Well for starters, they did not want her to come with, she insisted and basically blackmailed them into letting her come along. So, I am not so sure the "poor Egwene swept up in it all" works.. She wastes no time flirting with Aram. (but internal monologues jealousy that Rand met Elayne) I believe he also gets the stink eye because he talked to Min in book 1. I think at several points she is clearly NOT that torn up about writing Rand off. She was pretty much a career woman chasing power from day 1. (that's fine, just don't play the "poor her" card) She is all in for chasing power and learning stuff from the first instant and pretty much writes off anything that prevents that. These would be choices she made, not the world or the author doing her wrong. She CHOSE to goto the white tower and learn, so if she is punished its part of the deal, its not picking on Egwene. (who has it easier than any novice in the history of the world with a mere 13 weeks of training in the tower total) She CHOSE to apprentice with the wise ones. So, anything that happened there was again, her CHOICE. She CHOSE to lie, she CHOSE to go into the dream world when she was not suppose to. She CHOSE to ignore instruction and get in trouble. She did get done wrong in book 2 with the Seanchan. She also went through an ordeal in book 11-12. But that's it. Up till book 11 she has basically done ZERO for the war effort. The other characters have fought battles, fought forsaken, struggled, suffered, been captured, made mistakes..... Acutally done things to help the war effort. Egwene has it ridiculously easy in what she has to do to gain her position up until book 11 honestly. The way they write how she just masters everything instantly is ridiculous. She consistently puts her gaining some goal over being honest with her allies and friends. She is more than ready to USE people who trust her to gain advantage. (Mat book 6 for example) She is more than ready to bully and be horrible to people who are suppose to be her friends. (Nyneave from book 3 onward with 5 and 12 being shame on her) What she tries to do to Rand over and over is just insane. I would also point out that she is pretty ready to go to the tower before book 1 is even half over. She is already more than willing to be bossy to the boys by book 1. Moiraine puts her "in charge of the boys" who are all older than her. Based on what merit? None. Don't worry this continues through the series. Egwene granted perks and positions based on no actual merit other than the author just said she had it. Why did she have it? Who knows!? No memories, No most powerful channeler perks, no wolf powers, no reborn guy in her head, no Ta'Verin. It is just because she is amazing at everything by age 18. By book 3 she is ready to bully Nynevae. At pretty much ANY point in the books she assumes she knows better than any man, ever, period. By book 4 and 5 she starts thinking she knows better than Moirane. By book 7 -9 she is certain she knows better than anyone alive. Is it possible she is good at stuff? Of course. Is it possible she is the best at stuff? Sure, maybe even a few things. Is it possible she is the best at EVERYTHING from book 6 till book 13? Probably not. Yet here we are. Politician, Diplomat, Orator, Channeler, Master of Histories, Master of Tower Law, inventor of multiple weaves with like NO practice compared to other main cast, master of willpower (making 200 year old sisters and forsaken quail with a glance) Master of taking pain, master planner, master schemer, Master manipulator. It just makes you want to puke. She IS a master liar, liar by omission, user of her friends, and hypocrite. You can love her, she is a good character. She is just not a character I could ever like because she is not a good person and she actually earns only a fraction of what she gains. Other characters (Rand, Nyneave, Avienda, etc ) struggle for many, many BOOKS to figure stuff out and reach their mature mode. It feels EARNED and good when the finally do earn something. With Egwene it feels like "ok the author decided she was awesome at something else. She is true to the tower and she does have some good ideas, they just went way too far with the "Egwene is ssooooo amazing" scenes and in the mid books they had her be a HORRIBLE person to her friends. No matter if you love or hate her she is not "poor Egwene" just a simple girl who got swept up and lost her man. What she is (after the first time through) is why they have the SKIP button.