Welcome back to my re-read, recap, and reaction to Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series. This post will only have spoilers through the current chapter.
You can find my previous chapter recaps HERE.
Chapter 37: Performances in Samara
NOTE: The following chapter summary comes rom wot.fandom.com
Point of view: Nynaeve al’Meara
The menagerie is finally in Samara and ready to begin performing for the public. Birgitte gets angry at Nynaeve for her continued subservience and guilt over Birgitte being ripped out of Tel’aran’rhiod. Nynaeve believes herself to be a coward but Birgitte vehemently disagrees, instead believes Nynaeve is confusing fear with cowardice. Nynaeve enters the performance area and assesses the performances and the crowds they attract. She arrives in time to see the tightrope act with Juilin and Elayne.
Juilin enters, appearing to be drunk, and ascends the ladder to the highrope where he always seems about to fall, but never does. Valan comes out after him and starts shouting for him to come down before he gets hurt. After Juilin finishes, to wild applause, Elayne enters dressed all in white and wearing breeches instead of a proper dress. As Elayne begins to perform, Nynaeve realizes that Elayne is not channeling which she did when she practiced. Elayne performs many daring tricks including backflips, handstands, and cartwheels on the rope, finishing to applause and adoration. The man standing next to her mutters a comment which lets her recognize him as Uno, one of the Shienarans that went with Rand to Falme. Uno begins to leave while Nynaeve tries to catch up to him.
REACTION:
In the span of a few weeks, Juilin and Elayne learn to be legitimate high rope walkers. Juilin even develops his own “pretends to be drunk” act. In both cases, their first time out unaided by the One Power is in front of large crowds? I can suspend my disbelief for magic, because it’s, well, magic. I can tell myself that Rand passably learned to play the flute in a few weeks and that Mat’s innate Mat-ness means he can juggle. HOWEVER… I think Jordan took this circus stuff too far. Elayne in particular is reckless beyond the point of insanity and we have no reason to believe, prior to this scene, that she could do any of this. Juilin at least has years of navigating heights with an unsure footing. Nynaeve is a different kind of crazy and I’ll get to that momentarily. Poor Birgitte doesn’t know what she’s been pulled into.
On the topic of suspension of disbelief, I had to think through the fact that Nynaeve recognizes Uno and vice versa. They were together in Shienar for at least a few weeks. Within the story, that was only like a year ago or less. I think I would recognize someone I spent every day with, for a few weeks, provided that I saw that person again within a year.
The highlight of the chapter is Nynaeve’s confrontation with Birgitte. Nynaeve has NEVER had a rational view of her own bravery. It’s one of her best qualities though it’s working against her right now. I loved that a Hero of the Horn looked at her incredulously when she labeled herself a coward after she tried to fight one of the Forsaken, but too slowly, instead of running away in terror. Imagine being thought crazy by the standard of someone who has lived hundreds of lives. Nynaeve is “bound to the Wheel” levels of crazy. Now I’m thinking of what she’d be like if someone blew the Horn of Valere and she showed up. Come to think of it though, do any of the Heroes channel when they live? Rand does. Does anyone else? Can you channel as a Hero of the Horn or would Nynaeve just swing at people with a cudgel or something?
Now we’ll see what Uno has to say!
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