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The Parallel Journey of Daenerys Targaryen & ... Part I


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Welcome to the "The Parallel Journey of Daenerys Targaryen & ..." re-read Project!



Well, we aren't trying to reinvent the wheel but we are trying to make it shinier. So, we've developed a new kind of re-read - here we will be exploring George RR Martin's use of character parallels to better understand individual character arcs as well as the story as a whole. The re-read will focus on Daenerys Targaryen and the parallels she shares with a selection of other POV characters.



Each week an essay will be posted analyzing different aspects of the character parallels, most comparisons (or contrast) will consist of three essays. The themes of each essay will vary depending on the parallels Daenerys shares with each character.



So, what do we want to get out of our re-read? We hope to better understand the intricate web Martin is creating with his different characters. As you follow along with the re-read essays ask yourself the following questions:


  • What is Martin's purpose in creating these parallels?
  • How might these parallels affect each character if they ever meet?
  • What are we suppose to take away from the comparison (or contrast) of these two characters?

Now, let's meet our formidable contributors (in alphabetical order so as not to give preference ;) ):


  • BearQueen87
  • JonCon's Red Beard
  • Kyoshi
  • MoIaF
  • Parwan
  • Queen Alysanne
  • SeanF
  • Suzanna Stormborn

As with most re-read's there are some ground rules we hope you'll follow:



  • Discussion should focus on the essay of the week, please let's stay on topic.
  • When discussion please refrain from making unsubstantiated comments or be disrespectful towards other posters. We are aiming to do an objective analysis and it would be greatly appreciated if we stay on topic and not argue with each other about our personal feeling about the character.
  • Your observations are very important to our discussion; if you find instances of foreshadowing, interesting symbolism, or other thoughts that can add to our discussion please share them with us. When ever possible quote from the text, it'll help enrich the discussion.

Finally, here is our schedule for this re-read. We aim to keep on schedule, however, we ask that you bear with us if we are running a little late.


  • The Last Dragon and the Lone Wolf: Dany and Arya - BearQueen87

Essay I - Introduction, Loss and Making Your Own Pack: 1/4/15


Essay II - Blood, War and Magic: 1/11/15


Essay III - Identity: 1/18/15


  • The Princess and the Queen: Dany and Arianne (mini parallel) - Queen Alysanne

Essay I - 1/25/15


  • Of Dragons and Wolves: Dany and Bran - Queen Alysanne / MoIaF

Essay I - A Magical Awakening & A Magical Journey: 2/1/15


Essay II - The Place of Magic & Mythology: 2/8/15


Essay III - Animal Bond & Miscellaneous Similarities 2/15/15


  • Dany and Cersei - SeanF / Suzanna Stormbirn / JonCon's Red Beard

Essay I.I - Daenerys and Cersei, Parallel Lives: Uneasy Lies the Head - SeanF 2/22/15


Essay I.II - Daenerys and Cersei Parallel Lives: Love and Sexuality - SeanF 3/7/15


Essay II.I - March 15, 2015


Essay II.II - March 22, 2015


Essay III - March 29, 2015


  • Dany and Jon - MoIaF

Essay I - April 5, 2015


Essay II - April 12, 2015


Essay III - April 19, 2015


  • Dany and Ned - Parwan

Essay I - April 26, 2015


Essay II - May 3, 2015


Essay III - May 10, 2015


  • Dany and Sansa - Kyoshi

Essay I - Mary 17, 2015


Essay II - May 24, 2015


Essay III - May 31, 2015


  • Dany and Stannis (mini parallel) - QueenAlysanne

Essay I - June 7, 2015



THANK YOU FOR JOINING US!


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The Last Dragon and The Lone Wolf: Daenerys Targaryen and Arya Stark



Essay Number One:


Introductions, Loss, and Making Your Own Pack



How much could two adolescent girls living on different sides of Planetos really have in common? One is an exile in a far away land, one has never left the comforts of home. One has fire in their blood, the other has ice. One has few living family members, the other is part of an extensive human pack. One dreams of a childhood never lived and the other has her childhood violently interrupted.



Daenerys Targaryen and Arya Stark have never interacted in text but their own individual journeys provide readers of A Song of Ice and Fire with a chance to compare and contrast what it is like to live in a messy and violent world as a young lady. I would contend that the key similarity found in a focused re-read of Dany and Arya is survival. Magic, blood, war, travel, identity, and finding your own place in this world are all integral to the continued survival of Dany and Arya as they face the many pitfalls that await them down their own roads.



But before we delve too deeply into examining how Dany and Arya manage to survive their various trials and tribulations, let us first look at how they are introduced to us in A Game of Thrones and one particularly important relationship to both of them.



Introductions



Meet Daenerys


In Dany I, we learn that Daenerys Targaryen is 13 years old and living in the Free City of Pentos with her brother, Viserys. They are the last of the Targaryen’s who once ruled Westeros before Robert’s Rebellion. Dany and Viserys have been on the run for Dany’s whole life, flitting from one city to the next, except for a brief stint in Braavos where Dany was happiest, living in a house with a red door and a lemon tree. At present they are living with Master Illyrio Mopatis, whom Dany believes has his own agenda for helping the two exile Targaryen’s.



Meet Arya


In Arya I, we learn that Arya Stark is nine and has lived her whole life in Westeros at Winterfell, seat of the Family Stark, the principle house in the North. She has several brothers and sisters, though she is closest to her half-brother Jon and is the opposite of her only sister, Sansa. Arya is good at riding horses and doing sums, but she’s much more interested in swordplay than she is in other “woman’s” work like sewing. She has recently adopted a wolf pup named Nymeria, named for a warrior queen, which says quite a bit about Arya’s personality in general.



In the beginning Dany and Arya come across as quite a bit different personality wise. Dany is meek and quiet, living in fear of her older brother Viserys. She never wants to “wake the dragon” because Viserys’ wrath is something terrible to behold. Arya is energetic and playful despite being different from almost all of her siblings; Arya can be sassy and quick witted to her peers and to those above her like her Septa. Dany has never had a proper home and has been running her whole life and Arya has never left home, living in the comforts of Winterfell.



Perhaps the biggest differences between the two are their own sense of isolation as an outcast. Essentially, Dany is a friendless outcast whereas Arya perceives herself as being unlike the rest of her family but she is not without friends.



Dany is a friendless exile who isn’t sure what “home” even means, and who’s only companion is a twisted, violent, and abusive older brother who spends most of her first chapter berating and criticizing her. Remembering her turbulent childhood years later, Dany remarks to Ser Jorah Mormont : “I was alone for a long time, Jorah. All alone but for my brother. I was such a small scared thing. Viserys should have protected me, but instead he hurt me and scared me worse. He shouldn't have done that.” (Dany III, ASOS)



Arya feels like an outcast amongst some members of her family—she is less able in certain areas than her older sister Sansa; she does not have the Tully look that the rest of her siblings do, apart from Jon. But unlike Dany, Arya has two non-parental companions who love her and treat her with kindness. The first is her direwolf Nymeria; Arya remarks in Arya I, “The wolf pup loved her, even if no one else did. They went everywhere together, and Nymeria slept in her room, at the foot of her bed.” The other person with whom Arya is particularly close is her bastard half-brother Jon.



