Re-Reading "The Dragon Reborn": "Chapter 18: Healing," "Chapter 19: Awakening," and "Chapter 20: Visitations"
In a new trio of chapters, readers get fascinating, and sometimes frustrating, insight into Mat Cauthon, one of the most complicated characters in the entire saga.
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Whew. Well, as I write this, I’m grappling with the devastating news that Donald Trump has won the Presidency and is sure to usher in a term even more horrible than his first one. Even so, I’m determined to keep this little newsletter chugging along, to keep writing about the things–movies, TV, books, queer stuff–that bring me joy in an increasingly dark and uncertain world. What better way to escape the harsh realities of the real world than in the pages of Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time, a story in which, unlike the real world apparently, really does have a good vs. evil story in which the former vanquishes the latter.
In any case, let’s lose ourselves in the ample pages of The Dragon Reborn. This week we’re taking a look at another trio of chapters, one of which is focused on Mat’s Healing through Egwene’s perspective and the other two of which are from Mat’s. It quickly becomes clear that the latter, at least, is an inveterate trickster figure, someone who will always look out for his bottom line, no matter what the cost may be to others (including, it’s worth pointing out, himself).
Before we get to Mat’s perspective, though, we have a brief chapter focusing on Egwene as she, along with Nynaeve and Elayne, witness just how much saidar it takes to break the link between Mat and the dagger. Even with the aid of the most powerful sa’angreal in the White Tower it’s still a close thing. It’s a sobering reminder of just how deeply the roots of this monstrous object go, and how very lucky Mat is that they were able to get him to the Tower in time to keep him from succumbing completely. Even so, it’s also clear that he will bear the scars of it with him for the rest of his life. Even Healing can only go so far, particularly when one is dealing with a dagger infected with a force that literally destroyed an entire city and everyone living in it.
And then things switch to Mat, and the entire dynamic of the novel changes.
My friend and I have an ongoing disagreement about Mr. Matrim Cauthon. My friend sees Mat as one of the best characters in the series, while to me he’s actually one of the worst. It’s not just that he’s an inveterate scoundrel and trickster; it’s that he’s actively selfish. Take, for example, his little conversation with himself about Rand and how grateful he is to be away from him. Moreover, he makes it very clear that there’s very little he would do to help his old friend out, despite the fact that he’s now bearing the heavy burden of being the Dragon Reborn.
Now, to be sure, Jordan does try to give us insight into why Mat would be so willing to abandon a person he’s known since they were children. This is a world, after all, in which everyone knows that a man who can channel is a grave threat to both themselves and others, and Mat even goes so far as to draw a comparison between Rand being a man who can channel and him being someone who tortures animals. This is harsh stuff, and it’s a remarkably visceral reminder of just how much the people in this world have grown to fear, indeed to loathe, men who can channel. They are not just a danger; they are something to be avoided, reviled, and destroyed. Still, it’s hard to shake the sense that Mat really is, when it comes down to it, a person who is far more interested in his own well-being, financial and otherwise, than he is in anything or anything else.
Unfortunately (or fortunately) for him, he’s up against quite a force of nature when it comes to Siuan Sanche. She’s not the type to let someone with his power and influence run around Tar Valon without any sort of supervision, and she’s even better at the fine art of manipulation than Moiraine. Unlike her bosom companion, she has the levers of power at her command, so she can make sure that Mat stays within the confines of the city. Even if he thinks to use his uncanny luck as a ta’veren, it’s unlikely to be enough to combat the will of one of the most determined and iron-willed Aes Sedai in Tar Valon.
Nor is Siuan the only powerful woman that Mat has to contend with as he tries to recover from the malevolent influence of the dagger from Shadar Logoth, for who should make an appearance in his room but Lanfear, in her guise as Selene. You have to give the Forsaken credit: she’s willing to go right to the heart of the matter, not just by right into the White Tower as if she owns the place but also being upfront with Mat about how she wants to use him. Selene is probably onto something with this path, since of the three ta’veren Mat is the one most easily seduced with thoughts of wealth and power and influence. I also won’t lie. It’s always just fun to see Lanfear make an appearance, particularly since I can now envision her as Natasha O'Keeffe from the Amazon series. She might be evil, but ye gads is she compelling. She’s one of the best villains in fantasy, bar none.
Yes, I can hear you saying, but doesn’t Mat ultimately have a good heart when it comes down to it? Sure, I guess he does, but I still find his character infinitely irritating to spend time with because he takes such a very long time to actually do the right thing. At this point I guess I can give him a little bit of grace, since so much of the past year is pretty much a blur thanks to the influence of the Dagger but, having read this series before, I know that it’s going to be a very long time before Mr. Cauthon, like Siuan’s uncle, discovers that there’s much more to life than just drinking, gambling, and flirting with the girls.
As frustrating as I find Mat, I did nevertheless enjoy these few chapters. It’s always nice to get some more insight into what makes these characters tick, even if that boils down to, “I wish I were better with girls.” As time will tell, there’s nothing Mat will be able to do to keep himself from being drawn into the great conflicts of the Third Age.