Brienne the Absurd

[Lord Martin]

On a re-read of a Feast for Crows I paid particularly close attention to the arcs of Brienne and Jaime. I feel as though these characters, Brienne in particular, are not discussed as much on these boards so I was hoping to offer an new viewpoint on Brienne and I actually have a few. In Part 1, I suggest that Brienne’s arc is a terrific example of fictional absurdism. In Part 2 I plan on exploring the influence Jaime has had on Brienne and how that fits (loosely) in existential thought (absurdism being a sub-category of existentialism). Finally, Part 3 I will explore Brienne’s impact on Jaime which has other philosophical implications, “There are no men like me. There ‘s only me.” Through all the parts we see allusions to absurdist fiction, themes and occasionally a subversion of the trope in a classic GRRM way.

I admit this post is a bit long, but hopefully worth the read.

The inspiration for this post is a quote by Camus, “The struggle itself towards the heights is enough to fill a man’s heart. One must imagine Sisyphus happy.” Sisyphus was a mythical king in ancient Greece who angered the gods by being a very bad boy. He murdered, seduced women, cheated death, all the things gods hate. So he was condemned in the afterlife to roll a boulder up a huge mountain and when it is done, the boulder rolls back down and Sisyphus starts all over again. In Camus’ absurdist work, The Myth Of Sisyphus, he invokes the classic absurdist idea that man’s search for meaning is completely futile in a world so lacking in eternal truths, values, morals or gods. Specifically Camus asks if once we recognize that life is absurd, is our only option to end it, i.e. suicide? He concludes no, and that embracing the absurdity of life leads to ultimate freedom and happiness.

If we start Brienne’s “journey” with the escape from River Run, one of the first major scenes we have is her pushing a boulder off a cliff onto Robin Ryger’s boat. I missed it the first few times, but I think that boulder is a hint at Sisyphus and the absurd and futile nature of her quest.

Most of the ASOS analysis belongs in Parts 2 and 3 as it deals with the interactions between Jaime and Brienne. I also note that Brienne really has two quests. The first was to bring Jaime safe to King’s Landing, the second was to bring Catelyn Stark’s daughter’s home safely. In wrapping up her first quest, Brienne is arrested and Jaime allows Ser Loras to make the decision about her. Fittingly, Loras notes, “Renly thought she was absurd. A woman dressed in man’s mail pretending to be a knight.”

The idea of a trial for Brienne here reminds me or Muersault, the main character in Camus’s The Stranger. Muersault is a man who has never felt guilty about anything he’s ever done in his life… much like Jaime. Meursalt finds other people boring or obnoxious and is often lacking in empathy and he is acutely aware of his lack of empathy. Here is Muersault in prison reflecting on his impending death sentence:

"As if that blind rage had washed me clean, rid me of hope; for the first time, in that night alive with signs and stars, I opened myself to the benign indifference of the world. Finding it so much like myself—so like a brother, really—I felt that I had been happy and that I was happy again. For everything to be consummated, for me to feel less alone, I had only to wish that there be a large crowd of spectators the day of my execution and that they greet me with cries of hate."

Doesn’t that sound like Jaime? "I've been despised by better men than you, Edmure Tully." Even post maiming, Jaime ponders his lack of emotions and lack of love for people he should care about.

When he was gone, the Lord Commander sat alone in the white room, wondering. The Knight of Flowers had been so mad with grief for Renly that he had cut down two of his own Sworn Brothers, but it had never occurred to Jaime to do the same with the five who had failed Joffrey. He was my son, my secret son . . . what am I, if I do not lift the hand I have left to avenge mine own blood and seed? He ought to kill Ser Boros at least, just to be rid of him.

Brienne is eventually freed by Loras, in large part due to Jaime’s coaxing. And the evidence Jaime relies on is exactly the evidence relied on to ensure Muersault’s conviction in The Stranger. There, Muersalt has no remorse. At his mother’s funeral he smokes cigarettes and drinks coffee. He goes to the beach and is very nonchalant about everything. Brienne is the exact opposite. She was clearly full of love for Renly and grieves for him. It is the understanding of human emotion that resolves both situations.

"The wench says the same. She grieves for Renly as you do. I promise you, I never grieve for Aerys. Brienne's ugly, and pighead stubborn. But she lacks the wits to be a liar, and she is loyal past the point of sense. She swore an oath to bring me to King's Landing, and here I sit. This hand I lost . . . well, that was my doing as much as hers. Considering all she did to protect me, I have no doubt that she would have fought for Renly, had there been a foe to fight. But a shadow?" Jaime shook his head. "Draw your sword, Ser Loras. Show me how you'd fight a shadow. I should like to see that."

Ser Loras made no move to rise. "She fled," he said. "She and Catelyn Stark, they left him in his blood and ran. Why would they, if it was not their work?" He stared at the table. "Renly gave me the van. Otherwise it would have been me helping him don his armor. He often entrusted that task to me. We had . . . we had prayed together that night. I left him with her. Ser Parmen and Ser Emmon were guarding the tent, and Ser Robar Royce was there as well. Ser Emmon swore Brienne had . . . although . . . "

"Yes?" Jaime prompted, sensing a doubt.

"The gorget was cut through. One clean stroke, through a steel gorget. Renly's armor was the best, the finest steel. How could she do that? I tried myself, and it was not possible. She's freakish strong for a woman, but even the Mountain would have needed a heavy axe. And why armor him and then cut his throat?" He gave Jaime a confused look. "If not her, though . . . how could it be a shadow?"

"Ask her." Jaime came to a decision. "Go to her cell. Ask your questions and hear her answers. If you are still convinced that she murdered Lord Renly, I will see that she answers for it. The choice will be yours. Accuse her, or release her. All I ask is that you judge her fairly, on your honor as a knight."

Ser Loras stood. "I shall. On my honor."

"We are done, then."

Another hallmark of Absurdism is the seeking of meaning when there plainly is none. The notion of a “fool’s quest” is the quintessential absurdist tale. The idea of a “fool’s quest” resonates in Brienne’s quest for Sansa Stark throughout AFFC. The first sentence in her arc in this book is:

I am looking for a maid of three and ten,” she told the gray haired goodwife beside the village well, “A highborn maid and very beautiful with blue eyes and auburn hair. She may be traveling with a portly knight of forty years or perhaps with a fool. Have you seen her?”

Introducing the Fool’s Quest. Brienne embarks on what most people consider a fairly boring journey. She makes her way to Duskendale, then Maidenpool, then Crackclaw Point, back to Maidenpool and then the Quiet Isle. The description the whole time is very bleak and bland, sentinel pines, mud flats, rain, more pine trees. The entire time she is looking for a “fool.” What is particularly painful about this is that we know Sansa is not with Ser Dontos, nor is she with the Hound. So Brienne’s quest really is a fool’s errand.

But remember the quote I started with, “One must imagine Sisyphus happy.” The quest is its own purpose and if humans truly want to be free and happy, they must accept it. Brienne hints at it during her quest:

No, Brienne thought, not so desperate as that. She turned away to hide her smile. Thankfully, Ser Creighton was too intent on the tale of his epic battle with the Knight of the Red Chicken to make note of the maiden's mirth. It felt good to have companions on the road, even such companions as these two.

But Brienne ditches her companions for the benefit of her quest:

I am coming for you, Lady Sansa, she thought as she rode into the darkness. Be not afraid. I shall not rest until I've found you.

Ultimately she winds up with two steady companions, Hunt and Payne. I can’t think those names are coincidental. Instead I think they are a very deliberate allusion to the nature of Brienne’s quest, hunt and pain, two classically absurdist themes.

Despite frustrations, insults and the like, Brienne enjoys the search for Sansa Stark. It is the quest that keeps her going, for what other end is there for Brienne? In the absurd or existentialist mode, one possible end is death. Brienne fully recognizes this in her meeting with the Elder Brother:

"A daughter." Brienne's eyes filled with tears. "He deserves that. A daughter who could sing to him and grace his hall and bear him grandsons. He deserves a son too, a strong and gallant son to bring honor to his name. Galladon drowned when I was four and he was eight, though, and Alysanne and Arianne died still in the cradle. I am the only child the gods let him keep. The freakish one, not fit to be a son or daughter." All of it came pouring out of Brienne then, like black blood from a wound; the betrayals and betrothals, Red Ronnet and his rose, Lord Renly dancing with her, the wager for her maidenhead, the bitter tears she shed the night her king wed Margaery Tyrell, the mêlée at Bitterbridge, the rainbow cloak that she had been so proud of, the shadow in the king's pavilion, Renly dying in her arms, Riverrun and Lady Catelyn, the voyage down the Trident, dueling Jaime in the woods, the Bloody Mummers, Jaime crying "Sapphires," Jaime in the tub at Harrenhal with steam rising from his body, the taste of Vargo Hoat's blood when she bit down on his ear, the bear pit, Jaime leaping down onto the sand, the long ride to King's Landing, Sansa Stark, the vow she'd sworn to Jaime, the vow she'd sworn to Lady Catelyn, Oathkeeper, Duskendale, Maidenpool, Nimble Dick and Crackclaw and the Whispers, the men she'd killed . . .