It is the relationships with their brothers where I want to spend most of this introduction as I think GRRM is deliberately contrasting Dany/Viserys and Arya/Jon.



The first conversation between Viserys and Dany is uncomfortable. Viserys orders her around; he touches her inappropriately, and he hurts her.



Her brother held the gown up for her inspection. "This is beauty. Touch it. Go on. Caress the fabric."

Dany touched it. The cloth was so smooth that it seemed to run through her fingers like water. She could not remember ever wearing anything so soft. It frightened her. She pulled her hand away. "Is it really mine?"


[snip]


Her brother hung the gown beside the door. "Illyrio will send the slaves to bathe you. Be sure you wash off the stink of the stables. Khal Drogo has a thousand horses, tonight he looks for a different sort of mount." He studied her critically. "You still slouch. Straighten yourself" He pushed back her shoulders with his hands. "Let them see that you have a woman's shape now." His fingers brushed lightly over her budding breasts and tightened on a nipple. "You will not fail me tonight. If you do, it will go hard for you. You don't want to wake the dragon, do you?" His fingers twisted her, the pinch cruelly hard through the rough fabric of her tunic. "Do you?" he repeated.



"No," Dany said meekly.


(Dany I, AGOT)



To Viserys, Dany is a “mount” for Khal Drogo and she is not especially pleasing to him. She smells; she slouches; she doesn’t show off her new womanly assets. And without her making any sort of protest, Viserys threatens and hurts her.



This is the first conversation we read between Jon and Arya, which is quite the contrast.



Jon gave her a curious look. "Shouldn't you be working on your stitches, little sister?"


Arya made a face at him. "I wanted to see them fight."



He smiled. "Come here, then."



Arya climbed up on the window and sat beside him, to a chorus of thuds and grunts from the yard below.


(Arya I, GOT)



This first interaction is one of comfort and affection. There is nothing awkward nor strange nor unnerving between Jon and Arya. Even though Jon knows Arya ought to be elsewhere, he invites her to join him. Continuing with Arya for the moment:



"A shade more exhausting than needlework," Jon observed.


"A shade more fun than needlework," Arya gave back at him. Jon grinned, reached over, and messed up her hair. Arya flushed. They had always been close. Jon had their father's face, as she did. They were the only ones. Robb and Sansa and Bran and even little Rickon all took after the Tullys, with easy smiles and fire in their hair. When Arya had been little, she had been afraid that meant that she was a bastard too. It been Jon she had gone to in her fear, and Jon who had reassured her.



Whereas Dany is terrified of Viserys, Arya finds her fears lessened when she goes to Jon. Also, note the hair ruffling. It’s something Arya remembers fondly as her narrative continues throughout all five books.



There is something decidedly less affectionate in Dany’s first chapter: “Her brother smiled. "Good." He touched her hair, almost with affection. "When they write the history of my reign, sweet sister, they will say that it began tonight." Note the ALMOST affection with which Viserys touches Dany’s hair. This is coming on the heels of Viserys abuse to Dany’s person and criticizing her. In fact, whenever Viserys does touch Dany, it is in a violent manner.



"I don't want to be his queen," she heard herself say in a small, thin voice. "Please, please, Viserys, I don't want to, I want to go home."


"Home?" He kept his voice low, but she could hear the fury in his tone. "How are we to go home, sweet sister? They took our home from us!" He drew her into the shadows, out of sight, his fingers digging into her skin. "How are we to go home?" he repeated, meaning King's Landing, and Dragonstone, and all the realms they had lost.



Dany had only meant their rooms in Illyrio's estate, no true home surely, though all they had, but her brother did not want to hear that. There was no home there for him. Even the big house with the red door had not been home for him. His fingers dug hard into her arm, demanding an answer. "I don't know . . . "she said at last, her voice breaking. Tears welled in her eyes.



"I do," he said sharply. "We go home with an army, sweet sister. With Khal Drogo's army, that is how we go home. And if you must wed him and bed him for that, you will." He smiled at her. "I'd let his whole khalasar fuck you if need be, sweet sister, all forty thousand men, and their horses too if that was what it took to get my army. Be grateful it is only Drogo. In time you may even learn to like him. Now dry your eyes. Illyrio is bringing him over, and he will not see you crying."



Compare this to Jon’s hair ruffle and his own teasing at Arya:



“Jon looked her over with all his fourteen-year-old wisdom. "You're too skinny," he said. He took her arm to feel her muscle. Then he sighed and shook his head. "I doubt you could even lift a longsword, little sister, never mind swing one." Arya snatched back her arm and glared at him. Jon messed up her hair again.”



It’s worth noting that Viserys also calls Dany too skinny in her first chapter, but it is done critically, wondering if Khal Drogo would even like what he sees. Finally, there is the nickname the brothers have for their sister. Viserys’ “sweet sister” is cringe inducing given his treatment of Dany; Jon’s “little sister” is endearing and true.



All of these examples demonstrate that Dany is truly alone in the world, whereas Arya is not. Over the course of A Game of Thrones, however, Dany and Arya continuously move from isolation (true or perceived) to making their own “packs.” Dany marries Drogo and becomes Khaleesi, embracing the Dothraki way of life, and finds her first true friend in Ser Jorah Mormont. Arya develops a relationship with Mycah and then Syrio once she arrives in King’s Landing before claiming her own pack with Gendry and Hot Pie.



Loss



Loss is a theme that runs throughout ASOIAF, be it loss of a family, friend, loved one, dignity, honor, belief system, morals, ect. Dany and Arya are certainly no strangers to loss. Both of them lose their brother, though one is lost to fire and one is lost to ice (Wall). Dany is an orphan from the beginning and Arya will lose both her parents over the course of the books. Arya lost Nymeria, her wolf, but is still connected to her through dreams; Dany lost Drogon, her dragon, after it was suspected that he killed a little girl, but they were still connected in a tangible way, hence his return to Meereen.



Instead of focusing on the many losses Arya and Dany go through, I want to spend time thinking about the loss of specific friends—Jorah and Syrio—and how Dany and Arya try to communicate about loss in general.



Arya’s initial stay at King’s Landing is one of misery. Following the tragedy on the Trident, Arya feels guilty over Mycha and beings to truly understand what it means to be alone.



No one talked to Arya. She didn’t care. She liked it that way. She would have eaten her meals alone in her bedchamber if they let her.

[snip]


She wanted to tease Bran and play with baby Rickon and have Robb smile at her. She wanted Jon to muss up her hair and call her “little sister” and finish her sentences with her.


[snip]


She went back to the window, Needle in hand, and looked down into the courtyard below. If only she could climb like Bran, she thought; she would go out the window and down the tower, run away from this horrible place, away from Sansa and Septa Mordane and Prince Joffrey, from all of them. Steal some food from the kitchens, take Needle and her good boots and a warm cloak. She could find Nymeria in the wild woods below the Trident, and together they'd return to Winterfell, or run to Jon on the Wall. She found herself wishing that Jon was here with her now. Then maybe she wouldn't feel so alone.


