nynaeve.

[John Everyman]

 I love Nynaeve as a character, but I also like that there are some Healers in the story arguably better than her. I am not really a fan of the fantasy trope of young persons with minimal training suddenly becoming by far the best at their job because they are just so special and unique, experience be damned. It makes sense that one of those who had hundreds of years of experience would be better at healing than Nynaeve.

 

That is true, however, there seems to be a bit of an inbalance in WOT.  For example, Flinn is pretty much reputed as the uncontested best healer of all time, at least on the male side.  Healing stilling/gentling was something that couldn't even be done in the Age of Legends; it's pretty much the only true discovery the main characters have made, rather than rediscovery of something from the AOL.  If Nynaeve and Flinn can do that with minimal practice, I think it indicates that they will be two of the most achomplished healers that ever existed in WOT. 

 

It's also a trope that's present in WOT, since Rand is pretty much uncontested as most powerful channeler of all time (maybe Moridin matches up, though), and Jordan does seem to want to give all of his main characters a "special ability" (the ta'veren are obvious, Egwene is a dreamer, Elayne can make ter'angreal, Nynaeve is a talented healer).

 

But yeah, in the context of the world, I can agree that it makes sense for healers with hundreds of years of experience to be better, at least until Nynaeve racks up some experience herself. 

[elric]

discovery can come from either years of practice or from moments of inspiration.

 

Nyn is very intuative (and probably Flin as well) so i c no problem in her able to discover unknown before hr but beeing less skilled in the general area from the arguably the most non forsaken  skilled healer (skilled not best) in WoT :)

rem Sumako is not your ordinary channeler she is THE BEST Kin healer and they are arguably the best channeler healers (their main practce was healing).

 

side note:

about Flin being the best healer in WoT , i actually had a poll sometme ago who is the best healer , and i believe Nyn was leading with Sumako /Flinn /Semi giving a good fight :)

[lsm]

 

 I love Nynaeve as a character, but I also like that there are some Healers in the story arguably better than her. I am not really a fan of the fantasy trope of young persons with minimal training suddenly becoming by far the best at their job because they are just so special and unique, experience be damned. It makes sense that one of those who had hundreds of years of experience would be better at healing than Nynaeve.

 

That is true, however, there seems to be a bit of an inbalance in WOT.  For example, Flinn is pretty much reputed as the uncontested best healer of all time, at least on the male side.  Healing stilling/gentling was something that couldn't even be done in the Age of Legends; it's pretty much the only true discovery the main characters have made, rather than rediscovery of something from the AOL.  If Nynaeve and Flinn can do that with minimal practice, I think it indicates that they will be two of the most achomplished healers that ever existed in WOT. 

 

It's also a trope that's present in WOT, since Rand is pretty much uncontested as most powerful channeler of all time (maybe Moridin matches up, though), and Jordan does seem to want to give all of his main characters a "special ability" (the ta'veren are obvious, Egwene is a dreamer, Elayne can make ter'angreal, Nynaeve is a talented healer).

 

But yeah, in the context of the world, I can agree that it makes sense for healers with hundreds of years of experience to be better, at least until Nynaeve racks up some experience herself. 

 

all things considered flinn more than likely got pointers and subtle hints on how to improve healing from aginor (forsaken involved in genetic research). not to say his discoveries weren't his, but he had the advantage of being shown the right away, whereas nynaeve pretty much had to get where she is on her own

[Mr Ares]

 

 I love Nynaeve as a character, but I also like that there are some Healers in the story arguably better than her. I am not really a fan of the fantasy trope of young persons with minimal training suddenly becoming by far the best at their job because they are just so special and unique, experience be damned. It makes sense that one of those who had hundreds of years of experience would be better at healing than Nynaeve.

 

That is true, however, there seems to be a bit of an inbalance in WOT.  For example, Flinn is pretty much reputed as the uncontested best healer of all time, at least on the male side.

Not that there is much competition - there are very few men who have been channeling longer than Flinn. For the past few millennia, there have been no schools of channeling for men, so they had no way to learn outside of what they could figure out for themselves. Flinn is in a better position to learn Healing than any man since the AoL.

 

As for Nynaeve, I think it shows that what makes Nynaeve great is not that she's the strongest, or that she's the best healer - her accomplishments are as great as they are, and she is as great as she is, because of who she is, her personality, not purely down to her having more innate skill with magic than others. If Nynaeve was burnt out, she would still be incredible, because her good qualities don't come from her strength in the OP or her Talent for Healing, although she has those things in abundance.

[Entreri]

Nynaeve is the best healer in WoT.   The best at a particular field are the ones that make discoveries, the rest copy and paste.   Healing severing, madness...possibly death in AMOL. Forget it.