"I have to find her," she finished. "There are others looking, all wanting to capture her and sell her to the queen. I have to find her first. I promised Jaime. Oathkeeper, he named the sword. I have to try to save her . . . or die in the attempt."

At the end of her arc, Brienne is given a choice, continue the quest or die in the attempt. She can take Lady Stoneheart’s offer or she can die along with Pod and Hyle Hunt. The decision Brienne has to make is rooted, in absurdist thought. As I will explore in parts 2 and 3, Jaime and Brienne have had a profound impact on one another which only grows stronger despite them being apart in AFFC. I think it is Brienne’s interactions with Jaime, in particular his story about Aerys, that causes Brienne to realize there are things of value in the world beyond a knight’s honor. I have to wonder if Brienne never met Jaime, would she have let herself, Pod and Hyle be killed?

Am I dreaming still? Brienne wondered. Is this another nightmare born from Biter's teeth? "I never betrayed her. Tell her that. I swear it by the Seven. I swear it by my sword."

The thing that had been Catelyn Stark took hold of her throat again, fingers pinching at the ghastly long slash in her neck, and choked out more sounds. "Words are wind, she says," the northman told Brienne. "She says that you must prove your faith."

"How?" asked Brienne.

"With your sword. Oathkeeper, you call it? Then keep your oath to her, milady says."

"What does she want of me?"

"She wants her son alive, or the men who killed him dead," said the big man. "She wants to feed the crows, like they did at the Red Wedding. Freys and Boltons, aye. We'll give her those, as many as she likes. All she asks from you is Jaime Lannister."

Jaime. The name was a knife, twisting in her belly. "Lady Catelyn, I . . . you do not understand, Jaime . . . he saved me from being raped when the Bloody Mummers took us, and later he came back for me, he leapt into the bear pit empty-handed . . . I swear to you, he is not the man he was. He sent me after Sansa to keep her safe, he could not have had a part in the Red Wedding."

Lady Catelyn's fingers dug deep into her throat, and the words came rattling out, choked and broken, a stream as cold as ice. The northman said, "She says that you must choose. Take the sword and slay the Kingslayer, or be hanged for a betrayer. The sword or the noose, she says. Choose, she says. Choose."

Brienne remembered her dream, waiting in her father's hall for the boy she was to marry. In the dream she had bitten off her tongue. My mouth was full of blood. She took a ragged breath and said, "I will not make that choice."

There was a long silence. Then Lady Stoneheart spoke again. This time Brienne understood her words. There were only two. "Hang them," she croaked.

Of course we know Brienne yells out a word (“sword”) and is cut down thus ending a phase of her quest to find the Stark girls. Her internal debate above reminds me of Kikergaard, one of the early absurdists:

What is the Absurd? It is, as may quite easily be seen, that I, a rational being, must act in a case where my reason, my powers of reflection, tell me: you can just as well do the one thing as the other, that is to say where my reason and reflection say: you cannot act and yet here is where I have to act... The Absurd, or to act by virtue of the absurd, is to act upon faith ... I must act, but reflection has closed the road so I take one of the possibilities and say: This is what I do, I cannot do otherwise because I am brought to a standstill by my powers of reflection

Here Brienne was forced to act and she’s made a decision. We just have yet to see what the result of that decision will be.

At the heart of existentialist absurdist thought is the concept that we must constantly contemplate our existence, our motivations, our very reason for being. For it is only through that search, that constant questing that we can hope to find meaning and therefore freedom and happiness. Brienne is the very emblem of this concept. She quests for the sake of the quest which results in her own happiness. She does not quest for happiness in and of itself.

In the next parts I will discuss the ways in which Jaime’s experiences in life and stories to Brienne have helped her understand that life is more complex than simple oaths. I will also explore how Brienne’s sense of honor has rubbed off on Jaime. I will further the ideas of absurdist through in works like Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead and Waiting For Godot by highlighting some comparisons in both arcs here.

Any thoughts or comments are welcomed. I am especially eager to hear from the literary wonks as I am by no means a literary expert.

[Lord Martin]

I began writing a piece about the way Brienne has influenced Jaime and vice versa during their journey together. But when I got to the bath scene, I realized I had not fully explored who Jaime’s character. And so it makes sense to go here first. Jaime’s arc is very long and very detailed so the first part here will only track from Jaime’s release from the dungeons of River Run through the bath scene at Harrenhal. This actually took me two posts. In separate posts I will explore the way Jaime and Brienne influence one another and in another post (or two) I will finish Jaime’s arc as we know it so far.

If Brienne’s journey is an example of absurdist philosophical thought, Jaime’s is all about the philosophy of the self. In many ways the philosophy of the self is an answer to absurdism or perhaps another answer to the same question absurdism asks, “what is the point of it all?” Whereas Brienne’s arc tends to indicate the purpose of life is the journey itself. Jaime’s arc shows the other point of view, that life is about the self. Fittingly, he encounters one of the major debates within philosophy of the self, namely, is our identity determined by our thoughts and actions or is it determined by how others view us.

But typical of GRRM, Jaime’s arc is twisted and tortured. Jaime is both insecure and cocky and both loves himself and despises himself. Or perhaps its better to say, he loves himself but hates who he had been thus far. There are probably too many themes to explore in just this post, but the themes in Jaime’s arc are journey, washing clean, honor (and horses).

And so we begin:

Lets start with his name Jai-ME calls to mind the self; or for you francophones “jai” = “I have” so Jaime = “I have me.” And consider two of Jaime’s most famous quotes.

The things I do for love.

and

There are no men like me. There’s only me.

This is perhaps the most philosophically laden statement in the entire series. Fans could go one for hundreds of pages about what this means and what insight it gives us into Jaime’s character. But for me, in brief, at this time Jaime is all ego largely because his super-ego has been destroyed through his life experiences. Though it hasn’t been revealed to us at this time, we know what Jaime went through in becoming a member of the KG and how he was manipulated by Aerys in his petty rivalry with Tywin. And certainly we know about the real motivations behind Jaime’s most infamous act. For Jaime, why should he both trying to do the right thing when doing the right thing so often results in more grief and misery. Consider the full context of Jaime’s quote above:

"What gods are those, Lady Catelyn? The trees your husband prayed to? How well did they serve him when my sister took his head off?" Jaime gave a chuckle. "If there are gods, why is the world so full of pain and injustice?"

"Because of men like you."

"There are no men like me. There's only me."

There is nothing here but arrogance and pride, and the empty courage of a madman. I am wasting my breath with this one. If there was ever a spark of honor in him, it is long dead. "If you will not speak with me, so be it. Drink the wine or piss in it, ser, it makes no matter to me."

The context here is especially telling. This is a religious, spiritual and philosophical debate between two people with markedly differing worldviews. Jaime’s statement is the culmination of who he is to this point. But Catelyn does not stop to contemplate why Jaime is the way he is, even when he tells her about Brandon and Rickard’s execution. Instead, that is left for us to unpack in the next book. But it should be noted that this line is delivered just before Jaime begins his journey back to King’s Landing.

For me, what Catelyn misses here is that Jaime’s arrogance is a defense mechanism for what he has been through. It is response to the taunt of Kingslayer that has been thrown at him his whole life. But Catelyn is a Stark, the wife of the man Jaime perceived as having judged him. He won’t let down his guard around her. But at any rate, she releases him to begin his journey to discovery his new identity.

I’ve noticed that voyages made by boat are symbolic of major changes in a POV character. For instance, the first major trip we see by boat in the series is Theon’s trip to Pyke, we all know how that changed him. Other examples would be Arya’s boat ride to Braavos and her journey to becoming “no one”, Sam’s trip to Oldtown as he truly becomes a man of the night’s watch and perhaps Tyrion’s trip to Pentos and his subsequent trip to Volantis. Another topic for another post. But Jaime is also on a boat ride here and the boat is being steered by Brienne of Tarth. She is Jaime’s ferryman, a very loaded symbol.

An east wind blew through his tangled hair, as soft and fragrant as Cersei's fingers. He could hear birds singing, and feel the river moving beneath the boat as the sweep of the oars sent them toward the pale pink dawn. After so long in darkness, the world was so sweet that Jaime Lannister felt dizzy. I am alive, and drunk on sunlight. A laugh burst from his lips, sudden as a quail flushed from cover.

