Essay Questions

To what does the title refer?

A quote from an in-story ancient manuscript commences the narrative. The quote is taken from Commentaries on the Prophecies of the Dragon. It is a prophetic source that predicts the coming of a person who will break bonds as well as forge chains. His arrival will result in the making of the future and the reshaping of destinies. The Dragon was born with the name Lews Therin Telamon and he had initiated the Breaking of the World thousands of years earlier. The Dragon is now reborn, having been declared so by Moiraine Damodred. His name is Rand al'Thor.

What narrative peculiarity made this entry in the series unique at the time and unusual within the genre?

As indicated above, the title is a direct reference to not just the protagonist of the novel, but the hero of the series as a whole. Rand is the central focus of the Wheel of Time from his first appearance through to the final scene in the final book. Even though the cast of characters is enormous and necessitates a multiple perspective approach, Rand is more often than not the focal point. Although the technique would be replicated to one degree or another in subsequent sequels, this is the first volume in which the overwhelming bulk of the narrative point of view is seen through characters other than Rand with only a smattering of scenes adopting the perspective of the hero.

What is the big obstruction to Rand becoming the Dragon for those not fully convinced?

One does not just ascend to the title of Dragon Reborn because someone claims the prophecy has been fulfilled. In fact, there are several prophecies related to identifying the true Dragon upon his return. Foremost among them is that the Dragon will take possession of a mystical weapon known as Callandor, the Sword That is Not a Sword. The big obstruction here is that Callandor has another nickname and it is one that brings with it a whole world of trouble on the subject of exactly how Rand is expected to come into its possession: the Sword That Cannot Be Touched.