What is the opinion of this good forum's people regarding Theon Greyjoy?

[AngrySoviet]

Spoilers, obviously.

At first I honestly really hated him since he double crosses Robb. Especially the bit where he murders the miller's boys, Mikken, the other insubordinates in Winterfell, etc. However, I honestly can't bring myself to hate him after everything that happened to him as Reek. The Bastard is ten times worse than Theon ever was. Plus the scene when he asks forgiveness in front of the heart tree is quite touching.

Also, if anything, jumping off the wall with Jeyne to avoid Ramsay's wrath sealed the deal for me.

[Patchface12]

I always thought Theon was a bit of a douche cheese. I couldn't stand him since he kicked Gared's head in the GoT prologue. Attacking the north and taking Winterfell made me hate him even more.

But if the alternative to Theon is Euron on the seastone chair, I'll take Theon any day.

[wrdonerd]

I feel pretty mixed when it comes to Theon. Because he's a dick, even when he's broken and insane, he's still a little dickish. But he's also got some really interesting things going on psychologically, even before Ramsay turned him into Reek. In CoK, he's basically torn between two cultures, and doesn't really know how to function in both. That, plus the fact that he's a giant dick, is (in my opinion) his downfall.

Also, I'm really, really annoyed that he hasn't told anyone that he faked Bran and Rickon's death. Seriously, he should get on that.

[RebeccaSigyn]

I hated him pre-Ramsey but now I can't help but feel for him. I really hope he will get a chance at redemption.

[assjfjgjsgjljljglgjfjsduar]

Awful person who nonetheless manages to elicit pity. That Martin can make readers feel sorry for this guy after everything he's done shows how strong he is as a writer. Theon's ADWD chapters were the best in that book and probably among the very best in the series.

[Ihab]

Disliked him in Game of Thrones, Hated him in Clash of Kings and still hate him. True he has been tortured alot and has been subjected to horrible things and even though I pity him a bit, I will not have an expression on my face if he is to die in the next book. Infact, I would want this dick to die.

[Raksha the Demon]

I feel sorry for Theon after his suffering in ADWD - no one deserves to be tortured as he was - but I dislike him as a person; and believe he deserves a quick execution. He is very well-written, though; his characterization is a mark of GRRM's skill.

[Lord of Cheese]

GRRM has humanised him.

I dont think there is really much left of the original Theon in the shell of a body he is waling around in presently. Just fragments. Even his body has been 'changed' as well as his psyche.

I think he has a role left to play to frustrate the sides that most dont like ie: Boltons and Freys. So im kind of hoping he does something to achieve that end.

But yeah, his chapters are riveting reading.

[Errant Bard]

I always felt sorry for Theon, though that wasn't a popular opinion before ADWD.

He has a jerkass front he uses to protect himself, and ends up doing some pretty repugnant things, but in the background he loathes himself for it. The problem is he feels forced to act like that to get recognition, that was his drive, and after going back to the Iron Islands and getting smacked down by Asha and held in contempt by his father for not being barbaric enough, he had to have something, an empty act of bravado, a title, something big to exist in the eyes of those he cared about. That is why he decided to stay and hold Winterfell with a handful of people, when it clearly was suicide: being the prince of Winterfell trumped anything. Stupid, but I know where he's coming from.

I thought after ASOS that he had the potential to be a good guy down the line, once he got past his need to impress others. I didn't expect him to be so damaged, but I feel his story is going that way nonetheless. The transition was well done, I think, his drive to get recognition transformed into healthy cynicism and lack of care for his own life, while he kept the remorse he always had.

[Thunderfist]

Theon has suffered alot, but at least he's still breathing. The same can not be said for all the victims of his treason. I want Stannis to behead him.

[Ser Wun Wun]

I would say that I love to hate him, if that makes sense. His chapters are so good that I don't want him to die, but then I still kind of do....

Let's just say he elicits mixed emotions :unsure:

[Green Dreamer]

if you haven't read the Tower of the Hand essay on Theon; The Prevented Stark (c.f. Lady Dustin) I recommend it. You can't help feeling at least a little

sorry for him.

http://towerofthehand.com/blog/2012/02/22-prevented-stark/index.html

*sometimes I wonder if we're discovering themes that GRRM included or inventing them? How did he write something so complex?

[Lykos]

I hated Theon from the moment the Direwolves were found, this dislike peaked in his chapter when he used the captains daughter. Enjoyed his chapter when Asha made a fool of him. Had almost no more hate left when he took Winterfell. Found it even hard to pitty him when he fell into Ramsay´s hands. Now I see a tiny chance of Theon redeeming himself in my view.

ETA: I never loved Robb more, than at the moment when he told Theon off for "saving" Bran, out of concern Bran could have been hurt.

[Knight Of Winter]

Nope, I still loathe him. Even while he elecits pity in ADWD, I can't forget ruthless murder of miller's boys.