(Arya II, AGOT)



This reminds me of Dany’s first day as a Dothraki Khalessi. Despite now belonging to the Dothraki by way of marriage to Khal Drogo, her wedding day leaves Dany more alone and frightened than ever.



Dany had never felt so alone as she did seated in the midst of that vast horde. Her brother had told her to smile, and so she smiled until her face ached and the tears came unbidden to her eyes. She did her best to hide them, knowing how angry Viserys would be if he saw her crying, terrified of how Khal Drogo might react.

[snip]


There was no one to talk to. Khal Drogo shouted commands and jests down to his bloodriders, and laughed at their replies, but he scarcely glanced at Dany beside him. They had no common language. Dothraki was incomprehensible to her, and the khal knew only a few words of the bastard Valyrian of the Free Cities, and none at all of the Common Tongue of the Seven Kingdoms. She would even have welcomed the conversation of Illyrio and her brother, but they were too far below to hear her.



So she sat in her wedding silks, nursing a cup of honeyed wine, afraid to eat, talking silently to herself. I am blood of the dragon, she told herself. I am Daenerys Stormborn, Princess of Dragonstone, of the blood and seed of Aegon the Conqueror.


(Dany II, AGOT)



Even though both Arya and Dany are with people—the Dothraki and the Stark family guards—they feel incredibly alone and miserable. This is a first for Arya who has always had companions in Jon or Bran. Even Dany, a girl originally defined by how alone she is, feels more so and would welcome even her abusive brother for company.



However, a new friend who also serves as mentor, soon abates both Dany’s and Arya’s feelings of loneliness. I don’t want to rehash everything Dany learns from Jorah and everything Arya learns from Syrio; it’s sufficient to say that it’s quite a bit. What’s more important is how Arya and Dany carry the words and lessons of their friend and mentor with them both before and after they’ve lost them.



”Go with them,” she commanded Ser Jorah

“As you command.” The knight gave her a curious look. “You are your brother’s sister, in truth.”


“Viserys?” She did not understand.


“No,” he answered. “Rhaegar.” He galloped off.


(Dany VII, AGOT)



For Dany, this is one of the highest compliments she can be paid. Dany has a tendency to put her older brother, dead before she was even born, on a bit of a pedestal. Rhaegar was the last dragon, according to Ser Jorah and by the end of A Game of Thrones, Dany comes to see herself as occupying that same role. Viserys was never a dragon, but merely the shadow of one; Dany, on the other hand, is Rhaegar’s true heir and it’s Jorah who first sees it.



…And saw her brother Rhaegar, mounted on a stallion as black as his armor. Fire glimmered red through the narrow eye slit of his helm. “The last dragon,” Ser Jorah’s voice whispered faintly. “The last, the last.” Dany lifted his polished black visor. The face within was her own.


(Dany IX, AGOT)



Viserys would have bought as many Unsullied as he had the coin for. But you [ser Jorah] once said I was like Rhaegar…”


“I remember, Daenerys.”


(Dany II, ASOS)



Ser Jorah is really the first person to see Dany for who she truly is. All her life, Dany has been invisible, a plaything for her brother’s mad grab for power. Even though his sword is sworn to Viserys, Jorah makes his decision about who the real Targaryen Dragon is early on in A Game of Thrones. Jorah is the only man amongst Drogo’s former Khalasar who will swear to Dany before she goes into the fire and comes out with three dragons. Due to these factors, Dany remembers Jorah’s compliments about how she is like Rhaegar and weighs what he would do against what she must do



Afteward, Ser Barristan told her that her brother Rhaegar would have been proud of her. Dany remembered the words Ser Jorah had spoken at Astapor: Rhaegar fought valiantly, Rhaegar fought nobly, Rhaegar fought honorably. And Rhaegar died.


(Dany IV, ADWD)



Dany releases Jorah from her service once she learns of his former betrayal, but the memory of his friendship and what she learned from him stay with her throughout A Dance with Dragons:



Mormont had been an informer, reporting to her enemies in Westeros, yet he had given her good counsel too.


(Dany III, ADWD)



She missed Ser Jorah Mormont too. He lied to me, informed on me, but he loved me too, and he always gave good counsel.


(Dany V, ADWD)



And, finally, when Dany is alone (save for her dragon) and needs advise and council most, it’s a vision of Jorah who comes to her; he is her subconscious, speaking truths Dany needs to hear reminder her of what she needs to survive.



The voice was no more than a whisper, yet somehow Dany felt that he was walking just behind her. My bear, she thought, my old sweet bear, who loved me and betrayed me. She had missed him so. She wanted to see his ugly face, to wrap her arms around him and press herself against his chest, but she knew that if she turned around Ser Jorah would be gone. "I am dreaming," she said. "A waking dream, a walking dream. I am alone and lost."


Lost, because you lingered, in a place that you were never meant to be, murmured Ser Jorah, as softly as the wind. Alone, because you sent me from your side…. I gave you good counsel. Save your spears and swords for the Seven Kingdoms, I told you. Leave Meereen to the Meereense and go west, I said. You would not listen….


You are a queen, her bear said. In Westeros.


"It is such a long way," she complained. "I was tired, Jorah. I was weary of war. I wanted to rest, to laugh, to plant trees and see them grow. I am only a young girl."


No. You are the blood of the dragon. The whispering was growing fainter, as if Ser Jorah were falling farther behind. Dragons plant no trees. Remember that. Remember who you are, what you were made to be. Remember your words.


"Fire and Blood," Daenerys told the swaying grass.


(Dany X, selections, ADWD)



Arya and Syrio have a similar type of mentor/mentee relationship and just as Dany carries the memory of Jorah and his council with her, Arya’s continually repeats Syrio’s life lessons as she moves throughout Westeros and the Free City of Braavos.



In the same manner that Jorah is the first person to see Dany, Syrio is among the first to truly see Arya and not force her to be something she is not (Jon is probably the first to truly see Arya as illustrated in the preceding section). While Arya is close to Ned and she does love her father, Ned still envisions a lady-like life for Arya, despite it not being who is she.



“You,” Ned said, kissing her lightly on the brow, “will marry a king and rule his castle, and your sons will be knights and princes and lords and, yes, perhaps even a High Septon.”

Arya screwed up her face. “No,” she said, “that’s Sansa


(Eddard V, AGOT)



To Syrio, however, Arya is just a sword, it matters not if she is a boy or girl in reality. He can train her and teach her and under his tutelage Arya feels less lonely. Like Dany after Jorah leaves, once Arya has lost Syrio his words stay with her as points of reference—emotional touchstones, if you will.



”Opening your eyes is all that is needing. The heart lies and the head plays tricks with us, but the eyes see true. Look with your eyes. Hear with your ears. Taste with your mouth. Smell with your nose. Feel with your skin. Then comes the thinking, afterward, and in that way knowing the truth."

