Hmmmm.... well, I suppose we now know what the world looked like pre-breaking... I wonder where Australia fits into Randland. I hope it didn't sink.

I dont think that Randland is, or was Earth. Thewy call it Earth, because it is the only Earth they know. The first age had our technology, but it wasn't actually earth.

Ps: Are there any maps of what the world looked like before the Breaking? It would be cool to know.

Arkelias, you are overlooking the fact that Perrin didn't know that the herb the seanchan used was forkroot. He heard of the Seanchan giving people tea, but he didn't know what was in it.

Yeah, Perrin did his best in that situation, but she (like most women in this series, unfortunately) expected her husband to read her mind.

I believe, that in most situations, it is wrong to hit a woman, but if a woman attacked me, with the intent of causing me harm, i would defend myself to the best of my abilities, (ok, im a wimpy nerd, but still.  :) ) Perrin caused no serious, or even minor harm to Faile by spanking her, and he was so ashamed that he has never raised a hand to her since, even though she has.

In this series there is a disturbing amount of sexism against men, and the men cant do jack about it, because they are women. It is twisted, and sad, and wrong, no matter what the justification.

Well, fair is fair. The sexism you refer to, imo, isn't all that different than just acknowledging the differences between men and women--how we frequently have different takes on things, what things are important to us, how logical we think the other gender is, etc. Frequently when women in RL get together and talk about their men, there's a lot of of understanding eye rolling because of those differences, and men tend to do the same thing. What struck me in this series is that the women are usually more empowered in society than they are in RL (with the backing of law and custom in many of the various societies).

 

What bugs me is how so many of them in musings about each other makes that difference one of incompetence. Men and women ARE different in many things, but those differences can be great strengths, because those differing viewpoints can show weaknesses people with one mindset could miss. The WoT world is changing culturally as the series develops (probably the Two Rivers being the one with the greatest changes). People are on the move like they haven't been in Millennium.

 

Personally, I think a great deal of the sexism we see directed specifically at men is a result of the taint. It left it's mark of guilty association. Women who can channel carry a little of it, but all men (perhaps because there could be that potential in them) have it as well.

I realise why the men are downtrodden and disdained, but understanding something doesn't make it right. If I shot and killed you, and my justification was that you were annoying me, everyone else understands why I did it, but that doesn't make it right. And the majority of the men aren't sexist towards the women, they mutter or think to themselves about how strange they are, but that is about it, and they never do it when a woman can hear. The women, on the other hand, constantly talk about mens supposed incompetence, their constant mistakes, their supposed inability to button up their shirts without a woman to help, how they "think with the hair on their chests", how unperceptive they are, how stubborn they are... need I go on? Most of the time, the woman herself exhibits some of these qualities; Nynaeve is a classic example.

As for the Perrin/Faile thing; I hate how he is so obsessed with her (and i know why he';s obsessed, but i dont care) and i think that she is bad for him, she is deceitful, childish and controlling. She deserved that spanking, and she had no right to feel hurt about it afterwards.

I think that Failes spanking was justified and right. Its not as if he punchedand kicked her for no reason, or even hurt her that much at all. Spanking doesn't really hurt, getting slapped and punched by come childish girl does. As it is, a man hitting a woman in any circumstance is viewed with extreme prejudice and scorn, which is why i think it was great that perrin spanked faile, because it showed that men can stand up to women, which most of them cant or wont. Did mat defend himself in the slightest against Tylin? Could he have? Tylin basically rapedhim, and did he stop it? No, because she was a woman. Does Rand attack Lanfear after she tortures Egwene and Avi? no, because he has some stupid sense of chivalry. Do any of the TR men defend themselves against Nynaeve when she thumps them with a stick for not agreeing with her, or thinking about womens circle buisness, or expresses free will, as she is stated to have done? Could they have? In this series there is a disturbing amount of sexism against men, and the men cant do jack about it, because they are women. It is twisted, and sad, and wrong, no matter what the justification.

Meanwhile, you laugh about the spanking, but for me, that's physical abuse, full-stop. He is massively stronger than her. I don't think it matters at all what "culture" she comes from. That's like saying I should respect female circumcision, because, actually, that practice really is a major aspect of some real life cultures.

Physical abuse... really, like some of her past actions weren't abusive even slightly? So it's ok for a woman to constantly punch a man because she's a woman? I don't think so. She had it coming.

I agree. She hit him, he asked her to stop, she didn't, so she got a good spanking. She had it coming, regardless of culture, or chivalry, or anything; it was in self defense, thats the way it works in our time, even.

And another thing. Perrin keeps pissing me off with his whole, "I'm just a blacksmith, im not a lord" thing. honestly, can't he just move on already?