Note that Brienne and the current are taking Jaime east, toward the “pale pink dawn.” Dawn is, of course, a symbol of new beginnings, the start of new day with new choices and options laid before us. If I wanted to have fun with the pale/pink colors, there are all sorts of options. Dawn is the pale ancestral sword of House Dayne and Jaime is “drunk on sunlight” after “so long in the darkness.” Pink is the color of lust as he dreams of Cersei. Pink is also a form of faded red, it is what becomes of red as it turns to white. So is the Red of House Lannister going to give way to the pale color of the King’s guard? Is Brienne the one who is steering Jaime away from being a Lannister and into his own self as a Knight of the Kings Guard?

What is particularly interesting about this journey towards the dawn, back to the beginning is that it literally takes Jaime back to his beginning as a KOTKG and his dubbing at Harrenhal.

I also noticed this description of the river later in that chapter:

Downriver, the rising sun shimmered against the wind-whipped surface of the river. The south shore was red clay, smooth as any road. Smaller streams fed into the greater, and the rotting trunks of drowned trees clung to the banks. The north shore was wilder. High rocky bluffs rose twenty feet above them, crowned by stands of beech, oak, and chestnut. Jaime spied a watchtower on the heights ahead, growing taller with every stroke of the oars. Long before they were upon it, he knew that it stood abandoned, its weathered stones overgrown with climbing roses

It seems to be the southern bank is red, its easier like a smooth road. This symbolizes Jaime’s optional path as a Lannister whereas the “wild” northern bank symbolizes the life of a KOTKG with “crowns,” “towers” and “roses.” This could be emblematic of Jaime’s choice to be made in the future or perhaps it reflects the easy road Jaime has had so far as a Lannister while others were not so fortunate.

And of course throughout the chapter, Jaime thinks of and even fantasizes about Cersei. He recalls their pleasant times together and compares the wind to her fingers. But what is interesting is that his second thought of Cersei is a direct comparison with Brienne.

Scowls suited her broad homely face better than a smile. Not that Jaime had ever seen her smiling. He amused himself by picturing her in one of Cersei's silken gowns in place of her studded leather jerkin. As well dress a cow in silk as this one.

For Jaime Cersei is a huge part of his identity. Indeed, this is one of Jaime’s fundamental flaws, the externalization of his identity. He lets others define who he is, Cersei perhaps most of all.

While Jaime is all about the self and his ego at this point in time, he also sees himself in his sister Cersei. Thus in many ways, there are no men like me can be taken as “but there are women.” From the outset we are told that Jaime and Cersei are two halves of a whole, from AGOT;

Jaime and I are more than brother and sister. We are one person in two bodies. We shared a womb together. He came into this world holding my foot, our old maester said. When he is in me, I feel... whole.

And later Jaime will remember:

He could never bear to be long apart from his twin. Even as children, they would creep into each other's beds and sleep with their arms entwined. Even in the womb. Long before his sister's flowering or the advent of his own manhood, they had seen mares and stallions in the fields and dogs and bitches in the kennels and played at doing the same. Once their mother's maid had caught them at it . . . he did not recall just what they had been doing, but whatever it was had horrified Lady Joanna. She'd sent the maid away, moved Jaime's bedchamber to the other side of Casterly Rock, set a guard outside Cersei's, and told them that they must never do that again or she would have no choice but to tell their lord father. They need not have feared, though. It was not long after that she died birthing Tyrion. Jaime barely remembered what his mother had looked like.

So it is particularly interesting when Jaime compares Brienne directly to Cersei, his other half. How will she come to impact his identity.

In this early chapter we also start to learn just how sensitive Jaime is about the Aerys issue. In this chapter, he has a wall up around it. Consider these two examples:

She scowled again, her face all horse teeth and glowering suspicion. "You'll wear your chains, Kingslayer."

"You figure to row all the way to King's Landing, wench?"

"You will call me Brienne. Not wench."

"My name is Ser Jaime. Not Kingslayer."

"Do you deny that you slew a king?"

"No. Do you deny your sex? If so, unlace those breeches and show me." He gave her an innocent smile. "I'd ask you to open your bodice, but from the look of you that wouldn't prove much."

Jaime totally deflects the issue of Kingslaying. He doesn’t try to defend himself or justify it. He doesn’t even think about it. He simply returns fire. And he happens to probe Brienne’s weak spot, her gender. Also:

"It is Lady Catelyn I serve. And she commanded me to deliver you safe to your brother Tyrion at King's Landing, not to bandy words with you. Be silent."

"I've had a bellyful of silence, woman."

"Talk with Ser Cleos then. I have no words for monsters."

Jaime hooted. "Are there monsters hereabouts? Hiding beneath the water, perhaps? In that thick of willows? And me without my sword!"

"A man who would violate his own sister, murder his king, and fling an innocent child to his death deserves no other name."

Innocent? The wretched boy was spying on us. All Jaime had wanted was an hour alone with Cersei. Their journey north had been one long torment; seeing her every day, unable to touch her, knowing that Robert stumbled drunkenly into her bed every night in that great creaking wheelhouse. Tyrion had done his best to keep him in a good humor, but it had not been enough. "You will be courteous as concerns Cersei, wench," he warned her.

"My name is Brienne, not wench."

"What do you care what a monster calls you?"

"My name is Brienne," she repeated, dogged as a hound.

(as an aside: The comparison to a “Hound” or “the Hound” is very amusing and I hope to draft another post on the way Sandor Clegane weaves in and out of the themes that play out between Jaime and Brienne, particularly, the concepts of honorable knighthood.)

Note that he again does not address the Kingslayer allegation. He thinks about Bran and voices a defense of Cersei… but no thoughts of Aerys. This is Jaime’s defense mechanism. And it will surface again as we watch it slowly wash away.

Washing is a particularly apt image in Jaime’s journey here. First he cuts off all his golden hair. As mentioned before with the colors of red, pale pink and white. Jaime’s cutting of his golden hair is another symbol of his transition away from a Lannister towards his true role as LC of the KG. Later:

Jaime would welcome a good rain. The dungeons of Riverrun were not the cleanest place in the Seven Kingdoms. By now he must smell like an overripe cheese.

Obviously the culmination of Jaime’s desire to be washed clean comes in the tubs at Harrenhal.

We then get the escape from Robyn Rygar and Jaime decides not to club Brienne as she enters the boat. A small victory for self-improvement I suppose.

Next they come to the Inn at the Crossroads. I don’t need to belabor the importance of crossroads imagery in literature. In a later post I’ll explore how Jaime and Brienne’s relationship is at a crossroads here. But so is Jaime in his discovery of the self.

In the stables, as the trio is negotiating for the horses we have the following:

The stables had not been mucked out in a long while, from the smell of them. Hundreds of fat black flies swarmed amongst the straw, buzzing from stall to stall and crawling over the mounds of horse dung that lay everywhere, but there were only the three horses to be seen. They made an unlikely trio; a lumbering brown plow horse, an ancient white gelding blind in one eye, and a knight's palfrey, dapple grey and spirited. "They're not for sale at any price," their alleged owner announced.

"How did you come by these horses?" Brienne wanted to know.

"The dray was stabled here when the wife and me come on the inn," the man said, "along with the one you just ate. The gelding come wandering up one night, and the boy caught the palfrey running free, still saddled and bridled. Here, I'll show you."

The saddle he showed them was decorated with silver inlay. The saddlecloth had originally been checkered pink and black, but now it was mostly brown. Jaime did not recognize the original colors, but he recognized bloodstains easily enough. "Well, her owner won't be coming to claim her anytime soon." He examined the palfrey's legs, counted the gelding's teeth. "Give him a gold piece for the grey, if he'll include the saddle," he advised Brienne. "A silver for the plow horse. He ought to pay us for taking the white off his hands."

"Don't speak discourteously of your horse, ser." The wench opened the purse Lady Catelyn had given her and took out three golden coins. "I will pay you a dragon for each."

The horses aren’t the only strange trio in the stable. And note that Brienne eventually takes the plow horse, the symbol of dogged determinism. If you’re an Animal Farm fan, the plow horse does all the hard work on the farm, its Brienne to a “T”. Jaime takes the white gelding, blind in one eye. A horse with one useful eye could be a foreshadow of a swordsman missing a hand. Also, the horse is white, a call out to Jaime’s status as LC of the KG. And its a gelding so it cannot father children, a vow that would have changed everything had Jaime kept it.

And for fun, Cleos gets the knight’s palfrey covered in blood stains… an ominous choice for what is coming down the road for poor Cleos Frey.