[snip]


All that Syrio Forel had taught her went racing through her head. Swift as a deer. Quiet as a shadow. Fear cuts deeper than swords. Quick as a snake. Calm as still water. Fear cuts deeper than swords. Strong as a bear. Fierce as a wolverine. Fear cuts deeper than swords. The man who fears losing has already lost. Fear cuts deeper than swords. Fear cuts deeper than swords. Fear cuts deeper than swords. The grip of her wooden sword was slick with sweat, and Arya was breathing hard when she reached the turret stair. For an instant she froze. Up or down? Up would take her to the covered bridge that spanned the small court to the Tower of the Hand, but that would be the way they'd expect her to go, for certain. Never do what they expect, Syrio once said.


[snip]


Calm as still water, a small voice whispered in her ear. Arya was so startled she almost dropped her bundle. She looked around wildly, but there was no one in the stable but her, and the horses, and the dead men.


Quiet as a shadow, she heard. Was it her own voice, or Syrio's? She could not tell, yet somehow it calmed her fears.


(Arya IV, GOT)



Notice how, just like Dany on the Dothraki Sea, the voice of Arya’s mentor and friend comes to her, telling her how to survive. Just as it is truly Dany’s subconscious “speaking” to her as Jorah, here Arya isn’t sure if it’s really Syrio or her own voice. Likewise, the Jorah voice gets Dany to remember her house words and embolden her; Syrio’s voice calms Arya’s fears.



Arya’s “Syrio recollections” continue well past A Game of Thrones. It would take up more space that I can devote to detail them all, but maybe a snippet or three from A Clash of Kings as a demonstration.



Fear cuts deeper than swords. Ayra made herself approach the wagon. Every step was harder than the one before. Fierce as a wolverine, calm as still water. The words sang in her head. Syrio would not have been afraid.

[snip]


They drew up in front of the inn. Look with your eyes, Syrio’s voice seemed to whisper. Her eyes saw white lather under their saddles, the horses had been ridden long and hard. Calm as still water, she took the Bull by the arm and drew him back behind a tall flowering hedge.


“What is it?” he asked. “What are you doing? Let go.”


Quiet as a shadow,” she whispered, pulling him down.


(Arya II, ACOK)




It took all her strength to remain still and silent, the way Syrio Forel had taught her, to stand there like a stick of furniture. She felt tears gathering in her eyes, and willed them away.

[snip]


No one saw her, and she saw no one, only a grey and white cat creeping along atop the godswood wall. It stopped and spit at her, waking memories of the Red Keep and her father and Syrio Forel.


She walked fast, to keep ahead of her fear, and it felt as though Syrio Forel walked beside her, and Yoren, and Jaqen H'ghar, and Jon Snow.


(Arya X, ACOK)



And of course, here we have the similar idea of mentors walking with our two ladies. Syrio walks besides Arya as she flees from the danger, and Dany feels as though Jorah is walking just behind her, whispering in her ear.



A few final thoughts on loss before moving on, namely how Dany and Arya articulate their own understanding of loss.



”My handmaids say there are ghosts here."


"There are ghosts everywhere," Ser Jorah said softly. "We carry them with us wherever we go."



Yes, she thought. Viserys, Khal Drogo, my son Rhaego, they are with me always.


(Dany I, ACOK)



She could feel the hole inside her every morning when she woke. It wasn't hunger, though sometimes there was that too. It was a hollow place, an emptiness where her heart had been, where her brothers had lived, and her parents. Her head hurt too. Not as bad as it had at first, but still pretty bad. Arya was used to that, though, and at least the lump was going down. But the hole inside her stayed the same. The hole will never feel any better, she told herself when she went to sleep.

(Arya XII, ASOS)



Both Arya and Dany consider their losses as something that they carry with them. Those she’s lost haunt Dany, and Arya is left feeling incomplete without the other members of her family. Both Dany and Arya try to cope with these losses in little ways.



Dany names her three new dragon children for those she lost: Drogon, Viserion, and Rhaegal (Rhaego being named for Rhaegar). Dany often wears the white lion pelt from Drogo to feel safe and protected and he is still referred to as her sun-and-stars. Dany calls her three dragons her children, standing in for the children she believes she can never have after she lost Rhaego and the babe she bled into the Dothraki Sea.



Arya’s most poignant and prominent example of holding on to those she lost is with her sword Needle which directly reminds her of Winterfell, Bran, Sansa, Robb, Rickon, Ned, Cat, and of course, Jon Snow. When in Braavos, Arya takes on the name of “Cat” both because of how common it is and in remembrance of her mother murdered at the Red Wedding.



Despite all their losses, Arya and Dany try not to let those losses define them. They both know that they have to keep moving. Arya doesn’t stop running, and Dany knows that she must keep moving forward.



Making Your Own Pack



Early in A Game of Thrones, Ned Stark gives his daughter Arya a piece of advise that she carries with her: “When the snows fall and the white winds blow, the lone wolf dies but the pack survives.”(Arya II, AGOT)



Arya herself will later take these words and mull them over, coming to a different conclusion: A long time ago, she remembered her father saying that when the cold wind blows the lone wolf dies but the pack survives. He had it all backwards. Arya, the lone wolf, still lived, but the wolves of the pack had been taken and slain and skinned. (Arya II, AFFC)



By the time in her character arc when Arya is reinterpreting Ned’s words, she believes she alone in the world—her whole family dead or lost to her. Likewise, Dany believes herself to be the last dragon—her Targaryen family slain in war. Dany and Arya view themselves as insular. However, while calling Arya and Dany the Lone Wolf and the Last Dragon, respectively, is quite catchy—I’ve even named my essay series after this!—it’s actually rather wrong. Dany and Arya might view themselves as alone, but they’ve been forming their own packs out of all the heartache and tragedy. Arya might not have her sister or brothers, but she has Hot Pie and Gendry and later the Hound, the Kindly Man, and the waif. Dany may not have her husband Drogo anymore, but she has a devoted khalasar, soldiers, knights and friends who stay loyal and true to her.



In both situations not only do Arya and Dany form their own packs, they also lead them. Consider Arya’s travelogue with Hot Pie and Gendry once the trio leave the ruins of Harrenhal:



Gendry and Hot Pie did not question her choice. She had the map, after all, and Hot Pie seemed almost as terrified of her as of the men who might be coming after them….Arya kept them moving at a slow steady pace….Up and down the rolling hills, she took them, through brambles and briars and tangles of underbrush, along the bottoms of narrow gullies where branches heavy with wet leaves slapped at their faces as they passed….She would make much better time on her own, Arya knew, but she could not leave them. They were her pack, her friends, her only living friends that remained to her and if not for her they would still be safe at Harrenhal, Gendry sweating at his forge and Hot Pie in the kitchens.” (Arya I, ASOS)



Dany’s khalasar initially does not view her as their rightful leader. They are hesitant to follow her because she is a woman and it is not the Dothraki way. However, things change when Dany comes forth from the fire:



The men of her khas came up behind him. Jhogo was the first to lay his arakh at her feet. “Blood of my blood,” he murmured, pushing his face to the smoking earth. “Blood of my blodd,” she heard Aggo echo. “Blood of my blood,” Rakharo shouted.


