Would Robert Jordan have ever explained the ending of the WoT?

[Occams whiskey bottle]

If Robert Jordan had lived to write his Infinity of Heaven series, as well as the Outriggers and Prequels, he still would have been haunted with questions regarding the ending of A Memory of Light, most notably the body swap and the meaning of the pipe scene. My question is simple, do you think RJ would have given out enough hints to explain the ending, if not just simply explain what happened, or would he have RAFO'd those questions till the day he died?

 

 

[Bannakaffalatta]

From the interviews I have read, from RJ and Sanderson, Rj and Harriet love the talks, and debates that the mystery brings. He may have hinted at something, but I don't think it would have been very revealing.

[Sabio]

RJ also said he hated when every detail of a series was neatly wrapped up so he said he had no intention of explaining everything that didn't seem to of been concluded.  He might of talked about it or he might of just left it vague. I will agree that there should of been something in the book on how Rand thought about the idea instead of it just happening.  But RJ was not a fan of everything being explained.

[Occams whiskey bottle]

RJ also said he hated when every detail of a series was neatly wrapped up so he said he had no intention of explaining everything that didn't seem to of been concluded.  He might of talked about it or he might of just left it vague. I will agree that there should of been something in the book on how Rand thought about the idea instead of it just happening.  But RJ was not a fan of everything being explained.

 

True, but that doesn't mean that 15 years after completing the book he wouldn't cave a little, and give enough clues that we could figure out what the ending meant.

[JenniferL]

I sincerely doubt it. From what Harriet and Team Jordan have said, the bit with the pipe was a very late addition to that scene and he did it deliberately to keep us guessing. He didn't explain it at all to his wife and long time assistants, why would he tell us? 

[PhantomSoul]

The ending doesn't exist; it is merely an ending. The very end of the story emphasizes this unmistakably, for there are no beginnings nor endings to the turning of the wheel. There's nothing further to explain; it is whatever you make of it.

[Occams whiskey bottle]

The ending doesn't exist; it is merely an ending. The very end of the story emphasizes this unmistakably, for there are no beginnings nor endings to the turning of the wheel. There's nothing further to explain; it is whatever you make of it.

 

True, but that wouldn't have stopped people from asking RJ how Rand swapped bodies, how he lit the pipe at the end, nor how the bond with Elayne, Min, and Aviendha survived the body swap. My feeling is that had he survived he would have eventually answered all those questions in one form or another, if for no other reason than he would have gotten tired of being asked those questions. How he would have answered those questions is another debate all together. He may have shed light on how those questions in the prequels and sequels, or he may have answered them in a Q&A, but I think after several years we would have gotten an answer.

[Sabio]

The link survived the body swap because the link isn't attached to the body but the soul.  Since Rand didn't actually die the link remained.  I assumed Lan and Moraines link vanished because she went to another world which severed the tie somehow.

[Mr Ares]

The link survived the body swap because the link isn't attached to the body but the soul.  Since Rand didn't actually die the link remained.  I assumed Lan and Moraines link vanished because she went to another world which severed the tie somehow.

It's not just the going to another world, it's the passage between the worlds being cut.

[Asgard Thorin]

Well, when Moiraine went to the Aelfinn, she was outside the Pattern. The Foxfinns and Snakefinns are nearly as outside the Pattern as the DO. That's why she didn't have to die for the bond to seem broken, be broken. But all I read leads me to think the bond is on the brain, not the mind. The flesh, not the soul.

[Suttree]

The world of the finns is not "outside the pattern". What on earth would have given you that idea? The bond was severed because the doorway she entered and connection between worlds was destroyed.

 

As others have noted the bond connects to the soul.

[Finnssss22]

Well, when Moiraine went to the Aelfinn, she was outside the Pattern. The Foxfinns and Snakefinns are nearly as outside the Pattern as the DO. That's why she didn't have to die for the bond to seem broken, be broken. But all I read leads me to think the bond is on the brain, not the mind. The flesh, not the soul.

 

If that was the case, then the Bond would've been broken when she went through the Doorway in Tear in tSR.

 

As Sutt just mentioned, it was the breaking of that Doorway that severed the Bond.

 

As I mentioned earlier, you also still have to explain what "flesh" it was that Elayne Bonded with Birgitte?

[Sabio]

Is it me or was Elayne not really all broken up when Brigette died?  She seemed to of taken it a lot better then Egewene. 

[Bannakaffalatta]

Is it me or was Elayne not really all broken up when Brigette died?  She seemed to of taken it a lot better then Egewene. 

I think because Birgitte appeared almost right after she died, and Elayne essentially got a goodbye, and knowing Birgitte was being reborn right then, it kind of helped. That and we obviously don't see Elayne after the shock of everything went away, I think she had the almost obligatory mourning afterwards.

[Sabio]

I know its a minor point and BS might of just forgotten about it, but there really was no OMG the warder bond is broken type stuff.  Sure she was about to have her kids ripped out of her but it just seems like BS forgot about the bond severing.

[Suttree]

I know its a minor point and BS might of just forgotten about it, but there really was no OMG the warder bond is broken type stuff. 

 

Odds are he forgot about it. With all the inconsistencies, mistakes, and retcons in these last three books that bit about the warder bond is really not much to even blink an eye at.

[Finnssss22]

 

I know its a minor point and BS might of just forgotten about it, but there really was no OMG the warder bond is broken type stuff. 

 

Odds are he forgot about it. With all the inconsistencies, mistakes, and retcons in these last three books that bit about the warder bond is really not much to even blink an eye at.

 

 

 

OR...

 

It could be any number of things like her being cut off from the source when it happened.

Or

That Birgitte's Bonding wasn't normal in the first place.

Or

The FACT that the Bonding is much different between 2 women than it is between a man and woman.

Or

That she's pregnant.

 

 

[Removed]

[Barid Bel Medar]

Topic will be locked for a day, then I hope people can get back to discussing the OP. 

[Matt's Pink Lace]

i think if he had an actual explanation for it, he'd eventually explain the body swap, but probably not the pipe thing.

 

but i think if we get an answer to the body swap we'll get an answer to the pipe thing indirectly

 

especially if the creator was involved. 

[damandred]

I think he would of been coaxed, wheedled and possibly beaten, until he dropped enough hints for it to have been figured out.

 

I personly am not a fan of this mystery thing. I like my stories tied like nice little bows.

Its like me writting a story, the hero saves the day, then, gets stood on by an elephant, people say " wheres the elephant, come from" and i say " i cant tell you that, we,ve gotta have a bit of mystery eh"

[Arath Faringal]

RJ would have just laughed at the questions and dropped an RAFO.

[Mrs. Cindy Gill]

I don't think he'd have ever ended the series so he'd have said RAFO.

[Sabio]

Again I don't think so because RJ had said he was not a fan of every lose end being explained and wrapped up.  he might of explained some, but for the most part I don't think he would of answered all the questions.