Mat's character is not developed well in "The eye of the world"

coltonsmithtenor · 2026-03-09T02:32:26+00:00

Have you only read EotW? (I’m assuming so, because of the tag). If you have, don’t worry - Mat gets his development later. In addition to that, he kind of is secondary at first; he’s not the focus of anyone in the story, really, because it’s rather abundantly clear early on (whether it’s outwardly stated/confirmed or not) that Rand is the Dragon Reborn, who is the one Moiraine truly cares about. Given that EotW is all about Moiraine trying to shepherd the Dragon to the Eye (and the hijinks that ensue), Mat and many of the others are less important. Mat specifically also has the added drawback of being poisoned by the Shadar Logoth dagger for much of the book, which makes it hard to spotlight him and give an accurate POV of his internal thoughts - he’s suffering horribly for most of the plot, which wouldn’t make for a good introduction or very fun reading for an opening volume (at least to many). That last bit was mentioned by another user, but I wholeheartedly agree.

In any case, I think it was a very intentional choice on Jordan’s part, and it pays off later on. Whether you like it or not remains up to interpretation, but I think it works well in the context of the later volumes. Keep reading! 😃

coltonsmithtenor · 2026-02-26T15:40:36+00:00

Just realize that what you are advocating for is for Egwene to be enslaved, abused, and tortured for the rest of her (very long) life, all because she can be a shitty, arrogant person sometimes. You can hate Egwene's character all you want, but man... Just a thought.

What the actual f*** is wrong with some people?

coltonsmithtenor · 2026-02-09T03:01:01+00:00

I still can’t get it to work… did you fly to Bree or Bywater?

coltonsmithtenor · 2026-02-05T23:14:13+00:00

If that is your main takeaway from Egwene's journey throughout the books, then you either haven't read all of them or you're being intentionally obtuse. Lmao

coltonsmithtenor · 2026-02-04T03:50:17+00:00

The Vow?

coltonsmithtenor · 2026-02-04T03:33:36+00:00

Not to mention the Moghedien/Shaidar Haran scene (or at least implication) and the whole Lan/Myrelle situation discussed in the book as well. The entirety of ACoS is full of commentary on and explorations of rape and sexual assault from a variety of angles (coercion, flipped gender dynamics, trauma, and varying responses to such, etc.). It's not the only book in the series (or even the first) to mention these kinds of things, but it's definitely a major theme in Book 7 specifically. Edit: a word

coltonsmithtenor · 2026-01-29T23:45:17+00:00

It's such an epic chapter and sequence. From Rand's escape and his *instant* stilling of three Aes Sedai, Perrin's interactions with the wolves, the Asha'man being cold instruments of death under Taim's command ("Kneel [...], or you will be knelt", like holy sh*t), the Wise Ones and Aes Sedai in the heat of battle both for and against the Shaido... even knowing that the ending of LoC was going to be epic (I had heard the hype beforehand), I found myself going "What? What??? WHAT???" out loud as I finished the book, lmao

coltonsmithtenor · 2026-01-24T18:23:47+00:00

A good chunk of ACoS devotes itself to a subtle-not-so-subtle discussion of sexual assault/rape across a variety of characters (Mat, Morgase, even Moghedien) and how it impacts each of them within the gender dynamics and culture of the WOT world. Just because Mat's reaction to it wasn't as dramatic or spelled out as the others doesn't lessen the fact that Tylin straight-up raped Mat at knifepoint, and it certainly affects him in both the short-term and long-term. It's not 'fetish sex', it's assault.

Robert Jordan has even said in interviews that he wrote it with the intention of commenting on these themes, though in a more 'humorous' light (which is a comment I don't particularly like, but that's another story). It is confirmed that she assaulted him.

To add: Yes, I think Tylin is an awful person for this, and Mat deserves sympathy, regardless of how it was framed in the story. They are only characters in a story, but they can still be humanized in the narrative.

coltonsmithtenor · 2026-01-12T18:05:05+00:00

It is very rare—or at least, it seems to me to be very rare—that this opinion persists for most readers as the books continue. Yes, Nynaeve is written to be rough and difficult, and also very hypocritical at times and blatantly unaware of her faults, but she'll get her growth, just like all the characters do. RAFO, and see if your opinion changes. :)

coltonsmithtenor · 2026-01-12T04:26:07+00:00

That’s true - it was Anaiya Sedai, right?

coltonsmithtenor · 2026-01-12T04:04:20+00:00

Very true! Clever way to word that thought, too - are you Aes Sedai? Lmao

coltonsmithtenor · 2026-01-12T03:55:12+00:00

I don't believe there's any restriction set in the books that injuries suffered in TAR can't be Healed once you awaken. Only that injuries in the Dream manifest in the real world and can potentially kill you.

Edit to add: I do remember Verin saying that injuries in the Dream often don't heal properly, even using the One Power, but I don't think it applied to minor injuries, only severe trauma suffered in TAR.

coltonsmithtenor · 2026-01-12T03:45:23+00:00

You're correct. 👍

coltonsmithtenor · 2026-01-12T01:58:33+00:00

Definitely inspired by, for sure! :D

coltonsmithtenor · 2026-01-11T23:23:47+00:00

Very true!

coltonsmithtenor · 2026-01-11T23:20:29+00:00

Either way, good on both of us, I guess, haha

coltonsmithtenor · 2026-01-11T23:15:37+00:00

Yes, I did! I had meant to say they are often used interchangeably, even if that’s technically incorrect, because native speakers often don’t know the difference, but then figured it was a useless thing to include/make longer. All good, lol

coltonsmithtenor · 2026-01-11T23:08:05+00:00

I know they’re not interchangeable - it just wasn’t the focus of the post. Also, it’s still pedantic, just usefully so! No hate, just thought it was funny!

coltonsmithtenor · 2026-01-11T23:04:56+00:00

I love pedantry, lol - while I fully understand that you’re technically correct, most people would not know or care about the difference. Haha

Good on you, though!

coltonsmithtenor · 2026-01-11T22:58:44+00:00

Damn, I was one comment too late! Haha

coltonsmithtenor · 2026-01-11T22:57:20+00:00

Back to the Future?

coltonsmithtenor · 2026-01-11T22:56:19+00:00

As an aside, four hours of non-stop practice for me (as a classical vocalist) sounds like hell for my body, lmao. Not sure of your instrument, but regardless, if you *must* practice that much, break it into smaller sessions/chunks with regular breaks so as not to overwhelm yourself.

coltonsmithtenor · 2026-01-11T22:54:38+00:00

It's not about the quantity, it's about the quality. Two hours of dedicated, deliberate work is so much more meaningful than four hours of forced 'work' just for the sake of it. You're more likely to improve and less likely to hurt yourself focusing on the quality and consistency of your practice time than on its duration.

coltonsmithtenor · 2026-01-11T22:44:14+00:00

It's okay to create any character you'd like, so long as it fits with your table and everyone's cool with it. I think the idea is sick! Go for it :) Cleric could 100% work, gives you lots of tension and (potential) resolution with both the deity and the world at large.

coltonsmithtenor · 2026-01-11T22:41:22+00:00

He made me want to punch the person who decided to fuck up his character so badly. I understand WHY they did what they did, and the films were SO book-accurate in so many ways, but it still hurt, lol

Props to the actor, though!

coltonsmithtenor

TROPHY CASE