And after them came her handmaids, and then the others, all the Dothraki, men and women and children, and Dany had only to look at their eyes to know that they were hers no, today and tomorrow and forever, hers as they had never been Drogo’s.” (Dany X, AGOT)



Like Gendry and Hot Pie following Arya through the Riverlands, the men and women of Dany’s khalasar follow her through the Red Waste, trusting in where she will lead them: “We follow the comet,” Dany told her khalasar. Once it was said, no word was raised against it. They had been Drogo’s people, but they were hers now. The Unburnt, they called her, and Mother of Dragons. Her word was their law.” (Dany I, ACOK).



In the same way that Arya feels responsible for her new pack, so too does Dany: “They are not strong, she told herself, so I must be their strength. I must show no fear, no weakness, no doubt. However frightened my heart, when they look upon my face they must see only Drogo’s queen. She felt older than her fourteen years. If ever she had truly been a girl, that time was done.”



Compare this final thought with Arya’s own internal understating that she must be the strength in her own rag tag team: “I won’t let them take us, she vowed silently, reaching back over her shoulder to touch the hilt of the sword that Gendry had stolen for her. I won’t.” (Arya I, ASOS).



Over the course of five books thus far, Arya’s pack will contain Gendry, Hot Pie, The Hound, the Waif, the various people of Braavos, and the Kindly Man. Dany will pick up the Unsullied, the freedmen, and Missandei, all of whom refer to her as “mother” and refuse to abandon her when Dany flees Meereen. Arya and Dany both become leaders of their own multifaceted packs and are never truly alone.



Conclusion To Essay One



There is a criticism I often see about how Daenerys Targaryen’s story is cut off from the main theater of Westeros and those characters. This might be true in that Dany has not yet stepped foot in Westeros, but it is clear that she shares a parallel journey and themes with certain individuals, like Arya Stark. Both of these ladies are on a journey of survival against all the odds and elements that Planetos can throw at them. Despite feelings of isolation and loneliness and intense loss, Dany and Arya manage to forge their own (very non traditional) paths.


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Excellent Essay, BearQueen87! :bowdown:



Also, a perfect length. ;)





Introductions



Meet Daenerys


In Dany I, we learn that Daenerys Targaryen is 13 years old and living in the Free City of Pentos with her brother, Viserys. They are the last of the Targaryen’s who once ruled Westeros before Robert’s Rebellion. Dany and Viserys have been on the run for Dany’s whole life, flitting from one city to the next, except for a brief stint in Braavos where Dany was happiest, living in a house with a red door and a lemon tree. At present they are living with Master Illyrio Mopatis, whom Dany believes has his own agenda for helping the two exile Targaryen’s.



Meet Arya


In Arya I, we learn that Arya Stark is nine and has lived her whole life in Westeros at Winterfell, seat of the Family Stark, the principle house in the North. She has several brothers and sisters, though she is closest to her half-brother Jon and is the opposite of her only sister, Sansa. Arya is good at riding horses and doing sums, but she’s much more interested in swordplay than she is in other “woman’s” work like sewing. She has recently adopted a wolf pup named Nymeria, named for a warrior queen, which says quite a bit about Arya’s personality in general.




I love it how their citations are similar but not quite the same and yet they ended very much in similar places as people (obviously Arya hasn't become a conquering queen, yet(. But as you say, they become pack leader, protectors. Both feel very much responsible for those they believe can't or are unable to fend for themselves. They are very much empathetic of the downtrodden and feel an almost compulsion to help them out. It is something I admire great of both characters.





The first conversation between Viserys and Dany is uncomfortable. Viserys orders her around; he touches her inappropriately, and he hurts her.





Quote



(Dany I, AGOT)



To Viserys, Dany is a “mount” for Khal Drogo and she is not especially pleasing to him. She smells; she slouches; she doesn’t show off her new womanly assets. And without her making any sort of protest, Viserys threatens and hurts her.



This is the first conversation we read between Jon and Arya, which is quite the contrast.





Quote



(Arya I, GOT)




I really enjoyed this comparison of their relationships with their brothers and how they are completely opposite from one another, literally light-hared Viserys and dark-haired Jon. Where Viserys sees Dany as a tool to further his ambitions, Jon sees a little sister who needs nutting and protection.



Whenever Dany recalls Viserys (in her fevered dream and her dream at the Dothraki sea) his insulting her, demeaning her, he offers her no comfort. On the other hand you have Arya recalling Jon throughout all the book and it's always to remind herself of the comfort that relationship brought her and how she yearns to have that comfort again.





Loss



Loss is a theme that runs throughout ASOIAF, be it loss of a family, friend, loved one, dignity, honor, belief system, morals, ect. Dany and Arya are certainly no strangers to loss. Both of them lose their brother, though one is lost to fire and one is lost to ice (Wall). Dany is an orphan from the beginning and Arya will lose both her parents over the course of the books. Arya lost Nymeria, her wolf, but is still connected to her through dreams; Dany lost Drogon, her dragon, after it was suspected that he killed a little girl, but they were still connected in a tangible way, hence his return to Meereen.



Instead of focusing on the many losses Arya and Dany go through, I want to spend time thinking about the loss of specific friends—Jorah and Syrio—and how Dany and Arya try to communicate about loss in general.



Although both Dany and Arya are very strong and resilient, we also see their vulnerability at the losses they have suffered. It makes them very relatable, beery human characters.



Their relationships with Ser Jorah and Syrio are also important to them because they are empowered by what they have learned from each mentor. Is as if they internalized each mentors approval and admiration. If Ser Jorah and Syrio believe in them, then it helps Dany and Arya believe in themselves.





Making Your Own Pack



Early in A Game of Thrones, Ned Stark gives his daughter Arya a piece of advise that she carries with her: “When the snows fall and the white winds blow, the lone wolf dies but the pack survives.”(Arya II, AGOT)



Arya herself will later take these words and mull them over, coming to a different conclusion: A long time ago, she remembered her father saying that when the cold wind blows the lone wolf dies but the pack survives. He had it all backwards. Arya, the lone wolf, still lived, but the wolves of the pack had been taken and slain and skinned. (Arya II, AFFC)



By the time in her character arc when Arya is reinterpreting Ned’s words, she believes she alone in the world—her whole family dead or lost to her. Likewise, Dany believes herself to be the last dragon—her Targaryen family slain in war. Dany and Arya view themselves as insular. However, while calling Arya and Dany the Lone Wolf and the Last Dragon, respectively, is quite catchy—I’ve even named my essay series after this!—it’s actually rather wrong. Dany and Arya might view themselves as alone, but they’ve been forming their own packs out of all the heartache and tragedy. Arya might not have her sister or brothers, but she has Hot Pie and Gendry and later the Hound, the Kindly Man, and the waif. Dany may not have her husband Drogo anymore, but she has a devoted khalasar, soldiers, knights and friends who stay loyal and true to her.



