what is dead may never die: a Theon Greyjoy reread project

[RainGhost]

More brilliant analyses INCBlackbird. It's really hard to like Theon in these chapters because of the horrific things he does. I remember when reading ACoK for the first time that I was so frustrated with him because he was doing things that he clearly did not want to do and ended up becoming a person who clearly disgusted him.

Regarding Theon keeping the wolf’s head brooch: even if he didn’t kill Bran, he still feels guilty for driving him from his home. And the woods are hardly a safe place for a cripple.

Theon’s relationship with Asha really is tragic. In reality, her and Dagmer Cleftjaw are his only 2 allies in the north but you’re right that his thinking in black and white doesn’t allow him to see her as both rival and trusted family member. Asha doesn’t help here, which has a lot to do with the fact that she doesn’t know him.  She acknowledges that taking Winterfell was cleverly done but she mocks him for everything else. She’s right but that’s really not what Theon wants to hear and it’s certainly not the way to persuade him to go with her.

You’re right about Theon not being himself, or more to the point not thinking he can be himself. He was trying to please everybody at the same time, which is, of course, absolutely impossible. People in powerful positions have to accept that they’re not going to please everybody. By being himself, Theon would at least have been respected by some people (mainly the Starks but also some ironborn as well, despite what he thinks – they admire bravery and Theon certainly has that). By trying to please everybody, he ended up pleasing nobody.

An observation: the miller’s wife pleading for mercy as Theon and Ramsay kill her sons reminds me of Catelyn Stark pleading for mercy at the Red Wedding. The first act indirectly causes the second... And they are both women Theon knew.

[INCBlackbird]

THEON VI

 

Synopsis:

 

Maester Luwin advises Theon to yield the castle, but Theon refuses. He, however, realizes that he is doomed: Ser Rodrik is upon him with two thousand men. Theon decides to fight and die rather than run, but he gives his men a choice to follow him or leave Winterfell while they still can.

 

Theon “Turncloak” is invited to parley with Ser Rodrik, but neither agree with each other’s terms. As a last resort Theon shows Rodrik’s daughter Beth with a noose around her neck, and threatens to hang her if Ser Rodrik hasn’t retreated by sundown. Every dawn and dusk thereafter will bring another death.

 

Back at the castle, Theon gloomily ponders his fate. Maester Luwin comes to him as he’s practicing archery in an attempt to distract himself. Luwin tells him that his last hope is to join the Night's Watch. Theon warms to the idea until Kromm, another one of his men, reports that there is fighting going on outside the walls. When Theon’s enemies have been defeated he orders his men to “Open the gates for our friends.” “Reek” enters the gates with his army, and soon reveals himself as Ramsay Bolton. He then proceeds to knock Theon out and burn Winterfell to the ground.

 

Analysis:

 

Theon and the Truth

 

Maester Luwin came to him when the first scouts were seen outside the walls. “My lord prince,” he said, “you must yield.” Theon stared at the platter of oakcakes, honey, and blood sausage they’d brought him to break his fast. Another sleepless night had left his nerves raw, and the very sight of food sickened him. “There has been no reply from my uncle?”

“None,” the maester said. “Nor from your father on Pyke.”

“Send more birds.”

“It will not serve. By the time the birds reach-“

“Send them!” Knocking the platter of food aside with a swipe of his arm, he pushed off the blankets and rose from Ned Stark’s bed naked and angry. “Or do you want me dead? Is that it, Luwin? The truth now.”

 

This is the perfect example of Theon not being able to deal with the truth. He doesn’t want to hear it because if he accepts it, he also has to admit not only that he failed, but also that his family doesn’t care about him at all. That’s how Theon’s mind works: if he fails now, he is a complete failure, if his family doesn’t send help they hate him (even though Asha tried to help him but Theon turned it around to her trying to hurt him again). So Theon keeps avoiding the conversation. He doesn’t even respond to Luwin’s “you must yield”, because he doesn’t want to realize that he has no other choice, he doesn’t want to hear it because he’s doing his best to convince himself that he does have another choice. Someone telling him the truth (that he doesn’t) makes that harder. Instead he asks if there’s any reply from his family and again he doesn’t want to hear that there is no point in sending more, because he’s doing his best to avoid realizing that his family won’t send help. And instead he distracts himself by directing his anger at Luwin. Because if Luwin does want him dead he wouldn’t be telling him the truth now, and that’s a much easier “truth” to accept than the reality of the situation.

