168 replies to this topic

[Elaena Targaryen]

Do you agree with Arya’s choices? To answer this you should take her age and the setting into consideration and not compare things to a modern society. Arya’s story for me is the most heartbreaking in the series and has led her to some choices that can be questionable. She definitely cannot be viewed in terms of good or bad after everything she has been through, but Arya may well be the grayest character in the story. We will have to see where her story arc can take her in future books. In essence would you do the same thing in her shoes?

I guess we can start with Arya not being a proper lady and instead she chose to have Needle and learn to water dance. I think she may not have been good at lady like things and its good she learned to find out what she is good at. These choices lead to Arya fighting, or not getting along with Sansa. Arya has however thought about Sansa the most of her family, even more than Jon. Hopefully this is a sign that their relationship can be salvaged. I have one more and the rest I will list in an effort to keep this a decent size, and easier to read post. What choices could have hurt or helped Arya to get home or to her family? Also if I leave out anything that you wish to discuss feel free to bring it up.

• Hitting Joffery
  
• Sending Nymeria away
  
• Leaving Syrio to die
  
• Beating up the boys on the road
  
• Saving Jaqen, Rorge, and Biter from the fire
  
• Helping Weasel
  
• Not ditching the kids like Gendry suggested
  
• Leaving Harrenhall
  
• Selling the horse for money for passage on a boat
  
• Going to Braavos
  
• Joining the Faceless Men
  
• Not killing the Hound
  
• Arya’s list
  
• The choices of the 3 kills from Jaqen
  
• Weasel soup idea-sorry correction-tricking Jaqen
  
• Killings/murders (which I’ll list separately also)
  
• Stable boy
  
• With Yoren during Lorch’s siege
  
• Chyswick
  
• Weese
  
• 8 jailors during weasel soup incident
  
• Bolton guard
  
• Sarsfield squire
  
• Tickler
  
• Dareon
  
• Insurance salesman

Edited by Elaena Targaryen, 03 February 2012 - 08:10 AM.

[RobertOfTheHouseBaratheon]

I don't think she had a choice on some of those. She didn't exactly leave Syrio to die, she couldn't help him and he'd told her to run. (they were killing Ned's entire household even if she handed herself in he would in all likely hood would have died.

I screamed out when she hit Joffrey but at her age you'd understand her impulsive behavior. Most of the deaths she did I think she had to do other than Dareon. But I liked her killing Dareon it showed her family still is a massive part of her, he deserted the NW and as a Stark she had to kill him and do it herself.

I do think she should have killed the hound and I don't think she should have gone to Bravos.

[Bear Grylls of Skagos]

I think the fact that she is still alive while her Big Brother, Father and Mother all are dead suggests that she must have done something right.

[The Swaggering Bravo]

Absolutely. I don't think any of Thise choices were unnecessary. I like Arya's POV chapters because of her lack of inner turmoil. When most people would have nightmares she just thinks "And if he shows up, I'll just kill him again." Like with the stableboy. She's very practical and she never complains. If something bad happens to her, she does something about it. I hope she goes further along with her Faceless Man training.

[Onarjyo Khsatriya]

• Hitting Joffery-agree
  
• Sending Nymeria away-to save nymeria,agree
  
• Leaving Syrio to die-had no other choice,agree
  
• Beating up the boys on the road-agree
  
• Saving Jaqen, Rorge, and Biter from the fire-she has a good heart,agree
  
• Helping Weasel-she had done some great things,this is one of them
  
• Not ditching the kids like Gendry suggested-agree
  
• Leaving Harrenhall-agree
  
• Selling the horse for money for passage on a boat-she needed money
  
• Going to Braavos-had no other places to go,agree
  
• Joining the Faceless Men-
  
• Not killing the Hound-she couldn't kill him(she had a soft spot for him towards the and ant tried to heal him),also she had to leave him,so agree
  
• Arya’s list-vengeance was the only fuel left for her to live
  
• The choices of the 3 kills from Jaqen-if someone thinks deeply,making strategies sitting in a room, those choices could have been better but at that point she had done a good job
  
• Weasel soup idea-it was not her idea
  
• Killings/murders (which I’ll list separately also)
  
• Stable boy-for self defense,agree
  
• With Yoren during Lorch’s siege-agree
  
• Chyswick-agree
  
• Weese-agree
  
• 8 jailors during weasel soup incident-agree
  
• Bolton guard-war strategy,agree
  
• Sarsfield squire-agree
  
• Tickler-agree,agree,agree,agree
  
• Dareon-agree
  
• Insurance salesman-not sure

Edited by Onarjyo Khsatriya, 03 February 2012 - 06:13 AM.

[ghost the direwolf]

She did not have a choice in most of them, I am glad that she set her wolf free if not Nymeria would have been killed. She could have killed the Hound that would have made me happy but she was not really a "killer at the time" even thought she killed the guard at Harrenhall.And she is still alive and is not been used or manipulated by any body, just doing what she wants to do"becoming a FM.she is safer than Sansa in a way unless she want to leave the FM and they try to kill her.

[Arkash]

Quote

Saving Jaqen, Rorge, and Biter from the fire

The only one I cant agree with.

[Free Northman]

Yes. Agree with every one.

And I like the post about the lack of inner turmoil. She just does what is necessary and gets on with life. Wonderfully refreshing.

I love her sense of certainty and lack of self doubt. Or rather, whenever a small hint of self doubt raises its whimpy head, she crushes it ruthlessly.

I love that.

I'm in the process of rereading Clash of Kings, and just read the paragraph where Arya overhears the Lannister men in Harrenhal talking about Robb bringing giants down from beyond the wall to slay Lord Stafford's hosts at Oxcross, and that he is more wolf than man.