Jaime is indeed a lame member of the KG at this time and this fact soon bubbles to the surface in Jaime’s journey of identity. That night he and Brienne quarrel again:

"Your crimes are past forgiving, Kingslayer."

"That name again." Jaime twisted idly at his chains. "Why do I enrage you so? I've never done you harm that I know of."

"You've harmed others. Those you were sworn to protect. The weak, the innocent . . . "

" . . . the king?" It always came back to Aerys. "Don't presume to judge what you do not understand, wench."

"My name is—"

"—Brienne, yes. Has anyone ever told you that you're as tedious as you are ugly?"

"You will not provoke me to anger, Kingslayer."

"Oh, I might, if I cared enough to try."

"Why did you take the oath?" she demanded. "Why don the white cloak if you meant to betray all it stood for?"

Why? What could he say that she might possibly understand? "I was a boy. Fifteen. It was a great honor for one so young."

"That is no answer," she said scornfully.

You would not like the truth. He had joined the Kingsguard for love, of course.

Here the armor begins to melt away. This is the third time Brinne has raised the issue of Aeys and finally Jaime responds. He does not get anywhere near the truth of the matter. But he starts, “don’t presume to judge.” And again, much like the first time Brienne raises the issue of Aerys, Jaime first thinks of Cersei, “he had joined the Kingsguard for love, of course.”

Cersei is clearly central to Jaime’s identity. He thinks of her and the role she played on his path to joining the KG. Indeed, she is why Jaime became a member of the KG.

"But," Jaime said, "there's Casterly Rock . . . "

"Is it a rock you want? Or me?"

He remembered that night as if it were yesterday. They spent it in an old inn on Eel Alley, well away from watchful eyes. Cersei had come to him dressed as a simple serving wench, which somehow excited him all the more. Jaime had never seen her more passionate. Every time he went to sleep, she woke him again. By morning Casterly Rock seemed a small price to pay to be near her always. He gave his consent, and Cersei promised to do the rest.

A moon's turn later, a royal raven arrived at Casterly Rock to inform him that he had been chosen for the Kingsguard. He was commanded to present himself to the king during the great tourney at Harrenhal to say his vows and don his cloak.

I think its worth nothing that Cersei, dressed as a wench is what convinced Jaime to join the KG, and she convinced him to do so for all the wrong reasons. Brienne on the other hand, is often called “wench” by Jaime and she is the one who ultimately shows him how he should be conducting himself as LC of the KG. It makes for a nice parallel and recalls Jaime’s first comparison of Cersei and Brienne.

And we again see a melting of Jaime’s armor as his rational for killing Aerys starts to seep into his thoughts and he even begins to voice a defense of his action:

Instead of being together, Cersei and Jaime just changed places, and he found himself alone at court, guarding a mad king while four lesser men took their turns dancing on knives in his father's ill-fitting shoes. So swiftly did the Hands rise and fall that Jaime remembered their heraldry better than their faces. The horn-of-plenty Hand and the dancing griffins Hand had both been exiled, the mace-and-dagger Hand dipped in wildfire and burned alive. Lord Rossart had been the last. His sigil had been a burning torch; an unfortunate choice, given the fate of his predecessor, but the alchemist had been elevated largely because he shared the king's passion for fire. I ought to have drowned Rossart instead of gutting him.

Brienne was still awaiting his answer. Jaime said, "You are not old enough to have known Aerys Targaryen . . . "

She would not hear it. "Aerys was mad and cruel, no one has ever denied that. He was still king, crowned and anointed. And you had swom to protect him."

"I know what I swore."

"And what you did." She loomed above him, six feet of freckled, frowning, horse-toothed disapproval.

"Yes, and what you did as well. We're both kingslayers here, if what I've heard is true."

I wonder if the “horse-toothed disapproval” is a callout to horses as a symbol of honor given the eventual naming of Jaime’s horse. It would be fitting with Brienne on her plow horse and Jaime the white gelding.

Jaime then continues to think of Cersei and the role she played on his path to joining the KG. Again, I have moved the Cersei/Brienne discussion to its own post. But, I think its worth nothing that Cersei, dressed as a wench is what convinced Jaime to join the KG. The parallels nicely with the way the wench Brienne influences Jaime as LC of the KG.

Jaime then, for the first time, dreams of the Sack of King’s Landing and the aftermath of the killing of Aerys.

The wench stalked off without saying a word. Jaime curled up beneath his cloak, hoping to dream of Cersei.

But when he closed his eyes, it was Aerys Targaryen he saw, pacing alone in his throne room, picking at his scabbed and bleeding hands. The fool was always cutting himself on the blades and barbs of the Iron Throne. Jaime had slipped in through the king's door, clad in his golden armor, sword in hand. The golden armor, not the white, but no one ever remembers that. Would that I had taken off that damned cloak as well.

Jaime’s one regret is that he did not take off the white cloak. It seems that he is not in the least upset by his decision, but rather the fall out and judgment that came along with it.

As the journey continues, Jaime seems to become more and more aware of the fact that his armor is melting away and that he will be forced to confront the reality of what he did at King’s Landing. And he seems to displace this anger at Brienne. In Jaime’s third chapter, the trio arrives at Maidenpool and the action really seems to pick up:

Jaime took one look and burst into song. "Six maids there were in a spring-fed pool . . . "

"What are you doing?" Brienne demanded.

"Singing. ‘Six Maids in a Pool,' I'm sure you've heard it. And shy little maids they were, too. Rather like you. Though somewhat prettier, I'll warrant."

"Be quiet," the wench said, with a look that suggested she would love to leave him floating in the pool among the corpses.

"Please, Jaime," pleaded cousin Cleos. "Lord Mooton is sworn to Riverrun, we don't want to draw him out of his castle. And there may be other enemies hiding in the rubble . . . "

"Hers or ours? They are not the same, coz. I have a yen to see if the wench can use that sword she wears."

"If you won't be quiet, you leave me no choice but to gag you, Kingslayer."

"Unchain my hands and I'll play mute all the way to King's Landing. What could be fairer than that, wench?"

"Brienne! My name is Brienne!" Three crows went flapping into the air startled at the sound.

Note that Jaime has gone back to calling Brienne, “wench.” In the last chapter, before the dream of Aerys Jaime spoke thusly:

"There may be people," Brienne said. "Hiding. Or dead."

"Frightened of a few corpses, wench?" Jaime said.

She glared at him. "My name is—"

"—Brienne, yes. Wouldn't you like to sleep in a bed for a night, Brienne? We'd be safer than on the open river, and it might be prudent to find what's happened here."

. . .

Brienne squinted at him suspiciously. "No. I was my father's only s—child."

Jaime chuckled. "Son, you meant to say. Does he think of you as a son? You make a queer sort of daughter, to be sure."

Wordless, she turned away from him, her knuckles tight on her sword hilt. What a wretched creature this one is. She reminded him of Tyrion in some queer way, though at first blush two people could scarcely be any more dissimilar. Perhaps it was that thought of his brother that made him say, "I did not intend to give offense, Brienne. Forgive me."

He both thinks of her and speaks to her using her name, Brienne. Now we are back to “wench.” Plainly Jaime is feeling the pressure to come to grips with his past and he is lashing out as a result.

I will also note that the theme of “washing clean” again factors in Jaime’s arc. But notice the description of the eponymous Maidenpool:

At Maidenpool, Lord Mooton's red salmon still flew above the castle on its hill, but the town walls were deserted, the gates smashed, half thehomes and shops burned or plundered. They saw nothing living but a few feral dogs that went slinking away at the sound of their approach. The pool from which the town took its name, where legend said that Florian the Fool had first glimpsed Jonquil bathing with her sisters, was so choked with rotting corpses that the water had turned into a murky grey-green soup.

. . .

"Brienne! My name is Brienne!" Three crows went flapping into the air startled at the sound.

"Care for a bath, Brienne?" He laughed. "You're a maiden and there's the pool. I'll wash your back." He used to scrub Cersei's back, when they were children together at Casterly Rock.

The wench turned her horse's head and trotted away. Jaime and Ser Cleos followed her out of the ashes of Maidenpool. A half mile on, green began to creep back into the world once more. Jaime was glad. The burned lands reminded him too much of Aerys.

Its like GRRM is telling us, “there’s no getting clean in this water.” Also, we again have a direct comparison with Cersei and Brienne. Its as though Jaime is trading the influence of one for the influence of another. And by the end of this scene, Brienne is literally leading Jaime away from the burned land, from the reminders of Aerys. The “Green” that was Jaime when he was a “green boy” is returning thanks to Brienne.

Another fun little aside is this:

"She's taking the Duskendale road," Ser Cleos muttered. "it would be safer to follow the coast."