In both situations not only do Arya and Dany form their own packs, they also lead them. Consider Arya’s travelogue with Hot Pie and Gendry once the trio leave the ruins of Harrenhal:





So, Dany and Arya lose their families and now they are trying to recreate them through their new packs. A lot of fans belittle Dany because she's so hung up on her name and heritage but you have to understand that, that is all she had left. She had lost her family twice over (first her parents anther brother then her other brother anther husband and child) and her name and the memories and stories of her family is all she had left. Of course she's going to hold on to it. We even see Arya early in ACOK think to herself that she has to be strong because she is a wolf. When that's all you have, that's what you are going to hold on to.



In modern times Dany and Arya would totally be cat ladies, picking up and healing every stray the found. But in all seriousness they take in all these different people into their mishmash families because they know what it's like to be alone and they don't want others to go through what they did. It's very noble behavior.



Once again, great job!!!


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Fine, no baby dragons. Loads dire wolf puppy into sling shot.

*catches dire wolf puppy* I shall name him George

Excellent Essay, BearQueen87! :bowdown:

Thank you!

I love it how their citations are similar but not quite the same and yet they ended very much in similar places as people (obviously Arya hasn't become a conquering queen, yet(. But as you say, they become pack leader, protectors. Both feel very much responsible for those they believe can't or are unable to fend for themselves. They are very much empathetic of the downtrodden and feel an almost compulsion to help them out. It is something I admire great of both characters.

Absolutely. Both Dany and Arya have very strong empathetic inclinations, something I'll be mentioning again in essay #2

I really enjoyed this comparison of their relationships with their brothers and how they are completely opposite from one another, literally light-hared Viserys and dark-haired Jon. Where Viserys sees Dany as a tool to further his ambitions, Jon sees a little sister who needs nutting and protection.

Whenever Dany and Arya meet--as I think they will--I think this is something that they might talk about a little. Dany will know of Arya's brother Jon before she ever meets him at the Wall. And Dany will remember that Arya had a brother who looked after her and took care of her, something Dany lacked. It will make her warm up to Jon from the start.

A lot of fans belittle Dany because she's so hung up on her name and heritage but you have to understand that, that is all she had left.

I've never understood this criticism. How many characters will randomly spout: "I am a (surname) of (place) and I am the (sigil)." How about ALL OF THEM. Seriously, Dany talking about being a Targaryen and blood of the dragon is just another case of "Daenerys fits in" as Parwan so often reminds us.

In modern times Dany and Arya would totally be cat ladies, picking up and healing every stray the found.

Oh lords, they totally would. Gendry and Hot Pie: the Orphans. Jorah and Barry: The Exiles. They are just little kitties who need a home.

Once again, great job!!!

:grouphug:

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Nicely written, BearQueen



The parallels between Arya and Dany are not that easy to notice and you have done a good job. Although, I find some parallels between Syrio/Jorah influence and even Jon/Viserys contrast a bit tenuous, the jackpot is indeed in their leadership qualities and sense of being outcast.



The thing about Arya and her wolfish nature is that she wants to lead. Unlike Sansa who assumes the role of alpha female in Winterfell noble-girls clique, Arya's desire, and ultimate role is of alpha male, the leader of the pack. The same thing work for Daenerys who despite every known norm, takes khalassar and becomes khalessi, the first female khal. Therefore, we don't just see these two taking the roles of leader, they do that despite all known convention about what they are supposed to do. Interesting contrast is in the fact that Arya's journey took her to being no one, while Dany becomes a symbol for all slaves of Slaver's bay. And that role both epitomes her feminine nature and her leadership. We are to see where Arya's story will lead her and whether she will parallel Dany's journey.



Overall, I really enjoyed reading this. I would like to see how this exploration will make us know Dany more and thus reveal us some potential moves Dany


will make in the future. That is what male/female influences in Sansa's story at PTP made those projects so unforgettable.



Best wishes to you all...


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Nicely written, BearQueen

Thank you Mladen! (and yay! I was hoping you might pop over here; you always have good things to say).

The thing about Arya and her wolfish nature is that she wants to lead. Unlike Sansa who assumes the role of alpha female in Winterfell noble-girls clique, Arya's desire, and ultimate role is of alpha male, the leader of the pack.

That is a very good observation and as I work on Essay #2 right now, this point drives home something I've been trying to get at so I quickly scrawled it down on a piece of paper. I'll point out that this also manifests in Nymeria, Arya's wolf, who becomes the leader of the wolf pack in the Riverlands, something that is usually held by a male wolf.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this. I would like to see how this exploration will make us know Dany more and thus reveal us some potential moves Dany

will make in the future. That is what male/female influences in Sansa's story at PTP made those projects so unforgettable.

Best wishes to you all...

Thanks again! And I hope you stick around. When we get to Sansa, it'll be nice to have our forums resident Sansa-defender here since most of us are firstly Dany fans. :)

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Thank you Mladen! (and yay! I was hoping you might pop over here; you always have good things to say).

You welcome, BQ. Well, I believe in praises when deserved. This was really good piece. And thank you so much for kind words.

That is a very good observation and as I work on Essay #2 right now, this point drives home something I've been trying to get at so I quickly scrawled it down on a piece of paper. I'll point out that this also manifests in Nymeria, Arya's wolf, who becomes the leader of the wolf pack in the Riverlands, something that is usually held by a male wolf.

I would also go into homelessness of the girls and how their animal companions are what truly matters for them. Dragons for Dany, Nymeria for Arya. Their home is where their heart is, and in this case it is with their animal counterparts. These animals are not just symbols and for Starks and Targs, at least some of them mimic their owner to every letter.

When we get to Sansa, it'll be nice to have our forums resident Sansa-defender here since most of us are firstly Dany fans. :)

Poor Kyoshi... I will be merciless :)

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BearQueen, now I know what you are thinking. You're thinking puppy. But seeing as this is an albino dire wolf puppy, thee most cuddliest dire wolf puppy in the world, and will lick your nose and ears clean off. You got to ask yourself, do you feel fluffy? Well Do you BearQueen? Go ahead, catch him, make my day.

Now on to your essay, and yes I read the whole thing, and very much enjoyed it. Now I am not sure what the rules are exactly bcause this is not going chapter by chapter. However for the entirety of the re-read I would like to throw a quote and an idea out there. Now I think most readers understand how Martin layers things, uch like when he talks about the title of the series and what it means. Now I have been known to do a parallel or two and there is one quote that is my guiding theme. Now I applied the idea to Jon and Dany, but that is not really what I want to do, because as most things in the book there are layers.

Ned Stark has a famous line he says to Arya and it is in reference to her and Sansa. Dany shared a parallel with this as well.

"You may be as different as the sun and the moon, but the same blood flows through both your hearts. You need her, as she needs you.

