Rantz Posted September 20, 2012 Share Posted September 20, 2012 I am of the opinion that Robert Arryn's "shaking sickness" is not as bad as we're led to believe. In fact I think the majority of the time he fakes it in order to get attention. Weak and sickly he may be but I think that's due to eating poorly and being raised by a crazy person. I have a friend who suffers from seizures and she says that it's very rare she gets them from emotional stress or anger, yet this is pretty much the only time we see Robert have them. With his mother dead he received less attention and becomes more prone to fits in order to get the attention he craves. Like any child who loses their mother they're going to be depressed, not wanting to eat etc, I think it's to be expected that an already sickly child would get sicker. But I don't think it's as a result from suffering from some chronic illness.It has little impact on the story apart from it's more likely he's going to be killed than die of natural causes. (this is a very pointless thread but I've not seen anyone else suggest Robert may be faking) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thendel Posted September 20, 2012 Share Posted September 20, 2012 So he's also doing the wetting himself on purpose?But overall, yes, Robert is a very sickly child. Without a strong but caring hand to feed him, he won't get the nourishment he needs, and being mentally inhibited doesn't help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheWizard Posted September 20, 2012 Share Posted September 20, 2012 I think thats becuase George just wrote it that way to be honest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Flandrensis Posted September 20, 2012 Share Posted September 20, 2012 He's a freak, but I think it's possible he could end up well. Or dead, if LF doesn't like the idea of his being well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ab aeterno Posted September 20, 2012 Share Posted September 20, 2012 I think thats becuase George just wrote it that way to be honest.Yeah, with all respect to GRRM, I'm inclined to believe that he isn't an expert on that kind of childhood illness, and that he simply chose to write Robert that way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
servethe_Realm Posted September 20, 2012 Share Posted September 20, 2012 SweetRobin bugs the CRAP out of me. I hate that sniveling little f**ker. I agree GRRM has written Robert on the melodramatic side, I think we're supposed to loathe him? I would certainly hate to be Alayne who has to deal with his ass Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Lord's Kiss Posted September 20, 2012 Share Posted September 20, 2012 Yeah I highly doubt he's faking it, George has been prone to make scientific mistakes before, this is just another one. Maybe Sweetrobin just has a very serious case of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Light a wight tonight Posted September 20, 2012 Share Posted September 20, 2012 I hadn't thought about Sweetrobin faking his problems, or making them out to be more serious than they are. It might be possible. An attention-getting mechanism? It would be making the unhealthy relationship he and his mother had even worse.I really think he's physically defective, though. Jon Arryn had no heirs, don't remember if there had been some and they died or if none were born. Lysa had numerous miscarriages, possibly she was damaged by the tansy potion Hoster made her take. It would be a switcheroo if Robert lived to become Lord of the Vale and Petyr died. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fire Eater Posted September 20, 2012 Share Posted September 20, 2012 I don't think he's faking it, but some of it might be psychosomatic. He just needs some support and a personal drive to get stronger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Pepper Posted September 20, 2012 Share Posted September 20, 2012 I have a friend who suffers from seizures and she says that it's very rare she gets them from emotional stress or anger, yet this is pretty much the only time we see Robert have them. With his mother dead he received less attention and becomes more prone to fits in order to get the attention he craves.Not all seizure disorders are the same nor are all symptoms similar. For some people, emotional distress is a sign of an oncoming seizure. My neice, the same age as Sweetrobin, has epilepsy, and she becomes very irritable right before she starts seizing. In fact, irritable behavior is one of the symptoms her parents were specifically told to watch for. She's even supposed to be kept clear of certain essential oils, including tansy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fire Eater Posted September 20, 2012 Share Posted September 20, 2012 Not all seizure disorders are the same nor are all symptoms similar. For some people, emotional distress is a sign of an oncoming seizure. My neice, the same age as Sweetrobin, has epilepsy, and she becomes very irritable right before she starts seizing. In fact, irritable behavior is one of the symptoms her parents were specifically told to watch for. She's even supposed to be kept clear of certain essential oils, including tansy.Some forms of epilepsy are temporary and confined only to particular stages of childhood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kittykatknits Posted September 21, 2012 Share Posted September 21, 2012 There was a thread on here quite some time ago with a theory that Robert had a genetic disorder. I can't remember the name of it or find the thread though.Either way, I don't think he's faking it. He's supposed to be annoying and difficult. A sweet loving child would be easier for Sansa to protect and care for. An annoying child like Robert, not so much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Florina Laufeyson Posted September 21, 2012 Share Posted September 21, 2012 including tansy.Oh now that is interesting....As for the OP, i dont think GRRM's intent was to have Robert Arryn faking his illness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Pepper Posted September 21, 2012 Share Posted September 21, 2012 Oh now that is interesting....As for the OP, i dont think GRRM's intent was to have Robert Arryn faking his illness.Yeah, I totally did a double-take when my sister handed me a list of things to keep away from her child while she was in my care. Didn't even know tansy was a real thing until then. But yeah, I agree with you. I doubt there was any intent to make this an illness that Robert was faking. His raising is just tragic - two bad parents, orphaned at a young age, sickly, no friends, being poisoned.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kittykatknits Posted September 21, 2012 Share Posted September 21, 2012 Yeah, I totally did a double-take when my sister handed me a list of things to keep away from her child while she was in my care. Didn't even know tansy was a real thing until then.Lots of herbals can impact a pregnancy. Tansy and penny royal are pretty well-known abortificants. Most pregnant women are told to stay away from them by their care provider or at least should be. One of the ingredients in moon tea, peppermint is usually recommended during pregnancy as it can help with nausea. I drink red rasberry leaf tea in a steady supply from the second trimester on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hear Us Roar Posted September 21, 2012 Share Posted September 21, 2012 Yeah his mother was sure not helping him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rantz Posted September 21, 2012 Author Share Posted September 21, 2012 Hmm, I'm not convinced all of his seizures are genuine. The way LF belittles it makes me think he shares my opinion. Or he's just a bastard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KristenM Posted September 21, 2012 Share Posted September 21, 2012 Ugh. He's one of my least favorite characters. I loathe spoiled children, and illness is no excuse for his behavior. I've known plenty of kids with some super serious illnesses (like cancer), and NONE were spoiled little brats. Then again, they all had GOOD PARENTS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kittykatknits Posted September 21, 2012 Share Posted September 21, 2012 Ugh. He's one of my least favorite characters. I loathe spoiled children, and illness is no excuse for his behavior. I've known plenty of kids with some super serious illnesses (like cancer), and NONE were spoiled little brats. Then again, they all had GOOD PARENTS.I bet that not only did those kids have good parents, none were taken from them in a sudden violent manner, leaving them alone in the world where no one gives a crap about them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jem Posted September 21, 2012 Share Posted September 21, 2012 Ugh. He's one of my least favorite characters. I loathe spoiled children, and illness is no excuse for his behavior. I've known plenty of kids with some super serious illnesses (like cancer), and NONE were spoiled little brats. Then again, they all had GOOD PARENTS.Yeah but you can hardly blame a little kid for having crappy parents. You can't blame a kid for being spoiled, you can only blame the ones who are doing the spoiling.I think that Sweetrobin is still young enough to be turned around if he was given a better up-bringing. Though I doubt he will have the chance as I think that at least some of his illness can be attributed to poison. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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