 

And even though Theon is very well aware of the gravity of his predicament “if the old man gave the command to storm the castle regardless, Winterfell would fall; Theon entertained no delusions on that count.” He can’t handle anyone telling him the truth, he’ll deny it at all cost. Even when he knows they’re right.

 

“And so long as I hold Winterfell, Ser Rodrik and Stark’s lords bannermen cannot march south to take my uncle in the rear.” I am not so innocent of warcraft as you think, old man. “I have food enough to stand a year’s siege, if need be.”

 

And when Luwin starts making too much sense he stops him altogether.

 

“What choice have they left me? No, don’t answer, I’ve heard enough of your counsel. Go and send those birds as I commanded.”

 

Theon needs to keep believing in his own lies in order to emotionally deal with the situation. And this is the reason everything goes so wrong for him. He doesn’t deal with reality, he doesn’t deal with the situation he deals with the emotions he has about the situation but what Theon feels isn’t going to change what’s really going on.

 

The Ironborn

When Things don’t immediately go right, Theon responds with adding everything negative into the equation and comes to the conclusion that “everything always goes wrong” aka black and white thinking.

 

Theon has realized by now that the situation is pretty hopeless. He decides that he will die in Winterfell, probably because he thinks that his life is over either way. It’s all or nothing after all, and apparently it’ll be nothing. However, he gives his men a choice to fight and die with him or to leave, telling them that there’s still a chance to survive and get back to the iron islands if they leave now.

 

He unsheathed his longsword and drew a line in the dirt. “Those who would stay and fight, step forward.”

 

For a long time no one moves and it seems like Theon will be left all alone.

 

Theon felt as though he were drowning. Why am I surprised? He thought bleakly. His father had forsaken him, his uncles, his sister, even that wretched creature Reek. Why should his men prove any more loyal? There was nothing to say, nothing to do. He could only stand there beneath the great grey walls and the hard white sky, sword in hand, waiting, waiting...

 

This is the perfect example of Theon’s line of thinking. When one thing is negative (or appears to be) he immediately connects it to everything else that’s negative and to put that all together multiplies his altogether negative emotions. “Why am I surprised? Everything always goes wrong, I should have known! No one loves me!”: this is a very destructive and anxiety inducing way of thinking, because the person will disregard anything good about the situation altogether. In addition Theon immediately jumps to conclusions when eventually he is proven wrong. His men don’t abandon him, or at least not all of them. “Wex was the first to cross the line.” Eventually he ends up with seventeen men altogether.

 

The People of Winterfell

Even when he’s resigned to his own death, Theon will not give up on his original plan, because that’s the only thing he has left to hold on to.

 

Black Lorren tries to convince Theon to let him kill the people of Winterfell, because they’re a danger to them.

 

“The castle folk will turn on us soon as the fight begins.”

“I know that. What would you have me do?”

“Put them out,” said Lorren. “Every one.”

Theon shook his head.

 

Even when everything is lost he still wants to do well by the people of Winterfell. Just like he would rather die than leave, he would rather deal with the danger of having even more enemies (inside the Winterfell walls). It’s all part of Theon stubbornly refusing to let go of his original plan, no matter how wrong it went.

 

Parley with Theon Turncloak

When talking with Ser Rodrik, Theon is confronted with a lot of conflicting emotions and self-doubt rubbed in his face. On top of that he openly gets accused of a lot of things he feels severe guilt over and in his defense he is driven to self-reflect at least a little.

 

When Theon is invited to parley with Ser Rodrik he hears, for the first time, what the Northmen are calling him now: “Turncloak. The name was bitter as bile. He had gone to Pyke to lead his father’s longships against Lannisport, he remembered.” The name bothers him obviously because, as mentioned, Theon cares a lot about what people think of him but also because he never consciously decided to “betray” Robb. He never considered himself a turncloak, and in truth he technically isn’t one, as Theon points out “I am a Greyjoy of Pyke. The cloak my father swaddled me in bore a kraken, not a direwolf.”