And Arya thinks something to the effect of: "You better run, because my brother is going to kill you all, because he is more wolf than man, and so am I."

This while she is in a totally vulnerable situation amongst her enemies.

She is such a fierce little thing.

My favourite fantasy character ever.

[Elaena Targaryen]

I am so happy, now let the Arya love fest continue!!!

P.S. all the nay sayers just keep on movin or you might get the pointy end

[AngryBlacksmith]

Elaena Targaryen, on 03 February 2012 - 05:01 AM, said:

• Hitting Joffery - Yes
  
• Sending Nymeria away - Yes
  
• Leaving Syrio to die - Wasn't a choice
  
• Beating up the boys on the road -Yes
  
• Saving Jaqen, Rorge, and Biter from the fire - Yes
  
• Helping Weasel - Yes
  
• Not ditching the kids like Gendry suggested - Yes
  
• Leaving Harrenhall - Yes
  
• Selling the horse for money for passage on a boat - Yes to the money, No to the boat
  
• Going to Braavos
  
• Joining the Faceless Men
  
• Not killing the Hound - No
  
• Arya’s list -Yes
  
• The choices of the 3 kills from Jaqen - No
  
• Weasel soup idea - I don't remember it being her idea
  
• Killings/murders (which I’ll list separately also)
  
• Stable boy - No
  
• With Yoren during Lorch’s siege - Yes
  
• Chyswick - Yes
  
• Weese - Yes
  
• 8 jailors during weasel soup incident - Yes
  
• Bolton guard - Yes
  
• Sarsfield squire - Yes
  
• Tickler - Yes
  
• Dareon
  
• Insurance salesman - I don't like her in Bravoos, I don't like her involved with the FM, but I like that she's smart and capable and this was a great example of that

[Jorge Contreras]

Arya is not one of my favourite characters, at times, she seems to me to be a very violent girl that is in a path to becoming a very dangerous murder, she is incapable to forgive or forget, and only hate and anger are growing inside her. In the other hand, she is very brave and is a survivor in the middle of all the chaos and difficulties of the war, that is the complexity of this character that made her very interesting and we can see and understand the decisions she makes in this context, but still, I don't like her at all.

[CC-Kingmaker]

At least she is doing something to those people who rape murder, pillage and make bad choices. She is almost that undercover character that no one understands why certain things happen. I think one of the major plots would be if she ever sees her family again and she can reconcile her actions.

[boojam]

The Valonquar., on 03 February 2012 - 05:54 AM, said:

I think the fact that she is still alive while her Big Brother, Father and Mother all are dead suggests that she must have done something right.

It's curious that George has left all four Stark children alive (or is that 4.5?).
If they survive to adulthood, which actually may be seen in the show (maybe the novels) it could mean restoration of the house.

[boojam]

Elaena Targaryen, on 03 February 2012 - 05:01 AM, said:

[*]Joining the Faceless Men

When she did not get rid of Needle I think George telegraphed that Arya will not become a FM, which by the way may be what the FM want!

[Anvilbreaker]

Arya has done what she has to.
and for those who say she is to violent you know that you would have let rorge, biter and whoever that FM really is die in the fire

[Always_En_Garde]

She's never had much of an option anywhere in the books. Her character has been railroaded along pretty blatantly.

[mor2]

All I can say that it is unsettling what happens to Arya, we go from saving 3 hardcore prisoners from death, giving evidence against Sandor, naming Chiswyck(for gang rape). To naming Weese for striking her, trying to murder Sandor in cold blood and then leaving him to die. To her time with the Faceless Men, where she murder innocents in her wolf dreams and later has no clams about it and her assassination mission...

Edited by mor2, 03 February 2012 - 12:45 PM.

[Ice Turtle]

mor2, on 03 February 2012 - 11:18 AM, said:

All I can say that it is unsettling what happens to Arya, we go from saving 3 hardcore prisoners from death, giving evidence against Sandor, naming Chiswyck(for gang rape). To naming Weese for striking her, we get trying to murder Sandor in cold blood and then leaving him to die. To her time with the Faceless Men, where she murder innocents in her wolf dreams and has no clams about it later and her assassination mission...

I like Arya, but I have to admit that I have problem with actions she made in ADWD especially people eaten by her wolves (at least if they are not Freys or Lannisters - war is war). Though, it is interesting that Jon knows about it.

Edited by lazy turtle, 03 February 2012 - 12:33 PM.

[Ser Ilyn's Tongue]

Arya's choices are fine by me. She's an 11 year old girl and has done what is necessary to survive in incredibly hostile situations. Generally I feel she's made the right choices, or at least the choices she had to make to survive, and has demonstrated courage and compassion along the way.

Maybe not choosing Tywin or Gregor over Weese was a mistake, but she's a kid and she's trying to stay alive.

The Braavos / Faceless Men arc came a bit out of left-field for me, but honestly where could she go? She had an aunt in the Vale but how would she get there? At least they're looking after her! (while training her to be an assassin - but I'll gloss over that...)

How much conscious control of Nymeria does she have in her wolf dreams? Because wolves will eat people, it's not surprising she dreams this really.

[Arya Targaryen]

Ser Ilyn, on 03 February 2012 - 12:17 PM, said:

How much conscious control of Nymeria does she have in her wolf dreams? Because wolves will eat people, it's not surprising she dreams this really.

I doubt she has any control. Even Bran was struggling, and he knew what he was supposed to do. I'm not sure Arya knows she is warging Nymeria. Or at least that it's warging and she could gain control.