"Safer but slower. I'm for Duskendale, coz. If truth be told, I'm bored with your company." You may be half Lannister, but you're a far cry from my sister.

Jaime was too young to recall the defiance at Duskendale… but I suspect Jaime would now be “all for it.”

Indeed we have some direct evidence that Jaime is returning to some form of honor here:

Jaime had decided that he would return Sansa, and the younger girl as well if she could be found. It was not like to win him back his lost honor, but the notion of keeping faith when they all expected betrayal amused him more than he could say.

But I think Jaime does see it as a potentially redemptive act. Or at least the kind of act that can start him back on the road toward being a truly honorable knight. Again, it would be fun to weave some Sandor Clegane in here.

Continued in next section...

[Belisarius09]

Great thread. I thoroughly enjoyed the read. Looking forwards to part 2!

[Lord Martin]

But then the shit hits the fan. A group of archers attack, Cleos is killed and Jaime tries to take his weapons. He promises Brienne that he will behave:

"Your oaths are worthless. You swore an oath to Aerys."

"You haven't cooked anyone in their armor so far as I know. And we both want me safe and whole in King's Landing, don't we?" He squatted beside Cleos and began to undo his swordbelt.

"Step away from him. Now. Stop that."

Jaime was tired. Tired of her suspicions, tired of her insults, tired of her crooked teeth and her broad spotty face and that limp thin hair of hers. Ignoring her protests, he grasped the hilt of his cousin's longsword with both hands, held the corpse down with his foot, and pulled. As the blade slid from the scabbard, he was already pivoting, bringing the sword around and up in a swift deadly arc. Steel met steel with a ringing, bone-jarring clang. Somehow Brienne had gotten her own blade out in time. Jaime laughed. "Very good, wench."

"Give me the sword, Kingslayer."

"Oh, I will." He sprang to his feet and drove at her, the longsword alive in his hands.

Note that we are back to Aerys. More importantly, the term “Kingslayer.” In many ways this is Jaime’s alter identity in the same way “the Hound” is for Sandor or “Wench” for Brienne. Jaime doesn’t truly lose patience with Brienne until we get to “Kingslayer” again. Then he goes on about how tired he is of the insults and suspicions. But, IMO, its not just Brienne’s suspicion he is weary of, bur rather he view of all the men and women of Westeros. Jaime is embarrassed by his less than honorable reputation and he is lashing out in the way he is most comfortable, with a sword. In many ways, Jaime is rejecting his identity here.

The fight between Jaime and Brienne is a symbol of his fight against his reputation. It’s a losing battle and one that Jaime is handicapped in fighting. His chains weigh him down as his reputation does. At one point Jaime realizes that she is stronger than he is and it shocks him. I think her strength and talent combined give Jaime a real respect for Brienne, admittedly begrudging at first. And I particularly enjoy how the fight ends:

Jaime drove his shoulder into her legs, bringing her down on top of him. They rolled, kicking and punching until finally she was sitting astride him. He managed to jerk her dagger from its sheath, but before he could plunge it into her belly she caught his wrist and slammed his hands back on a rock so hard he thought she'd wrenched an arm from its socket. Her other hand spread across his face. "Yield!" She shoved his head down, held it under, pulled it up. "Yield!" Jaime spit water into her face. A shove, a splash, and he was under again, kicking uselessly, fighting to breathe. Up again. "Yield, or I'll drown you!"

"And break your oath?" he snarled. "Like me?"

She let him go, and he went down with a splash.

And the woods rang with coarse laughter.

So finally we have the confession. Jaime admits he broke his oath as he is beaten in combat. He then splashes down into the river a symbol of both journey and cleansing, dare I say baptism? Certainly this is a semi-transformative event. But there is no forgiveness without penance, there must be atonement and its coming big time.

The Brave Companions capture the two of them and make various threats and nasty comments as they bring him to Lord Vargo. Along the way, we have this bit:

He felt Brienne's back stiffen against his. "Is that what you would do, if you were a woman?"

If I were a woman I'd be Cersei. "If I were a woman, I'd make them kill me. But I'm not." Jaime kicked their horse to a trot. "Urswyck! A word!"

The cadaverous sellsword in the ragged leather cloak reined up a moment, then fell in beside him. "What would you have of me, ser? And mind your tongue, or I'll chastise you again."

"Gold," said Jaime. "You do like gold?"

Urswyck studied him through reddened eyes. "It has its uses, I do confess."

Jaime gave Urswyck a knowing smile. "All the gold in Casterly Rock. Why let the goat enjoy it? Why not take us to King's Landing, and collect my ransom for yourself? Hers as well, if you like. Tarth is called the Sapphire Isle, a maiden told me once." The wench squirmed at that, but said nothing.

There is certainly some sort of transference going on in Jaime’s mind between Cersei and Brienne which I have moved for later. But what is most important here is the protection that Jaime is offering. He is starting to see the value in protecting someone other than Cersei or his family. This has every appearance of a turning point for Jaime, a real revelation in his relationship with Brienne. So of course, it has to be well punctuated.

And so we come to Jaime losing his hand. Lots of ink has been spilled on the symbolism here. This is the hand that slew Aerys, the hand that threw Brandon Stark out of his tower, this is the hand that has defined Jaime Lannister since he was born. Simply put losing the hand is a symbol of rebirth or perhaps redemption as it could be seen as washing out Jaime’s past bad deeds. Or perhaps this is the cost of breaking is oath, the cost of throwing Bran out of the tower.

The loss of the hand reintroduces the theme of identity for Jaime and Brienne. Jaime’s identity thus far has been shaped by the acts he committed with that hand. That hand caused Jaime to be the man he despised, himself. But that hand was also what Jaime saw as the best in himself, his skill with a sword. And so we come to a major debate in philosophy of the self. Are we simply made up of our thoughts and actions, or are we how we are perceived by others? Do we have ownership of our self or does it belong to everyone else in how they perceive us.

And when speaking of the philosophy of the self, up and to this point, Jaime has largely been influenced by what others think of him. Of course, he claims he does not care about what others think of his Kingslaying, but we come to see this is just his defense mechanism. He also takes fierce pride in his reputation as a swordsman, again externalizing his identity to how others see him.

This is why Jaime’s fourth chapter is so literally painful. He is tormented, teased and put in agony by the loss of his hand. But it is really a loss of self. And here it takes Brienne, the paragon of absurdism to help him back on track:

Jaime lay on his back afterward, staring at the night sky, trying not to feel the pain that snaked up his right arm every time he moved it. The night was strangely beautiful. The moon was a graceful crescent, and it seemed as though he had never seen so many stars. The King's Crown was at the zenith, and he could see the Stallion rearing, and there the Swan. The Moonmaid, shy as ever, was half-hidden behind a pine tree. How can such a night be beautiful? he asked himself. Why would the stars want to look down on such as me?

"Jaime," Brienne whispered, so faintly he thought he was dreaming it. "Jaime, what are you doing?"

"Dying," he whispered back.

"No," she said, "no, you must live."

He wanted to laugh. "Stop telling me what do, wench. I'll die if it pleases me."

"Are you so craven?"

The word shocked him. He was Jaime Lannister, a knight of the Kingsguard, he was the Kingslayer. No man had ever called him craven. Other things they called him, yes; oathbreaker, liar, murderer. They said he was cruel, treacherous, reckless. But never craven. "What else can I do, but die?"

"Live," she said, "live, and fight, and take revenge." But she spoke too loudly. Rorge heard her voice, if not her words, and came over to kick her, shouting at her to hold her bloody tongue if she wanted to keep it.

Craven, Jaime thought, as Brienne fought to stifle her moans. Can it be? They took my sword hand. Was that all I was, a sword hand? Gods be good, is it true?

The wench had the right of it. He could not die. Cersei was waiting for him. She would have need of him. And Tyrion, his little brother, who loved him for a lie. And his enemies were waiting too; the Young Wolf who had beaten him in the Whispering Wood and killed his men around him, Edmure Tully who had kept him in darkness and chains, these Brave Companions.

When morning came, he made himself eat. They fed him a mush of oats, horse food, but he forced down every spoon. He ate again at evenfall, and the next day. Live, he told himself harshly, when the mush was like to gag him, live for Cersei, live for Tyrion. Live for vengeance. A Lannister always pays his debts. His missing hand throbbed and burned and stank. When I reach King's Landing I'll have a new hand forged, a golden hand, and one day I'll use it to rip out Vargo Hoat's throat.

If we recall the discussion of Brienne and absurdism and the suggestion that the only logical result of rejecting the absurdity in life is suicide, we can see how Jaime has come to this point. Jaime is a man of the self, that is his entire reason for being. And that identity has now been stolen from him. Jaime bemoans the loss of his hand because his skill with the sword was the one external view of him that was positive. Now he is just a Kingslayer who scares no one. So when Jaime’s life philosophy is challenged, it takes Brienne to urge him to live just for the sake of living.

