Brute of Bracken Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 Jon Snow lets Tormund Giantsbane and his Wildlings through the Wall towards the end of ADWD. To ensure peace, Jon laid out certain conditions before the Wildlings crossed. “I insisted upon hostages.” I am not the trusting fool you take me for … nor am I half wildling, no matter what you believe. “One hundred boys between the ages of eight and sixteen. A son from each of their chiefs and captains, the rest chosen by lot. The boys will serve as pages and squires, freeing our own men for other duties. Some may choose to take the black one day. Queerer things have happened. The rest will stand hostage for the loyalty of their sires.”The northmen glanced at one another. “Hostages,” mused The Norrey. “Tormund has agreed to this?” It was that, or watch his people die. “My blood price, he called it,” said Jon Snow, “but he will pay." He takes hostages to try and ensure that the Wildlings cause no trouble. The question is, do you think he would have harmed the hostages had something happened? I think he wouldn't have. He had earlier refused to execute an old man captured by the Wildlings, even if it meant risking his own life and the possibility of not warning Castle Black of a Wildling attack, and despite the fact that the old man would have probably been killed anyway. Would he choose to harm innocent children? I don't think so. What do you think? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jarl the climber Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 At a certain point he might not have any choice just like Old Flint pointed out to him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brute of Bracken Posted July 14, 2015 Author Share Posted July 14, 2015 At a certain point he might not have any choice just like Old Flint pointed out to him. I don't remember the quote. Can you please paste it here? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Blackmont Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 Jon would do his duty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evita mgfs Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 Jon would do his duty. :agree: Good answer, Lady Blackmont. :bowdown: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
falcotron Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 I think he wouldn't have. He had earlier refused to execute an old man captured by the Wildlings, even if it meant risking his own life and the possibility of not warning Castle Black of a Wildling attack, and despite the fact that the old man would have probably been killed anyway. Would he choose to harm innocent children? I don't think so.If Jon truly wants to lead, he can't be the kid who spared Ygritte and the old man. And I think he understands that. If he'd let the hostages live, not only would he lose his hold over the Wildlings, he'd lose their respect--and he'd deserve to. The only thing that justifies taking the hostages is believing that it's necessary and being willing to do what's necessary. That's what "kill the boy and let the man be born" is all about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alysanne Donnelly Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 I don't believe so, but there are worse things than being a page or squire. They could be thrown into prison, Jon could refuse to release them back to their families, etc. If anything Jon would harm the dissenters and try to use the child as a sort of puppet leader. Whether that would work or not, I don't know, but I can't see Jon harming innocent children. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonisHenryTudor Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 I guess it depends on the situation. It was a smart move nonetheless, but I doubt he would kill them unless it was serious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fire Eater Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 Jon would do his duty. Yeah, Jon would probably do what Ned would do, and GRRM said Ned would execute his hostage Theon had Balon rebelled. Jon would do what needed to be done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dire Dawg Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 If Jon truly wants to lead, he can't be the kid who spared Ygritte and the old man. And I think he understands that.If he'd let the hostages live, not only would he lose his hold over the Wildlings, he'd lose their respect--and he'd deserve to. The only thing that justifies taking the hostages is believing that it's necessary and being willing to do what's necessary.That's what "kill the boy and let the man be born" is all about.When he was defending CB he was shooting arrows at any of the free folk. I think he would have killed Ygritte, and he thought he might have. In the aftermath he was happy he hadn't but I think he had already hardened his heart that he might have. I think he would have done what he thought was right, just like The Ned, and frankly Stannis. He wouldn't have liked it and it would have torn him up, but he would have done it, and done it himself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Jack_ Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 Regardless of what some think, Jon does have the capability to do some nasty things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mithras Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 Yes, he would. He was graduated from Ned Stark University. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShadowCat Rivers Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 Yes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nictarion Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 No. He couldn't bring himself to kill the old man at QC. Which would have cost him his life if not for Summer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dire Dawg Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 No. He couldn't bring himself to kill the old man at QC. Which would have cost him his life if not for Summer. That wasn't is duty or honorable though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nictarion Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 That wasn't is duty or honorable though. But he was so against the idea of killing an innocent he put his own life (and everyone at CB) in danger. I don't think he would kill the children. Just my opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dire Dawg Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 But he was so against the idea of killing an innocent he put his own life (and everyone at CB) in danger. I don't think he would kill the children. Just my opinion. I appreciate your opinion, but Jon knew he was really a NW and knew that killing that old man was against everything he was about. He understood that Halfhand expected to die and that was why he killed him. The hostages are a different matter. The free folk are equably honorable and I don't think they would judge him as harshly as you expect them to. Life seems a little "cheaper" north of the wall. If he didn't kill a hostage, they would definitely see weakness and not respect him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A Bastard Snow Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 "Ask Janos Slynt" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Blackmont Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 LC Jon is a very different person from Ygritte banging ASOS Jon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeanF Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 LC Jon is a very different person from Ygritte banging ASOS Jon. That's true. But, child-killing seems to a threshold that decent characters won't step over. I'd say Dany is a harder person than Jon, and she can't bring herself to do it. Ned won't do it, nor Arianne. OTOH, Cersei, Jon Con, the Sand Snakes are prepared to step over that threshold. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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