Now you have the literal with Sansa and Arya, and with Dany you had the Symbolic nature with her and Drogo. There are the naturally occuring polls, but also the unity of those polls. But there is one more thing I would add to it. And that is the houses themselves, Stark and Targaryen. Blood of my blood. Now Arya and Dany don't share any blood, not really. But they do, they share Jon, Arya is in fact blood of her blood because Jon is her blood. That is kind of why I tend to do parody's with them as family. Because with these two houses, that statment Ned makes is actually true. Not just Sansa and Arya or Jon and Dany, but there story, the fall of two great houses and perhaps there return. While many people pit them against eachother in the future I tend to agree with the not just the statment ned makes but the idea of it as a whole. The Targs and the Starks are very different but they share a lot of the same things. I tend to use that quote as one of the major themes for the whole story but here I think it fits very well between these two families more than anything else.

Now when you spoke about pack, I agree with you. Much like Nymeria these are their adoptive packs. But I think there are some points in the story where we see while they care very much for these packs, they miss their real pack, or their family. It gets mentions a few times in the books with the Starks. I don't want to throw up the quotes because people may be using them in the other essays. But with Dany it's different she feels alone, as much as she cares for her adoptive pack, she has no family left and is the last of her kind. Or so she thinks.

They both long for home, not just Arya and Dany but all the Starks. Even Dany does, though some say she has no home, it's not about what we think, it's what she percieves to be true to her and what Martin thinks of course. See I love the idea that this thread represents, that these two houses, these families, these kids are different, but they are the same. My own opinion is that they do in fact need each other.

So the ideas that you are presenting about loss, and pain, and family/pack, home and identity, is very important and very deeply rooted within these characters. So I really think you did an excellent job. Now I do have a couple of quotes I want to share. One is specifically in relation to Dany and the Starks and you will see where it fits with Arya. The other is about home, which I think is a major theme the Starks and Dany also share.

Dany 23, it's a major chapter that I use and if you read it you will see why.

The khal had commanded the handmaid Irri to teach Dany to ride in the Dothraki fashion, but it was the filly who was her real teacher. The horse seemed to know her moods, as if they shared a single mind.

The Dothraki were a hard and unsentimental people, and it was not their custom to name their animals, so Dany thought of her only as the silver. She had never loved anything so much.

Now I am not really looking at this in a magical nature but more like a parallel that a young girl shared with a wolf she had not yet warged. Perhaps you know an Arya or even Bran quote that may parallel this idea from thrones?

Dany of course is on her way to Vaes Dothrak, and Arya of course took a journey to KL.

What do you pray for, Ser Jorah? she asked him.

Home, he said. His voice was thick with longing.

I pray for home too, she told him, believing it.

Ser Jorah laughed. Look around you then, Khaleesi.

But it was not the plains Dany saw then. It was Kings Landing and the great Red Keep that Aegon the Conqueror had built. It was Dragonstone where she had been born. In her minds eye they burned with a thousand lights, a fire blazing in every window. In her minds eye, all the doors were red.

Just one of the many quotes you will find about Dany and home. But wanted to relate the idea of where she saw her home, and of course you will find many moments like Sansa and a Snow Castle among the Starks.

Random Quote, just becaue I think it's funny.

I woke the dragon, didnt I?

Ser Jorah snorted. Can you wake the dead, girl?

Define irony? Martin is cheeky bastard sometimes. And the answer is yes, yes she can. There could be a lot of layers to this as well. Can you wake the Dragons? Can you restore your house?

Anyway just wanted to toss some stuff into the mix, BQ you did a great job, and I think I will be referencing this thread as often as I can. Really enjoyed where you went with the themes of their stories.

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BearQueen, now I know what you are thinking. You're thinking puppy. But seeing as this is an albino dire wolf puppy, thee most cuddliest dire wolf puppy in the world, and will lick your nose and ears clean off. You got to ask yourself, do you feel fluffy? Well Do you BearQueen? Go ahead, catch him, make my day.

Why must you take away my only joy in this world?!

Now on to your essay, and yes I read the whole thing, and very much enjoyed it

Aw, you're forgiven for the above. And thanks!

Now when you spoke about pack, I agree with you. Much like Nymeria these are their adoptive packs. But I think there are some points in the story where we see while they care very much for these packs, they miss their real pack, or their family. It gets mentions a few times in the books with the Starks. I don't want to throw up the quotes because people may be using them in the other essays. But with Dany it's different she feels alone, as much as she cares for her adoptive pack, she has no family left and is the last of her kind. Or so she thinks.

I agree. Dany's never had a real family before and even with her adoptive pack she has been known to have fits of melancholy. Much like her older brother, Rhaegar. Her final POV in ASOS opens with her wondering if all "gods" were this lonely. In Dance she often thinks that no one could ever love a dragon (see my Forum Title for the quote). When she banished Jorah and then pretends that she is watching him walk away out of Meereen that night, she feels like there is no one she can trust--despite that Missendei and her handmaids are there and there is very little to no danger in them. She even begins searching for that Red Door in Meereen but fails to find it. Her loneliness follows her everywhere, even when she has a pack because she considers herself to be the Last Dragon.

Dany's emotional touchstones are her dragons and they reinforce her identity but she doesn't have anything that really ties her to her blood family. The stories she has in her head are skewed because they came from Viserys. Arya has real memories of Ned and Cat and Sansa and Jon and Bran and Rickon. Hence why she cannot--not now or ever--get rid of Needle. I'm going to stop here because Essay #3 is all about identity and this ties in a lot.

Now I am not really looking at this in a magical nature but more like a parallel that a young girl shared with a wolf she had not yet warged. Perhaps you know an Arya or even Bran quote that may parallel this idea from thrones?

Well, for Arya definitely “The wolf pup loved her, even if no one else did. They went everywhere together, and Nymeria slept in her room, at the foot of her bed.

What do you pray for, Ser Jorah? she asked him.

Home, he said. His voice was thick with longing.

I pray for home too, she told him, believing it.

Ser Jorah laughed. Look around you then, Khaleesi.

But it was not the plains Dany saw then. It was Kings Landing and the great Red Keep that Aegon the Conqueror had built. It was Dragonstone where she had been born. In her minds eye they burned with a thousand lights, a fire blazing in every window. In her minds eye, all the doors were red.

Put a gun to my head and demand to know my favorite quote in this series and I would probably come down on this one after some thinking. Especially the first few lines (shocker!) It was my signature for quite a long time.

It's so..sad. That vision she has the roaring fires and the lights and the houses with their red doors...they don't exist. At the very end of the Dany Re-Read project we talked about Dany and her concept of home and how in the end, Dany is probably going to realize that home isn't a place...it's a feeling. It's finding her family and being safe and warm and content and not feeling so damn alone in the world. Now, it could be one person, it could be many. I choose to believe it's many people, those who help her get to where she needs to be emotionally. So Barry and Missendei and Irri and Grey Worm and Jon Snow and Arya Stark and Tyrion Lannister and yes, oh yes, my Bear Jorah Mormont.

