Discourse on the Blue Ajah

[Kaitlin 22]

I don't believe Blues are the result of the Tower losing it's way. Blues are more of the moral core or compass of the Tower.

 

Moiraine says this about Blues, and I think it's important to remember:

 

The Blue sought to right wrongs, which was not always the same as seeking justice, like Greens and Grays.

 

Moiraine talks quite often about the nature of things in relation to right and wrong. You can see she has put quite a lot of thought into that very subject, and it important to her to see that she does what is actually right for the situation instead of what she thinks is right. It probably wasn't best for her in terms of the White Tower to keep Rand away from them or limit news of where he was going, but she came to understand that giving him over to the Tower was not what was best. Originally, in New Spring, she and Siuan do talk about having him kept at the Tower, and their foremost reasoning was because it would be the safest thing for him and everyone else, not so that the White Tower could gain. Moiraine also believed that it was wrong of the Reds to Gentle Owyn in that way, and she tried to right that wrong by promising Thom the names. She did it in a way so that Thom would go with Elayne, but she didn't actually have to promise him anything. She was trying to make up for what happened, and show him that all Aes Sedai are not the same.

 

You could probably say that not all Blues are like that, and Moiraine is more of an example of what a good Blue should try to be more like... but then that just shows that the Ajah itself is meant to be like that in the first place. You can't logically say that Blues are useless, if the formation of the Ajah was to make sure that women as noble in action as Moiraine, Siuan, Tamra, Gitara, Leane (even though she became a Green - while she was a Blue she was an excellent one), and others had a place to shine.

[Marie 73]

Who's wrongs? What's wrong and what's right depends on the person.

 

I don't mean Blues are a direct cause of the Tower's lose of focus, but the fact that their...lack of direction can be seen as OK for an Aes Sedai is my issue.

[Kaitlin 22]

I don't believe that they have a lack of direction. They put every Aes Sedai within their Ajah to some use, and they each have personal causes. Browns are pretty much allowed to wander aimlessly and can seem directionless, but there are librarians, teachers, researchers, scientists, etc. all in that Ajah.

[Marie 73]

You can't excuse the Blue Ajah by bringing up another. The Browns seek knowledge; that's why so many different types are in that Ajah. People leave the Browns alone because no one likes to talk to a know-it-all, esp. if that know-it-all loses track of her thoughts.

 

Blues seek their own personal causes, ok, well name an Aes Sedai that doesn't. How does Gitara count as a good Blue? She died before we saw anything besides Moiraine's biased view. Moiraine also looked up to a member of the Black Ajah, but that doesn't mean she was a great Blue either.

[Vertex 23]

I fail to see the use of any ajah... or maybe I am just color blind?

 

Anyways, what is the use of the whole white tower? Except for taking care of stray kittens, that is. The world doesn't seem to have a lot of peace or even a working school system(which I personally think might be a reason enough together with the kittens to have a white tower).

 

And it isn't as common folks have anything to say about how the tower is run... you have to be one of those special girl creatures who can channel.

 

If we now pretend that not having a school system and saving kittens makes up for the un-peacefull world and high taxes, we might assume the ajahs actually fill functions(besides taking alot of tax money since the Aes Sedai are too good to work like common people, eventhough one Aes Sedai could probably do what it takes a farmer a year to do in one day).

 

So, functions performed for the common good...first of all, it seems that the Aes Sedai doesn't agree among themselves, just as any goverment made up by seven different parties. More over, it seems like they do not only disagree with each other, but work actively against each other too. Luckly there aren't many Aes Sedai anymore so they probably don't spent too much tax money working against each other.

 

Oh and back to the colors... it seems like the colors represent seven different girl types. Some doesn't like boys others just love boys, and some like boys and girls. RJ have gone into great detail about Aes Sedai/boy relations... infact he even invented a close magical bond for Aes Sedai and boys.

 

Some Aes Sedai seems only a bit interested in boys... like Moiraine. She keeps one but doesn't know how to work his finer features. That leaves her with some spare time to do what she thinks is funny and interesting. In Moiraine's case, and some other blues like her, like saving stuff. It seems to me that what they save is not as important as the actual saving.

 

It wouldn't surprice me if one Brown have let slip to some unsuspecting blue that some whale specie is in trouble becase of the salt water or something... and there after that blue spent her life trying to save whales from saltwater.

 

If the Aes Sedai could agree among themselves and perhaps some clever Aes Sedai, or perhaps even common people with a sharp mind(instead of just the biggest bully), could help guide the blue ajah a bit so that they try saving things that needs saving, the white tower might actually be usefull.

[Kaitlin 22]

You can't excuse the Blue Ajah by bringing up another. The Browns seek knowledge; that's why so many different types are in that Ajah. People leave the Browns alone because no one likes to talk to a know-it-all, esp. if that know-it-all loses track of her thoughts.

 

Blues seek their own personal causes, ok, well name an Aes Sedai that doesn't. How does Gitara count as a good Blue? She died before we saw anything besides Moiraine's biased view. Moiraine also looked up to a member of the Black Ajah, but that doesn't mean she was a great Blue either.

 

Excuse the Blue Ajah? That makes it sound like they are a crime. That is just silliness. I brought up the Brown Ajah because it is similar to the Blue in that nothing is strictly defined in the way that some other Ajahs might be.

 

Forget it. You win, everyone else loses. The Blue Ajah sucks, all Browns are a pain in the behind and aren't worth talking to because they are so terribly annoying.

[Marie 73]

Excuse the Blue Ajah? That makes it sound like they are a crime. That is just silliness. I brought up the Brown Ajah because it is similar to the Blue in that nothing is strictly defined in the way that some other Ajahs might be.

 

Forget it. You win, everyone else loses. The Blue Ajah sucks, all Browns are a pain in the behind and aren't worth talking to because they are so terribly annoying.

 

I fully admit to playing devil's advocate in some regards, but I was hoping people would set aside personal feelings in the debate. This is my own fault for not making my intentions clear in the beginning.

 

I had no intent in changing anyone's viewpoints on the Blue Ajah, but I was asked to share my own personal thoughts on it so I did. I knew and expected people to disagree with me, after all this isn't Wotmania, and am fine with that. People raised points, I raised counterpoints, and the same happened to me. *shrugs* It was fun while it lasted.

 

Vertex's epic

 

I actually agree with a lot of what you said, which I am still surprised about! I do think Blues being the activitists of the Tower is a better description. I just don't think there needs to be an Ajah dedicated to such people, but then, I don't think there should be Ajahs at all.

[Kaitlin 22]

I'm just not very good about debating. I hate to do it. So, I said what I thought about things and I am done.

[Marie 73]

I'm just not very good about debating. I hate to do it. So, I said what I thought about things and I am done.

 

That's fine, debating isn't for everyone.

 

I still want to hear what people have to say about Vertex's post, because really, that was just classic.

[jan 14]

I fail to see the use of any ajah... the white tower might actually be usefull.

 

Very succintly put!

 

(Psst... Vertex has way too much spare time on his hands. Perhaps Jordan should recruit him to finish the WoT series!)

[Vertex 23]

I would not! Not as in no and t all in one! I might consider writing for playboy though, or something more family friendly.

[Marie 73]

Aww, but a Vertex version of WoT would be fun.