Besides, judging from his talk and internal monologue in ADWD and WOW spoiler chapter - it seems as soon as he moves away from Ramsay and stops being "Reek", his old personality reappears - vain and arrogant.

[The Drunkard]

When I was rooting for Robb to avenge Ned, I hated Theon for not being on 'my side'. When Robb (and my soul) died at the RW though, my hatred for Theon lessened and I viewed him as just another jerk out for power in Westeros. Ramsay changed all that. No one deserves the kind of things Ramsay does.

[Sun]

He was, and as far as I can tell, still is a total shit of a human being. I refuse to feel sorry for him.

[miguel sanchez]

At first I thought Theon was a jerk but still cool. In his first pov chapter I obviously realised that he's a massive douchebag. That hate grew dramatically during the course of Clash, as he just seemed to be a worse and worse person as it went on. You saw his inner monologues and knew his reasons why, but they in no way warrant his actions or instill me with sympathy.

Reek however, should not be compared to Theon. Reek is different. Reek is no longer a person. Those chapters were nothing short of chilling (One time I said aloud to myself on the train while reading a reek chapter "this is some really fucked up shit right here!", got some weird looks). You can feel sorry for Reek, and pity Reek, and thank the universe you aren't him, because it's not Theon, that creature is beneath human. Through dance though, he slowly regains who he is and becomes Theon again. Who, surprise surprise, is still a bit of a dick.

The way I see it, despite all of this Theon isn't going to lose the fundamentals of his personality, which is to be a bit of a dick, but it seems his world view is altered. He won't be as much of a douche as he was before. Does this mean I don't hate him? No, I hate him. Does that mean I could ever like him? Seems unlikely.

He did some good in helping save Jeyne, but he has an awful lot more good deeds and/or heroic acts to do in order to make up for his past.

[Ragnar Of The North]

I always thought he was a bit of a jerk really, he seemed pretty arrogant about everything he did. The worst for me was when he murdered the miller's sons pretty much at will. I know he did this to stop the folks at Winterfell from gaining hope from thinking that Bran and Rickon were still alive, but I always feel like he killed the children just to prevent being humiliated for failing to actually hunt them down

While Reek does make me pity him, though overall I still don't like him too much. Nevertheless, I'm looking forward to his WoW chapters, since that will hopefully be where we see the battle of Winterfell.

[Queen Beyond the Wall]

I think Theon had some complex 'issues' even before Ramsay got ahold of him...and that made him interesting back then. I disliked him because he was weak...he let everyone's opinion of him influence the things he did, be it Robb's opinion, or his fathers...but he clearly comes from what i would classify as an emotionally abusive family. On top of that his father shipped him off as a hostage at a young age, and despite being treated very well by the Starks, there was bound to be an identity issue there. They didn't treat him badly, so he did not develop Stockholm syndrome. But they didn't and couldn't ever make him a Stark, either. He was cut off from his cultural heritage, and the fundamental things that are the backbone of the Ironborn culture. He basically never got to participate in the things that would make him 'worthwhile' in his own cultures eyes. His adoption of the mainlanders cultural mores and folkways (and what choice did he have? He was 10 years old, so his adoptive culture was bound to have an influence!) is unfavorably looked upon by other Ironborn...

In a way, I can relate to Theon. I am an immigrant (by choice, though). I do not fully belong to the culture I live in...I will always stand out, because my early life was influenced by other values and ways of thinking, I have an accent (though it be a small one, all accents stand out here, as this culture has had a hard time adapting to and accepting immigration). I don't feel at home in my original country, either...I have lived outside of it for long enough that I am purely a tourist when I go back to visit family. Some of that cultures values do not suit me either... I think like someone who is between two cultures...and when you are like that, you sometimes feel like you have no true home where you really belong. Of course I chose my situation and there are good sides to it too! But Theon had no choice at all...

I see his whole journey through the books as a struggle for acceptance and maybe even love. He makes really bad choices. Often the WRONG choices. But we can't help feel sorry for him at times when we understand the emotional reasons behind them. After Ramsay gets ahold of him...well...Ramsay's treatment of Theon is what finally shatters him (not to mention that we, the reader, think it is so horrible partly because we have insider knowledge..we know he did not kill Bran and Rickon!)...and I think that if he gets the chance, he will be able to reform a stronger personality than he ever had. In losing himself, he will finally come to really know himself. It would be a fascinating piece of psychological reading.

That is, if he does not get sacrificed by Stannis or something before he has a chance!! I don't think that will happen though. I think Asha needs him to overthrow the decision of the Kings Moot, so she can ultimately rule the Iron Islands (even if she has to rule in the background, through him).

[scotcat]

I can't say I ever liked Theon- the character has always been interesting sure - and even now, after all the torture he's been put through I can't honestly say I like him. I pity Reek, yes, but that doesn't mean I like him. Still, it'll be interesting to see where GRRM is heading with him.