Anyway just wanted to toss some stuff into the mix, BQ you did a great job,

Thanks again!

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Just wanted to add this to some of your stuff on Syrio and Jorah. In the series sometimes a dragon is a dragon and sometimes a person or a sword. Martin and his metaphors. Well of course Jorah has been known to refer to Dany as a true dragon or a dragon. And Syrio of course said this famous quote:

“Boy, girl, You are a sword, that is all.”

Of course you can get into Needle and that symbolism as well. But you can see that both of them have this symbol that came to them as a gift. Dragon eggs and Sword. But again I don't want to say to much or step on the toes of future essays here. And like the you say the dragons and needle are such a part of their identities, and how Martin choose to establish those identies is very similar. And of course both needle and two of Dany's dragons get locked away but not forgotten. Which is very symbolic of locking away their identities, of who they really are. Not forgeting but almost hiding away their true selves. And they both have their reasons for this. But in both cases it goes against who they are and you know Dany gets a reminder and of course so does Arya, a certain person on a certain list shows up sort of like a sweet reminder of Needle. Yes a "sweet" reminder to Missandei, I mean Mercedene, shit I mean Arya. Valar Morghulis, neither of them have ever said that.

Promise that is the last time I will be bad and hint at things I shouldn't. Really. Swears it. The Braavosi probably love that Dany is kicking slaver ass and they will not send a FM to help her, or two. Because FM don't hate slavers and have nothing to do with them, in there history. Ok now I will be good.

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{snip}

Something occurred to me while pondering your analysis of Jorah and Syrio as Dany and Arya's mentors.

Both of these men are older, and they are both fighters, quite good ones, actually. It's no wonder that both Dany and Arya would admire warriors, they both admire strength and decisiveness because that's how they see themselves. They admire traits they both wish to posses.

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Something occurred to me while pondering your analysis of Jorah and Syrio as Dany and Arya's mentors.

Both of these men are older, and they are both fighters, quite good ones, actually. It's no wonder that both Dany and Arya would admire warriors, they both admire strength and decisiveness because that's how they see themselves. They admire traits they both wish to posses.

Yes and there are some other things, as well.

Jorah is an exile who has learned to adapt to his surroundings. He fits in with the Dothraki, despite not being part of them. He dresses like them, eats like them, talks in their language. He has managed to integrate himself while still keeping to his Westerosi heritage. It's something Dany learns to do in AGOT.

Syrio is a skilled warrior, like Arya wants to be, but he is also worldly and wise. He can do more than just teach her how to wield a sword, but how to survive out there in the big bad world. His lessons about seeing and hearing have more to do with getting through life then actual sword play. His lesson about the cat, for instance, and seeing it for what it really is, is something Arya takes to heart so she is able to see the enemies around her.

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Excellent Comparison BQ!!!!



Glad to see everyone hit the ground running. :)



It's really odd how many parallel's there actually are. I always knew that Dany and Arya are somewhat kindred spirits (being badass little females in a male world) but when you write it all out like that it is quite astounding. For instance, it seems like Arya would win the 'who has the worst life' contest hands down, but her child-hood was undoubtedly a walk in the park compared to Dany's. I am quite certain Dany would give up everything she has to have had a loving brother and family growing up as Arya did.




You are so right about 'Loss' being such a huge theme on both of their parts. .......Of course that could be said about many characters. My favorite similarity between them is their desire to set things right, sort of like revenge, but in both cases completely justified. I don't think either of them takes revenge to a dark place, meaning that Arya's journey could go really bad really fast. She could turn into a dark assassin who cannot stop killing people now that she has had a taste of it.....but I do not believe that will be her journey, same with Dany. Sure there are moments, but since we get both of their POV's we know this will not be true in the end, Dany is one of the most caring people in the novels and Arya still has her father's sense of right and wrong. They both care too much, they both have love in their hearts and would prefer to just be living at home, in peace, with their happy families. Obviously this is impossible for either of them, but it is what they would prefer.



My guess is that if Arya saw SB and the horrors that happen there, she would want to stop the slaver's just like Dany has. This makes me think of the other thing they have in common; illusion. They both wear the facade of a young skinny girl, easily outsmarted by more capable men and not dangerous at all. Arguably they have the potential to be the most dangerous people in the books. Arya is like O-Ren Ishii (my sig), the most deadly assassin in the world, and Dany is just like Nymeria. They both are unstoppable when they put their minds to something. Dany obviously has a dragon now, and her unbreakable resolve, and Arya has her tiny sword, which is all she needs to get the job done, yeah they are both as slyly dangerous as it comes and both tiny females as opposed to an obviously dangerous and capable woman like Brienne or Madge Mormont, whom you would immediately be wary of. Basically they both have the gift of deception based on looks, which is always helpful. Of course Arya is taking this advantage to a whole new level, not only can she change her face to be anyone she wants, but her natural Arya face/body is still someone you would never expect to be a skilled ninja.



This will be fun. Hope we can all keep it about the books :)


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Excellent Comparison BQ!!!!

Thanks Suzanna!

You are so right about 'Loss' being such a huge theme on both of their parts. .......Of course that could be said about many characters. My favorite similarity between them is their desire to set things right, sort of like revenge, but in both cases completely justified. I don't think either of them takes revenge to a dark place, meaning that Arya's journey could go really bad really fast. She could turn into a dark assassin who cannot stop killing people now that she has had a taste of it.....but I do not believe that will be her journey, same with Dany.

I think this is a really interesting point. Essay #2 is all about blood and war (and some magic) and basically trying to compare Arya's time in the Riverlands to Dany's time in SB and I think you're right that Arya wouldn't stand for the treatment of those slaves either. And it has to do with a deep empathy both Dany and Arya feel for the victims and for what they (Arya and Dany) have been though themselves. \\

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Many thanks for the essay, BQ. I found this very interesting.

Unfortunately, I think Arya is heading into a much darker place than Dany. Dany's life started badly (when we first met her) and has been a roller-coaster ever since. Arya's life started well, and has just been a relentless horror story ever since her father was executed; by the end, she's no longer witnessing murder, torture, and rape on a daily basis, but she is being inducted into a cult of assassins, and becoming a cold and remorseless killer. I envisage her finishing up in the mould of someone like Pretty Meris.

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Many thanks for the essay, BQ. I found this very interesting.

Unfortunately, I think Arya is heading into a much darker place than Dany. Dany's life started badly (when we first met her) and has been a roller-coaster ever since. Arya's life started well, and has just been a relentless horror story ever since her father was executed; by the end, she's no longer witnessing murder, torture, and rape on a daily basis, but she is being inducted into a cult of assassins, and becoming a cold and remorseless killer. I envisage her finishing up in the mould of someone like Pretty Meris.

You're a glass is half full kind of guy, I can tell. All the Starks have been on that same ride as Arya. The three that I know about still being alive are with a rather questionable mentor. But Pretty Meris, really? I don't know one of the things with the FM is that you are nobody, you have no identity, the hiding of needle is very symbolic, I can't imagine Martin did that for no reason.

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