The text is really terrific here, Jaime thinks “why would the stars want to look down on such as me?” What is “such as me” here to Jaime, a cripple? A Kingslayer? Oathbreaker? Who is he now? Who was he before and why? Even Brienne gives voice to this existential crisis, “Jaime, what are you doing?” Yes, Jaime, what are you doing? You can almost hear him wondering this himself… what is he doing, where is he going?

Jaime gives the logical answer of those who deny the absurdity of life, “dying.” Of course, we are all “dying’ in a sense. Every second bring us closer to that moment. But what Jaime is talking about is giving up and dying that way. And then comes the question, “are you so craven?” This is really a great question to ask of Jaime Lannister. Are you too scared to live? In many ways Jaime was a truly blessed person. Look how hard his brother had it, or Brienne or even his sister being born a woman in that world. Think about the “Broken Men” speech we will get from Septon Meribald or the corpses rotting in Maidenpool. Life throws all sorts of absurd situations at us. For Jaime this is the second absurd situation he has ended up in, the first one with Aerys didn’t end so well. So he let it define him and he lived a sort of false life because of it. He let his identity be defined by it. Now he is faced with a second absurd situation, his maiming and he’s ready to pack it in? Brienne won’t have it… live she says, live! And she calls him craven. Brienne seems to know Jaime well enough that she understands how to motivate him.

Jaime’s initial motivations are somewhat superficial, but they allow him to keep moving forward. I particularly like that he thinks “He was Jaime Lannister, a knight of the king’s guard, he was the Kingslayer.” He did not say he was a Lannister of the Rock or the Son of Tywin Lannister. Unlike his twin, he defines himself by his own acts and deeds, not by what his family has done. This is perhaps the most significant step Brienne helps him take on his path to truly choosing his position as LC of the KG over his role in House Lannister.

But he is also not content to be remembers as just a sword, “Can it be? They took my sword hand. Was that all I was, a sword hand? Gods be good, is it true?” Jaime is horrified by this prospect. He wants to be more than just a sword, he wants to live to prove that he is so much more than this. And it is here that Jaime begins to transform into a person who tries to use his mind as much as his sword. He will go from a pawn to possibly a player to borrow a phrase from Littlefinger. From here on out we see Jaime more as a negotiator, politician and even spy of sorts rather than as a swordsman. Of course he practices that as well.

Also, note that Jaime east “horse food.” If a horse is a symbol of honor, then Jaime’s eating horsefood could be a hint at his growing sense of honor.

This is all the more ironic in light of:

"Harrenhal was where they gave me the white cloak," he whispered back. "Whent's great tourney. He wanted to show us all his big castle and his fine sons. I wanted to show them too. I was only fifteen, but no one could have beaten me that day. Aerys never let me joust." He laughed again. "He sent me away. But now I'm coming back."

Jaime was never allowed to show the world his worth at Harrenhal or really at any time thereafter. He wasn’t allowed to ride a horse and show off his “honor.” But he is returning to the beginning and still has that desire to show everyone what he is truly worth. And of course, the spot where the old Jaime knelt to be dubbed is now a privy trench… shit for honor indeed.

Jaime’s next chapter is the famous bathhouse scene. The imagery of washing clean should be quite obvious here. But this is also a combination of baptism and confession two Christian sacraments where sins are washed clean, including Original Sin. As we know, Qyburn has trimmed up Jaime’s stump and everyone has met Lord Bolton. We’ll start here:

Brienne shrunk away from him. "There are other tubs."

"This one suits me well enough." Gingerly, he immersed himself up to the chin in the steaming water. "Have no fear, wench. Your thighs are purple and green, and I'm not interested in what you've got between them." He had to rest his right arm on the rim, since Qyburn had warned him to keep the linen dry. He could feel the tension drain from his legs, but his head spun. "If I faint, pull me out. No Lannister has ever drowned in his bath and I don't mean to be the first."

"Why should I care how you die?"

"You swore a solemn vow." He smiled as a red flush crept up the thick white column of her neck. She turned her back to him. "Still the shy maiden? What is it that you think I haven't seen?" He groped for the brush she had dropped, caught it with his fingers, and began to scrub himself desultorily. Even that was difficult, awkward. My left hand is good for nothing.

Still, the water darkened as the caked dirt dissolved off his skin. The wench kept her back to him, the muscles in her great shoulders hunched and hard.

First, I find it interesting that Jaime once again identifies as a Lannister, not a KG. Perhaps this is symbolic for his “washing” as the Lannister dissolves off his skin. Second, she asks why should she care how he dies. This is a doubly interesting question. First, Brienne is the one who urged Jaime to live, now she doesn’t care how he dies? And does she not care about her vows? The ones Jaime is quick to remind her of. This is a change for Jaime, normally he’d be defensive or abusive. Instead he is employing good logic to speak with Brienne. She is largely immersed in her own crisis of identity as forces beyond her understanding are at work between Lord Bolton, Tywin Lannister, Rob Stark etc… Just another absurd twist in poor Brienne’s arc.

Jaime also comes to terms with his pre-maining identity, “I’ve lost the hand I killed the king with. The hand that flung the Stark boy from the tower. The hand I slide between my sister’s thighs to make her wet.” Notice that these are the same three reasons Brienne gives for naming Jaime a “monster” when their journey began. Clearly he remembered and now uses the losses of his hand as a positive, as though it absolves him from those acts. Perhaps it is good he is viewing this as atonement.

In many ways, Jaime is finally stripped bare. He is literally naked and being scrubbed clean. There is no more armor. He is ready to give his confession but offers up one last insult, one last defensive gesture before breaking down:

No wonder Renly died, with you guarding him."

She jerked to her feet as if he'd struck her, sending a wash of hot water across the tub. Jaime caught a glimpse of the thick blonde bush at the juncture of her thighs as she climbed out. She was much hairier than his sister. Absurdly, he felt his cock stir beneath the bathwater. Now I know I have been too long away from Cersei. He averted his eyes, troubled by his body's response. "That was unworthy," he mumbled. "I'm a maimed man, and bitter. Forgive me, wench. You protected me as well as any man could have, and better than most."

She wrapped her nakedness in a towel. "Do you mock me?"

That pricked him back to anger. "Are you as thick as a castle wall? That was an apology. I am tired of fighting with you. What say we make a truce?"

Here we see Jaime fall into old habits, insulting Brienne but that unlike in the past, he apologizes for it.

More important, there is a real transition here from Cersei to Brienne that needs to be mentioned here. Old Jaime was motivated by his sexual desires for Cersei, they are what motivated him to join the KG and what motivated him to throw Bran Stark from the tower. His sexual arousal here is a metaphor. “I’ve been too long away from Cersei.” Superficially he is talking about how easily aroused he is. But on a deeper level, Jaime is replacing his old desires with new ones. It used to be Cersei that excited, motivated and enticed him. Now, he is starting to be motivated by something else. Honor.

There is another bit of ironic humor. Recall that when Brienne first asks about Aerys, Jaime recalls that he joined the KG for love, but that Brienne would not appreciate his answer. Then we get this:

Why is it that no one names Robert oathbreaker? He tore the realm apart, yet I am the one with shit for honor."

"Robert did all he did for love." Water ran down Brienne's legs and pooled beneath her feet.

"Robert did all he did for pride, a cunt, and a pretty face." He made a fist . . . or would have, if he'd had a hand. Pain lanced up his arm, cruel as laughter.

"He rode to save the realm," she insisted.

To save the realm. "Did you know that my brother set the Blackwater Rush afire? Wildfire will burn on water. Aerys would have bathed in it if he'd dared. The Targaryens were all mad for fire." Jaime felt lightheaded. It is the heat in here, the poison in my blood, the last of my fever. I am not myself. He eased himself down until the water reached his chin. "Soiled my white cloak . . . I wore my gold armor that day, but . . . "

"Gold armor?" Her voice sounded far off, faint.

Ah, for love and to save the realm. Dreamy ideals aren’t they. And its also just what Jaime did. He joined the KG for love of Cersei. He saved countless lives at King’s Landing (“the Realm?”) that day and he did it all on his own. Here we get to the truth because Jaime finally has a reason to tell it. Here finally, we have Jaime doing something for the right reason and this act would become his most misunderstood but defining one.

Jaime then tells the story of KL and ends it with:

The water had grown cool. When Jaime opened his eyes, he found himself staring at the stump of his sword hand. The hand that made me Kingslayer. The goat had robbed him of his glory and his shame, both at once. Leaving what? Who am I now?

