Rolan and Faile/ KOD spoiler if you havent read.

[Wheel of Cyberness]

Well as I said above, you failed to take into account cultural differences. For Aiel what happens while she is Gai'shain doesn't count. There is nothing wrong with and no shame in passing the time that way even if you are married. Secondly Aiel often have multiple spouses so it takes away any importance from your "coming in between two people who are married" in his mind. We can not expect him to realistically view things any differently.

 

Yes but Faile clearly does not want to 'do' anything with him and fends him off every time yet he still comes back pressuring her. If she clearly doesn't want to do anything with him but he keeps saying 'c'mon, it won't hurt you to do this' (such as the kissing games) basically, well... if he waspurely an honourable nice guy, he would back off wouldn't he and just try to be friendly? I agree at times certainly he is very caring and seems a good friend e.g. he brings Faile blankets when she's cold since she's forced to sleep on a pallet (why do they call them pallets, are these literally the wooden things you stack crates on? ), so points there for him. Still him wanting to marry her and take her away from her husband, not really acceptable.

 

Of course, as you say, to him it is. One of the key things in WoT is that people who belong to certain cultures only believe theirs is right and everyone elses is weird or frankly BS (I find this a good thing since it adds to the humour of the series). I'm guessing he just sort of finds that an excuse to nullify her marriage which is again rather unfair. Also, he knows that she is not an Aiel, he knows that Shaido just take anyone to be gai'shain now, he knows that she is married, so therefore how can he have the nerve to apply the 'multiple spouse' view to her when she does not follow Aiel culture and is a wetlander and married. Like you said though, his world had indeed been upended so being desperate to just settle down with a wife and his friends is not really his fault I guess.

 

Maybe I am being too harsh on him (come to think of it, I definitely think I am) but the fact that it went on for so long just annoyed me and led me to gradually dislike this dude more and more as a side effect or something. There's speculation as to whether when Faile is rescued he perhaps hesitates on purpose as he sees her wanting to rush to her husband that perhaps 'yes, maybe this is chance for death in battle honourably' or perhaps he wants to kill Perrin right there but Faile's shout distracts him. I'm inclined to the first one but maybe both are wrong. If this 'arc' or 'episode' of Faile and Perrin separation was perhaps only 1 book long compared to 2 and a bit, I probably would not hate the guy as much and say 'well, yeah, he did want her but he was an OK guy for helping her escape'. In the end he dies (pretty brutally...) and Faile being a nice person does remember him as a friend for helping her get through that horrific part of her life. (I guess now my view has changed from 'lecher who should just spontaneously combust' to 'wanted her and was unfair at time but was sort of decent in the end')

[ironisles]

Egad this thread is over 5 years old...talk about a zombie thread..