The Boring Life of Moiraine

[Marie 73]

This past evening a heated debate occurred between Kate and Vertex over whether or not the life of a noblewoman was dull and boring (Kate's opinion) or full of cakes, sweets, and spicy dandies (Vertex's position).

 

Which begs the question: being that Moiraine was, and still very much is, a noblewoman, does that make her privileged life before the advent of Dragon hunting, boring? Did she chafe at having food served for her, baths drawn for her, dresses sewn for her? Did she sit and stare out one of the large windows in her spacious apartment and dream of being a poor fisherman's daughter from Tear?

 

Or did she think "gee, glad I'm not a poor fisherman's daughter from Tear!" and proceed to dance around in her new dress and get ready for the ball?

[Kaitlin 22]

She did the second thing all day long and then ate two cakes, bathed with some maidens, and visited some lovely galleries full of beautiful art.

 

But I still maintain that it would be dull as all hell to be a noblewoman. No wonder the nobility is always plotting and scheming with each other for power. There's nothing else to do.

 

Well, in Moiraine's case she did learn how to manage the estates. And if that's what she was stuck doing for the rest of her life (the same sitting and managing over things that she detested doing in the White Tower that one time in NS) she would have gone mad, shaved her head, and run barefoot to Illian to become a Gleeman's Apprentice before it was too late. Or took up racing horses in Ebu Dar. I don't know. Something besides Managing Accountants for the rest of her life.

[Vertex 23]

Kitt went on to say that being a noblewoman is the dullest thing you can be unless you are really horrible at it, which proves my point since noblewomen are known to be horrible. At least the word "princess" is often used as a derogatory term for spoiled females.

 

So, if Moiraine is lousy noblewoman, then she's probably not bored.

[Marie 73]

I say being able to lounge is something to be proud of!

 

She can spend her time reading and learning...poor people are too busy working in the fields. Or docks. Or being beggars.

 

You can pick up a new skill, like tracking (Moiraine did!) or making your horse jump high, or write poetry and play the lute.

 

Your marriage will probably be political, but you might end up with a hot footman to make the nights enjoyable.

 

Just don't go hunting because nobles seem to have a lot of "accidents".

 

All in all, it's the noblewoman's life for me.

[Kaitlin 22]

Moiraine is a lousy noblewoman, which only proves my point.

 

I think she's an excellent Queen, but very bad at doing only the things noblewomen are supposed to do. She doesn't even just scheme all the time. She also saves the world. That is not in the Noblewoman Handbook.

 

Moiraine got to have a career that took precedence of the primary career of her position... which is basically upper management. There is a reason so many people in upper management just sit around watching porn on their computers all day and it isn't because their lives are full of excitement.

 

All the stuff that goes along with being a noblewoman is fun, but how fun is it if it's all you can ever do?

[Marie 73]

Aes Sedai are even worse than noblewomen. They get free room and board, with furniture and starter dresses, and a salary for just being them. There are poor nobles out there who basically actually have to do stuff (like Bryne. Who's more "middle class" noble, but you get the point).

 

Therefore, Moiraine is really like a double noble.

 

And she's a horrible Aes Sedai, too.

[Vertex 23]

All the stuff that goes along with being a noblewoman is fun, but how fun is it if it's all you can ever do?

 

All they ever can do is more than average, me thinks! And much more fun than if you have to spend your life mending fish nets or something.

 

 

 

And watching porn all day is exciting!

[Kaitlin 22]

Yeah, she's definitely a horrible Aes Sedai as well. She was running around out there avoiding the worst punishments the Tower could give her and not really caring.

 

The Aes Sedai are worse than nobles, but it really depends on the Ajahs and how seriously the women take working in those Ajahs. I mean, the Reds work really really hard. They probably work as hard as any middle of the road merchant. The travel time gets included in that too.

 

The Blues that go out in the world never talk about what they do, but they seem to do some kind of thing. Also, some of the Greys seem to work. A lot of the Whites do too, though more as Scientists. Browns... they do but they love it so much I kind of don't want to say that it's work for them.

[Kaitlin 22]

All the stuff that goes along with being a noblewoman is fun, but how fun is it if it's all you can ever do?

 

All they ever can do is more than average, me thinks! And much more fun than if you have to spend your life mending fish nets or something.

 

 

 

And watching porn all day is exciting!

 

I doublepost!

 

Watching porn is just remedy for the boringness that is inherent in their jobs of doing very little. And so is all the other fun stuff nobles do. It's keeping them busy doing fun things that they can afford, but if you want to get philosophical about it then how can one feeling of happiness from one individual be any greater than the feeling of happiness itself from another individual no matter the form of entertainment? If it's a question of suffering, then yes, the nobles hardly suffer at all. But this is about whether or not they are bored, or live dull lives.