The bath is now complete. Jaime has given full confession and has been washed clean. The water is now cool rather than reflecting the heat that existed before. His hand, the guiltiest part of his being, is now gone. And what is left? Where to go now? We can almost feel Jaime’s panic as he begs Brienne for some sort of reaction:

The wench looked ridiculous, clutching her towel to her meager teats with her thick white legs sticking out beneath. "Has my tale turned you speechless? Come, curse me or kiss me or call me a liar. Something."

"If this is true, how is it no one knows?"

"The knights of the Kingsguard are sworn to keep the king's secrets. Would you have me break my oath?" Jaime laughed. "Do you think the noble Lord of Winterfell wanted to hear my feeble explanations? Such an honorable man. He only had to look at me to judge me guilty." Jaime lurched to his feet, the water running cold down his chest. "By what right does the wolf judge the lion? By what right?" A violent shiver took him, and he smashed his stump against the rim of the tub as he tried to climb out.

Pain shuddered through him . . . and suddenly the bathhouse was spinning. Brienne caught him before he could fall. Her arm was all gooseflesh, clammy and chilled, but she was strong, and gentler than he would have thought. Gentler than Cersei, he thought as she helped him from the tub, his legs wobbly as a limp cock. "Guards!" he heard the wench shout. "The Kingslayer!"

Jaime, he thought, my name is Jaime.

Note that when Ned Stark comes, Jaime thinks of himself as a Lion. He seems to miss the point. Ned isn’t judging the Lion, if he’s judging anyone it’s the KG who broke his oath, Ned would likely understand Jaime doing something like this. In fact, when Ned reflects on Jaime Lannister in AGOT, he never condemns Jaime for killing Aerys, but for sitting on the throne himself. Ned also recalls Jaime in gold armor but the white cloak. Perhaps Jaime was right, he shouldn’t have worn the white cloak that day.

But the last fevered lines are the best, “Jaime, my name is Jaime.” This is a beautiful juxtaposition of him calling Brienne wench and her always correcting him. Until now, Jaime had never done this. Now it appears that he cares what Brienne thinks of him. But it also shows a desire to be born a new. Jaime is eager to put the past behind him and start a new chapter in his life though he doesn’t quite realize it yet. In the next part on Jaime, I will look at the remainder of his journey thus far. And Jaime will become Jaime, someone other than “Kingslayer.”

[Caesar beyond the wall]

Fantastically written, I enjoyed that. Not much to add to it really, but I look forward to part 2!

[Lord of Lights Hound]

It seems Brienne will face the same problem as Jaime, so many oaths and for the first time she can't reconcile each one to the same end.

Assuming Jaime still has plot armor she will probably be ready to kill him until his indifference and her realisation that the two of them are treading the same ground on ethical dilemmas.

[Tynned Lannistark]

Very interesting. I enjoyed it.

looking forward for the 2 other parts.

[The guy from the Vale]

Looking forward to the other parts too.

Small nitpick though: The protagonist of "the Stranger" is called Meursault, not Muersault.

[The Lady Leela]

It seems Brienne will face the same problem as Jaime, so many oaths and for the first time she can't reconcile each one to the same end.

This. This also leads me to think Brienne will die. She has a little Ned Stark in her*. Too many oaths, too much honor, too much pride. In this world you have to pick your battles and make the right alliances, honor be dammed, to survive. Brienne is a great warrior, but she lets her heart lead her, and that might be her downfall.

That said, she is an absolutely amazing character. And I have to say, if she dies it'll be a tragedy for me, but to be honest I'm surprised she's survived this long. A female character in this world who just becomes a warrior... hell, I'm surprised she's still alive.

*not literally, although that would be awesome

[BarrelRoll42]

It seems Brienne will face the same problem as Jaime, so many oaths and for the first time she can't reconcile each one to the same end.

Assuming Jaime still has plot armor she will probably be ready to kill him until his indifference and her realisation that the two of them are treading the same ground on ethical dilemmas.

I feel like she has the same problems as Jaime, but she's seeing his side of things, and will address those issues in a similar way (but hopefully a bit smarter):

“So many vows … they make you swear and swear. Defend the king. Obey the king. Keep his secrets. Do his bidding. Your life for his. But obey your father. Love your sister. Protect the innocent. Defend the weak. Respect the gods. Obey the laws. It’s too much. No matter what you do, you’re forsaking one vow or another.”

I think she will break her oath to Stoneheart for Jaime.

[BarrelRoll42]

This. This also leads me to think Brienne will die. She has a little Ned Stark in her*. Too many oaths, too much honor, too much pride. In this world you have to pick your battles and make the right alliances, honor be dammed, to survive. Brienne is a great warrior, but she lets her heart lead her, and that might be her downfall.

That said, she is an absolutely amazing character. And I have to say, if she dies it'll be a tragedy for me, but to be honest I'm surprised she's survived this long. A female character in this world who just becomes a warrior... hell, I'm surprised she's still alive.

*not literally, although that would be awesome

All those oaths...

She's sworn to avenge Renly serve Catelyn, find Sansa and Arya for Jaime, defend the innocent and protect the weak as a knight....

[complexphoenix]

It's especially ironic that Brienne dismisses the Eyrie as a possible hideout for Sansa once she hears that Lysa Arryn is dead, never realizing that Sansa may already have been there when it happened. But in any case it scarcely matters; Sansa has changed her hair color and her name, and even if she stood right before Brienne, Brienne would not know her. Sansa is very much a princess in the tower, guarded by a monster, but we all know that the monster who guards her is of the type that Brienne is least equipped to slay. She's a good and guileless, honorable and dumb person sent on a mission that only a very clever guile hero has any hope of succeeding at.

[complexphoenix]

I wouldn't say that what happened with the shadow is a case of seeking meaning where there is none. It's a case of seeking meaning when the truth is beyond the normal scope of considered possibilities. The truth is that Stannis and Melisandre murdered Renly with sorcery (I don't buy their denials of responsibility). But since blatant sorcery hasn't been seen in Westeros for so long and the old powers are only now reawakening, Loras finds himself having to rethink his assumptions of how the world works in the painful context of his lover's death.

[sapphire_lion]

It's especially ironic that Brienne dismisses the Eyrie as a possible hideout for Sansa once she hears that Lysa Arryn is dead, never realizing that Sansa may already have been there when it happened.

Brienne still considered going to the Vale even after she learned that Lysa was dead. The Vale has been in the back of her mind the whole time.

"Where will we go, ser? I mean, my lady?"

Brienne had no ready answer for him. They had come to the crossroads, quite literally; the place where the kingsroad, the river road, and the high road all came together. The high road would take them east through the mountains to the Vale of Arryn, where Lady Sansa's aunt had ruled until her death.

-AFFC

She's a good and guileless, honorable and dumb person sent on a mission that only a very clever guile hero has any hope of succeeding at.

I disagree that she is dumb. To classify her as such completely misses the nuance of her character, her story, and her development.

For one, Jaime was impressed with Bri’s BS reading abilities and the choices that she made while traveling the Riverlands. This conveys a certain level of intelligence.

When they reached the burned village, a choice of equally unpromising roads confronted them; narrow tracks, deeply rutted by the carts of farmers hauling their grain to the river. One wandered off toward the southeast and soon vanished amidst the trees they could see in the distance, while the other, straighter and stonier, arrowed due south. Brienne considered them briefly, and then swung her horse onto the southern road. Jaime was pleasantly surprised; it was the same choice he would have made.

"But this is the road the innkeep warned us against," Ser Cleos objected.

"He was no innkeep." She hunched gracelessly in the saddle, but seemed to have a sure seat nonetheless. "The man took too great an interest in our choice of route, and those woods . . . such places are notorious haunts of outlaws. He may have been urging us into a trap."

"Clever wench." Jaime smiled at his cousin. "Our host has friends down that road, I would venture. The ones whose mounts gave that stable such a memorable aroma."

"He may have been lying about the river as well, to put us on these horses," the wench said, "but I could not take the risk. There will be soldiers at the ruby ford and the crossroads."

Well, she may be ugly but she's not entirely stupid. Jaime gave her a grudging smile.

-ASOS

Brienne has good instincts. She can assess risk accurately. She generally makes good decisions. If she is doing something that is likely to be fruitless (searching for Sansa) or really risky (taking on Rorge and company to save those orphans), she is very aware of the fact. She still chooses to do those things, not because she is too stupid to know better, but because she is willing to take on the risk. She’ll take on anything if there is even the smallest possibility that she might succeed in doing good. That’s what makes her a hero.

I don’t think it’s fair to call her dumb. Her analytical skills are fine. She’s not a mastermind. She’s a novice when it comes to schemes and such. But she’s not easily duped like Cersei is for example. She’s aware of her surroundings and she knows when people are trying to fool her.

