This powerful theme of the intertwined nature of reality is scattered throughout every aspect of the plot, from the power system to the stunning overarching message. Firstly, the power system – certain key characters from Jordan’s world are called channelers, and are able to draw from a well of power called the True Source. This True Source displays the central theme in its two distinct sections, saidin and saidar, which are separated between men and women respectively. This concept is concisely explained when Moiraine says, "saidin, the male half of the True Source, and saidar, the female half, work against each other, and at the same time together" (Jordan, p.169). They are also said to work in fundamentally different ways; saidin is a struggle described as “chaos and rage and death” (Jordan, p.657) while saidar is a “tranquil river” (Jordan, p.657) that one must submit to in order to control. Yet this duality of power is extended even further, as there is an opposing force to the True Source; the True Power, derived from evil itself, is the power the main antagonist, the Dark One, uses and allows his followers, The Forsaken, to harness. The fact that these powers work against and with each-other effectually displays the theme of duality, and it’s only strengthened when it’s discovered that they become more powerful when used together. However, the dual nature of the power system, while an effective example of the plot’s depiction of the theme, is not the only one. Perhaps the greatest moment that depicts the narrative’s duality is the eventual result of the aforementioned ‘last battle.’ During this sequence, Rand is pulled outside of reality and comes face-to-face with the Dark One. In this time, the Dark One presents Rand with a series of sinister alternate realities in an attempt to break his spirit, almost succeeding. However, the cruellest of these false depictions of the world is one created by Rand himself, which shows a world without the Dark One – a world without evil. At first Rand is awestruck by the peace, however this feeling soon fades as he meets the woman he loves in this world. He notes that she isn’t herself, and eventually comes to the conclusion that by removing evil, “he had taken from her the ability to be herself” (Jordan, p.824). Rand realises that doing this makes him no better than the Dark One himself, who, rather than taking the evil from someone to make them his servant, takes the good from them. This point is exemplified as the Dark One taunts Rand, saying “‘I turn men to me… It is true. They cannot choose good
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When the Dark One is originally locked away, his prison is bound to seven indestructible seals. These seals are decorated with two teardrop shapes, one black and one white, that resemble a yin yang. They’re described as “half white and half black… mated teardrops” (Jordan, p.67). The fact that they are described as “mated” only adds to their dual nature, giving the impression that light and dark are really just two parts of one whole. The second of the symbols is the ruined city of Shadar Logoth, originally named Aridhol. During the War of the Shadow, thousands of years before the events of ‘The Wheel of Time,’ the city was a prosperous place devoted to doing good. However, a man named Mordeth appeared in the city and soon became the King’s most trusted advisor. Through careful manipulation, Mordeth was able to convince the city that they needed to fight the shadow to the exclusion of all else. This soon became their downfall, as evidenced when Jordan writes “the victory of the light is all. That is the battlecry Mordeth gave them, and the men of Aridhol shouted it while their deeds abandoned the light” (Jordan, p.289). Although their intentions were good, “the darkness of Shadar Logoth” (Jordan, p.780) became something to rival the Dark One himself, indicating that the line between good and evil can be very blurred at times. The symbols of Shadar Logoth and the design of the seals effectively portray the theme of with duality, and elegantly show, again, that good and evil are simply two parts of one
When the Dark One is originally locked away, his prison is bound to seven indestructible seals. These seals are decorated with two teardrop shapes, one black and one white, that resemble a yin yang. They’re described as “half white and half black… mated teardrops” (Jordan, p.67). The fact that they are described as “mated” only adds to their dual nature, giving the impression that light and dark are really just two parts of one whole. The second of the symbols is the ruined city of Shadar Logoth, originally named Aridhol. During the War of the Shadow, thousands of years before the events of ‘The Wheel of Time,’ the city was a prosperous place devoted to doing good. However, a man named Mordeth appeared in the city and soon became the King’s most trusted advisor. Through careful manipulation, Mordeth was able to convince the city that they needed to fight the shadow to the exclusion of all else. This soon became their downfall, as evidenced when Jordan writes “the victory of the light is all. That is the battlecry Mordeth gave them, and the men of Aridhol shouted it while their deeds abandoned the light” (Jordan, p.289). Although their intentions were good, “the darkness of Shadar Logoth” (Jordan, p.780) became something to rival the Dark One himself, indicating that the line between good and evil can be very blurred at times. The symbols of Shadar Logoth and the design of the seals effectively portray the theme of with duality, and elegantly show, again, that good and evil are simply two parts of one