 

They can afford to live dull lives.

[Marie 73]

Yeah, she's definitely a horrible Aes Sedai as well. She was running around out there avoiding the worst punishments the Tower could give her and not really caring.

I do not mean avoiding her punishments, but avoiding the tasks given to her. She runs away from her job.

The Aes Sedai are worse than nobles, but it really depends on the Ajahs and how seriously the women take working in those Ajahs. I mean, the Reds work really really hard. They probably work as hard as any middle of the road merchant. The travel time gets included in that too.

The Reds do work hard, but they are even more entitled than a noble!

 

The Blues that go out in the world never talk about what they do, but they seem to do some kind of thing.

Newsflash! Moiraine is probably the first Blue to do anything! They just sit around the Tower which is why so many end up Amyrlins. What else are you going to do with them?

Also, some of the Greys seem to work.

Yes, they have jobs. Moiraine is not grey though.

A lot of the Whites do too, though more as Scientists.

They discuss and debate science more than actually doing anything. Also, math.

Browns... they do but they love it so much I kind of don't want to say that it's work for them.

Browns read. That's like Moiraine's daddy and mom.

 

You left out the Greens (who fight and have sex), and the Yellows (who don't actually Heal anyone). The Black Ajah seems to have jobs for all their members at least.

 

 

All the stuff that goes along with being a noblewoman is fun, but how fun is it if it's all you can ever do?

 

All they ever can do is more than average, me thinks! And much more fun than if you have to spend your life mending fish nets or something.

 

 

 

And watching porn all day is exciting!

 

I doublepost!

 

Watching porn is just remedy for the boringness that is inherent in their jobs of doing very little. And so is all the other fun stuff nobles do. It's keeping them busy doing fun things that they can afford, but if you want to get philosophical about it then how can one feeling of happiness from one individual be any greater than the feeling of happiness itself from another individual no matter the form of entertainment? If it's a question of suffering, then yes, the nobles hardly suffer at all. But this is about whether or not they are bored, or live dull lives.

 

They can afford to live dull lives.

What makes a life fulfilling? It is being able to do the things in life you wish to do, is it not? We peasants work so that we may enjoy food, and housing, and BJDs, and pirated anime. Is it fair to look down upon the elite for not having to work a horrible dead-end job to achieve these things? There are times when they must fulfill obligations, such as marrying someone, or going to college, managing an estate, or just staying out of trouble.

 

Moiraine wears the symbol of her nobility on her forehead, wears silk shifts, and has dirty thoughts of about an old gleeman. She is all the things a foolish, young, noblewoman is suppose to be and occasionally the things a mature Queen of Cairhien should be. The point is, in Cairhien, in Moiraine's World, there is never a dull moment for the noblewoman known as Moiraine.

[Vertex 23]

I guess the downside about being a noblewoman is being beheaded by mobs and obligations but you get those by not being noble too.

 

And I guess boring is relative to what you are used to, so it'd not really change.

 

But noblewomen get more cake and cake is all constant.

[Cerendrallion 32]

Its more than likely a case of what you're used to.

 

If a Noblewoman had never learned to manage estates, been trained as an Aes Sedai, been a poor fisherman's daughter from Tear, then, quite simply, you don't miss what you've never had, nor long from an experience that you have been taught is below you.

 

A Noblewoman's life is probably boring when looked at from an outsiders perspective due to its limited scope, but to the Noblewoman, whose life is defined by the scope in which she operates, its perfectly fine and exactly what she expects, and the punctuation of balls, tea parties, intrigues, are probably enough spice to add to her life.

 

However, if Siuan had suddenly been elevated to the position of noblewoman straight from the fishing boat, no doubt she would be chafing at the prospect and eager to return to her previous life. Perhaps its this perspective that made her loss of the Amyrlin Seat so tolerable? It was only Aes Sedaihood because of what it was that stayed Siuan.

 

So, as ever, its perspective.

[Marie 73]

I think that is very true. Although I don't think anyone would want to return to Siuan's hardknocks life I mean, she might have let go of the Amyrlin Seat finally, but she held on damn tight to being Aes Sedai. Of course now that I think of it, if she marries Bryne she'll become a lady, ha.

[Sam 19]

boredom is kinda new on the human experience. sure things might he hard or tedious but thats not really the same thing. you cant miss what you never had and if no one else has it either, then...yah.

[Kaitlin 22]

I think what I was getting at when I was fighting with Nik was that nobles could uniquely afford to be bored whereas peasants and other people don't have as much free time to fill up. I see what Laura is saying though, and that makes sense. To a noble it's just what makes up their lives.

 

Siuan as a lady, cursing up a storm. xD That actually might make me like her again.