She can also be perceptive. She deduced that Jaime believed Tyrion was innocent while having practically no knowledge of their relationship. She deduced that The Elder Brother had been a knight. Moreover, she has made some insightful comments that show that there is real depth to her, and that she does have a genuine understanding of what the world is truly like, even if she’d like to believe in her songs.

“The gods don’t care about men, no more than kings care about peasants.” –AFFC

What was it Catelyn Stark had called them, that night at Bitterbridge? The knights of summer. And now it was autumn and they were falling like leaves. . . . –AFFC

Brienne is someone riddled with insecurities. She believes she is stupid, and she's been told that since she was a child. She’s been told many abusive things all her life. Her insecurities sometimes get the better of her. She also has a tendency to focus too much on a single issue (like saving Sansa). This can be a detriment. Like when she was late to catch on that Roose was planning on keeping her because she was so concerned about the Stark girls that she failed to worry about herself. But it can also be a strength. If you want to accomplish something nearly impossible like finding two little girls in a great big world, fierce determination and stubbornness are a requisite.

Also, her thinking is a bit rigid, especially at the beginning of the series. This is common among people her age. She can grow out of it, and you see her doing just that as she progresses through her chapters. She was open minded enough to take Jaime’s story to heart and re-evaluate her views. She’s demonstrated that she can be flexible and forgiving. I don’t believe that she is doomed to be as dogmatic, unbending, and judgmental as characters like Ned or Stannis (not slamming them for it – that’s just the way they were/are). Brienne has a real chance to evolve.

There may be hope for her yet, especially if she can team up with people who have strengths that she lacks. Jaime and/or Hyle can help her in the scheming department if they manage to get out of the LS situation. And there might be other ways to recognize Sansa. As it’s been hinted at in Bri’s chapters, the hair on Sansa’s head is not the only Auburn hair Sansa has. Maybe Bri sees her in the bath and puts two-and-two together. Maybe the Mad Mouse gets word to her when he needs help extricating Sansa from Littlefinger's clutches. (I’m not saying any of this will happen, but it could. Counting a character out solely because failure seems like the most obvious outcome is too easy. Plus, GRRM said that he had A LOT in store for Brienne. If all he meant by that was that he was going to have her wander around and then die, then he was really overselling it.)

[UVA]

Lord Martin, I think you've put together a very nice analysis but I'm wondering if Brienne qualifies as a character engaging in the Absurd. She perceives the waste, the cruelty, the random violence of her world but I don't know if she is fully engaged with that enough to question "what's this all about?" In essence, she hasn't reached bottom yet, has not yet profoundly recognized the vacuity of a life which would then serve as her most basic means of salvation -- in an existential sense. Lady Stoneheart's choice isn't so much of an existential choice for Brienne as it is something much more immediately desperate.

Of all the major characters, Jaime seems to have a greater degree of awareness of the absurdity of his condition, and in that way, he's more on an existentialist path in the way that Kierkegaard writes about.

I disagree that she is dumb. To classify her as such completely misses the nuance of her character, her story, and her development.

Right, Brienne isn't dumb by any means. I'm surprised that this was a point.

[Lord Martin]

Lord Martin, I think you've put together a very nice analysis but I'm wondering if Brienne qualifies as a character engaging in the Absurd. She perceives the waste, the cruelty, the random violence of her world but I don't know if she is fully engaged with that enough to question "what's this all about?" In essence, she hasn't reached bottom yet, has not yet profoundly recognized the vacuity of a life which would then serve as her most basic means of salvation -- in an existential sense. Lady Stoneheart's choice isn't so much of an existential choice for Brienne as it is something much more immediately desperate.

Of all the major characters, Jaime seems to have a greater degree of awareness of the absurdity of his condition, and in that way, he's more on an existentialist path in the way that Kierkegaard writes about.

Right, Brienne isn't dumb by any means. I'm surprised that this was a point.

I did not mean to suggest at all that Brienne is dumb. I think the existentialists would think that it takes a great deal of education, thoughtfulness and reflection to truly come to terms with the absurdity in life such that ultimate freedom and happiness are attainable.

I fully agree that Brienne hasn't reached her "what is this all about moment." But I think its that she hasn't reached the top, not the bottom to borrow from the Sisyphus metaphor. Camus suggested that when Sisyphus walks down the hill to start all over again, that is the true agony, the true torment. Most of us would probably consider it his brief moment of respite. But while walking down the hill, the introspection involved in preparing to do it again is what is maddening. When he walks down the Hill Sisyphus should wonder, "what is the point of this?" But while pushing the boulder to the top, he has a purpose, there is a point... to get to the top.

The ultimate Sisyphus-ian comparison would be for Brienne to find Sansa only to have that result in greater strive and problems across the realm. That way fulfilling her oath, doing her duty and the like will not lead to the ends she envisions. Other absurd hints would be if Brienne loses Sansa again and has to start all over or finding Sansa only to then need to find Arya.

But on a literary level, I see Brienne's arc as absurd, I do not see her as aware of it. I don't think Sisyphus is aware of his own happiness when pushing up hill, instead, his choice to continue doing what he is doing is proof that he is happy. Similarly, Brienne sees all the downside to questing, to being a knight to fulfilling oaths and duty, and she trudges on anyway. Therefore, she is the Sisyphus-ian character who is happy to toil for the sake of the toil, no other reason.

This plays out as a practical matter as Brienne has no end game. When she is asked, what will you do with Sansa if you find her. The response is "protect her, keep her safe." She has no real plan, her only plan is to keep questing.

I also agree with you fully on Jaime which is part of what makes them such excellent foils. Jaime's answer to the absurdity of life is the celebration of the self. He is in many ways what Sisyphus was before he was punished, he's all Id and Ego.

If I ever get through parts 2 and 3, I plan on addressing Jaime's philosophy of the self!

[krtmd]

I feel like she has the same problems as Jaime, but she's seeing his side of things, and will address those issues in a similar way (but hopefully a bit smarter):

I think she will break her oath to Stoneheart for Jaime.

I do too.

Particularly since Lady Catelyn made an oath to Brienne as well. "And I vow that you shall always have a place by my hearth and meat and mead at my table, and pledge to ask no service of you that might bring you into dishonor. I swear it by the old gods and the new."

Brienne would absolutely find it dishonorable to kill Jaime Lannister.

[UVA]

I did not mean to suggest at all that Brienne is dumb. I think the existentialists would think that it takes a great deal of education, thoughtfulness and reflection to truly come to terms with the absurdity in life such that ultimate freedom and happiness are attainable.

That's not the impression I had at all. I was referring to complexphoenix's comment that Brienne is "dumb and without guile", which I don't agree with. But I have doubts that "ultimate freedom and happiness" for human beings are fully achievable to many existentialist thinkers, including the two men you cite in your OP -- Camus and most certainly Kierkegaard. Authenticity (or authentic being) is more significant than happiness. And authenticity is typically defined as how consciously, how intentionally one relates to the absurd.

But on a literary level, I see Brienne's arc as absurd, I do not see her as aware of it. I don't think Sisyphus is aware of his own happiness when pushing up hill, instead, his choice to continue doing what he is doing is proof that he is happy. Similarly, Brienne sees all the downside to questing, to being a knight to fulfilling oaths and duty, and she trudges on anyway. Therefore, she is the Sisyphus-ian character who is happy to toil for the sake of the toil, no other reason.

This plays out as a practical matter as Brienne has no end game. When she is asked, what will you do with Sansa if you find her. The response is "protect her, keep her safe." She has no real plan, her only plan is to keep questing.

Yes, there's definitely a Don Quixote aspect to Brienne's story, but I think another thing that supersedes this quest and her resignation is that she's hoping for a bigger moral payoff, something beyond the mission to rescue Sansa, and that is redemption -- for herself, for Jaime, for Cat. Don't you think that this is what drives her, and in this way, her arc differs from Sisyphus and Quixote at this point? The Sisyphus analogy you've written offers some very good insights into the Brienne character. I guess my hesitation, if there is any, is that her story is unfinished.

If I ever get through parts 2 and 3, I plan on addressing Jaime's philosophy of the self!

I look forward to it. I admit that it's been years since I read The Myth of Sisyphus but it had such a tremendous impact on me, inspired my interest in 19th and 20thc.Continental philosophy.

[Slugabed]

Another one here looking forward to the next installment, Lord Martin. A very interesting take on Brienne's story. I've been thinking a lot lately about the pairing of certain characters - not shipping, but how comparison and contrast is used to draw focus to certain values and truths. Like Jamie and Brienne.

[unitron]

I think the word Brienne utters to keep from being hanged is "Arya".