Post AaKpp0HwkGdwORbliK by historianess@mastodon.sdf.org
 (DIR) More posts by historianess@mastodon.sdf.org
 (DIR) Post #AaKkQdSnSOKCskFCwS by historianess@mastodon.sdf.org
       2023-10-01T17:41:29Z
       
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       There has been some controversy about #WoT season 2, episode 6. Brief recap: Egwene has been made damane, and the sul'dam Renna is "training" her (i.e., torturing her to break her spirit and resistance and make Egwene's use of the Power subject only to Renna's authority).This review expressed disgust at this depiction of what happened to Egwene: https://www.tor.com/2023/09/22/wheel-of-time-s2-episode-6-review/ and frankly, I bristled at this review. So: my comments! 1/
       
 (DIR) Post #AaKkQeRlnh67vqltyq by historianess@mastodon.sdf.org
       2023-10-01T17:44:23Z
       
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       I'll start by saying that I first had a sustained conversation about slavery and #wheeloftime, especially with the damane/suk'dam dynamic, on a thread somewhere that I can no longer find, presided over by lezbinerdy, who is, imho, one of the most thoughtful critics of the WoT universe out there. You can see her vids here: https://www.youtube.com/@LezbiNerdy/about 2/
       
 (DIR) Post #AaKkQfNYKrJop3o32u by historianess@mastodon.sdf.org
       2023-10-01T17:47:27Z
       
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       Lezbi Nerdy expressed some discomfort with the totalizing nature of Seanchan enslavement of women who can channel. Through the a'dam, sul'dam control everything women channelers can do, including think, desire, and live. Lezbi Nerdy thought this was a disturbing way to describe slavery. (Keep in mind this is my recollection of a thread I cannot find, so apologies for inaccuracies in my recollection.) 3/
       
 (DIR) Post #AaKkQgR8P1mI6SUQGe by ParadeGrotesque@mastodon.sdf.org
       2023-10-01T17:52:50Z
       
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       @historianess Honestly? The whole Egwene thing is taking a very, very dark turn.And yes, it is slavery, pure and simple. Not slavery using whips and chains, but psychological torture.
       
 (DIR) Post #AaKkQhpzC7FcRp7mds by historianess@mastodon.sdf.org
       2023-10-01T17:50:17Z
       
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       This made me think about Robert Jordan's portrayal of Seanchan slavery in The Great Hunt (and subsequent books) and what Jordan himself knew about slavery. Jordan was a Vietnam vet who went to school in the late 60s and early 70s. At that time, historians writing about slavery were focused on the totalizing aspects of slavery. The foremost scholar writing about this stuff was Stanley Elkins, who articulated what is now known as the "Sambo thesis." 4/
       
 (DIR) Post #AaKpp0HwkGdwORbliK by historianess@mastodon.sdf.org
       2023-10-01T18:53:13Z
       
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       @ParadeGrotesque don't worry, all the Emond's Fielders are gonna kick some Seanchan BUTT. At least that's how it happens in The Great Hunt. But this shapes Egwene's future in plot-critical ways.