The Gathering Storm
I’m almost half-way through The Gathering Storm and only about 10 pages of it have dealt with Mat. I care little for the exploits of Egwene and the factions within the White Tower. I understand their importance to the story but for the most part the Aes Sedai just irritate me. What I really want to hear about is how Mat, Thom and Noal (aka Jain Farstrider) will rescue Moraine from the Tower of Ghenjei. Mat is probably my favorite character. He is reluctant to accept leadership and responsibility, yet he thrives under them and always keeps his word; he reminds me of myself in many ways. In perusing the chapter titles I noticed one of them was called “The Death of Tuon.” I will be slightly annoyed if that turns out to be a plot spoiler but it raises an interesting question: If she really does die, does that mean that Mat becomes the Seanchan Emperor? That would be something…
The psychological battle occurring with in Rand is of some interest. It is something I would love to be able to discuss with friend N. If you follow this blog you have perhaps seen me juxtapose these two quotes before.
“…he shall break the world again by his coming, tearing apart all ties that bind.” –The Karaethon Cycle
“But tell me, my brothers: if humanity still lacks a goal, does it not also still lack – humanity itself? – ” (Zarathustra, On a Thousand and One Goals)
I find the concept of “tearing apart all ties that bind” to be of great interest because I think it is something that is needed in our world today. The meaning of the quote within the context of The Wheel of Time is that all ties to nations, lords, societies, etc. must be broken because ultimately they inhibit the forming of new bonds which must be designed to serve the forces of the Dragon and the Light at the Last Battle. This is precisely how I feel about all national, political, religious and even corporate (because the corporation is simply the new state) affiliations in the 21st century. They foster squabbling and division with humanity. Humanity will not bond together as a single race until we have first disbanded as Christians, Muslims, Jews, Democrats, Republicans, Socialists, Americans, Europeans, etc. This is something that must be done because the problems that plague the world today are bigger than any nation, religion or corporation. The problems we face are human problems. And as such can only be addressed by humanity. And until we set aside these forces of divisiveness and understand our selves and our identity as human, united in arms with all of humanity, no real solutions will be achieved. (If you have read Watchmen, think about Ozymandias’ plot to unite the world by creating a threat that forces humanity to lay aside its divisive identities.)
Indeed we still do lack humanity itself, but what force could bestow upon us our humanity…
2 years ago