 

“When the drawbridge was lowered, a chill wind sighed across the moat. The touch of it made him shiver. It is the cold, nothing more, Theon told himself, a shiver, not a tremble.” Theon describes how the cold wind reaches him, so he “did” probably shiver from the cold, and yet he needs to convince himself that this is indeed the reason he shivered. There is clear self-doubt all over this, he thinks he trembled in fear, which Theon would consider a sign of weakness, something he cannot feel and certainly cannot show so he needs to talk some courage into himself. The truth is probably that Theon shivered because of the cold, but that he is also afraid and in the end he doesn’t know what made it happen.

 

When he’s arrived, Theon presents Ser Rodrik with some quite unrealistic terms.

 

“Here are my terms. You have until evenfall to disperse. Those who swear fealty to Balon Greyjoy as their king and to myself as Prince of Winterfell will be confirmed in their rights and properties and suffer no harm. Those who defy us will be destroyed.”

 

Theon is clearly overcompensating for the uncertainty he feels about his situation. He is doomed and he knows it, but he needs to hide his doubt so he acts over-confident. Rodrik however, doesn’t understand that this is what Theon’s doing (or that that’s what Theon has always been doing for that matter), he obviously won’t abide to those terms and determines that “Theon has always had too lofty an opinion of himself.” Not to mention that he knows Theon has very few men and that the situation isn’t nearly as good as Theon wants him to believe.

 

“I have near two thousand men with me... and if the tales be true, you have no more than fifty.” Seventeen, in truth. Theon made himself smile.

 

A great example of Theon’s smiling technique from his point of view. He knows he is doomed but makes himself smile to hide any emotions of doubt or fear, feigning confidence.

 

He goes over to his last plan, threatening Rodrik wih the death of his daughter, if he doesn’t retreat. He shows her to him with a noose around her neck. “He is not surprised, he thought with sadness” Even after all this, Theon is still concerned with what Rodrik thinks of him, it makes him sad that Rodrik didn’t expect better of him, because Theon simply wants people to like him. He took Winterfell with the intention of proving his father wrong (about him being weak) and proving the people of Winterfell wrong (that he is trustworthy and a good man, despite being an Ironborn) and instead it lead to Theon somehow proving everyone right.

 

“I am a Greyjoy of Pyke,” Theon reminded him. “The cloak my father swaddled me in bore a kraken, not a direwolf.”

“For ten years you have been a ward of Stark.”

“Hostage and prisoner, I call it.” […] 

“This is craven,” Ser Rodrik said. “To use a child so... this is despicable.”

“Oh, I know,” said Theon. “It’s a dish I tasted myself, or have you forgotten? I was ten when I was taken from my father’s house, to make certain he would raise no more rebellions.”

“It is not the same!” Theon’s face was impassive. “The noose I wore was not made of hempen rope, that’s true enough, but I felt it all the same. And it chafed, Ser Rodrik. It chafed me raw.” He had never quite realized that until now, but as the words came spilling out he saw the truth of them.

 

This is the closest to a truthful self-reflection Theon ever comes. At this point, he knows he is doomed, he’s tried to be a Stark and failed, he’s tried to be a Greyjoy and failed, he’s tried to be a Stark and a Greyjoy at the same time and dug himself a hole so deep that he can’t climb out of it anymore. And now he is directly being blamed for his mistakes, in specific the use of a child as a hostage, and his reaction to that is a direct emotional one, one that he’s been hiding for most of his life but now that “the words came spilling out he saw the truth of them”, it becomes a realization that comes after having spilled it out loud rather than a controlled thought based on whether or not he is a Stark or a Greyjoy. He acknowledges that he did indeed suffer from his status as a hostage, that he was very well aware any day could be his last. And obviously anyone would end up with some emotional problems in this kind of situation, but Theon has failed time and time again to acknowledge that. When it came to the Starks (Ned in particular) he avoided thinking about how he got affected but rather thought about what they did to him (good and bad). Regardless of what happened, this is the truth of how Theon was affected by it.

 

Theon’s threats appear to be just that though, threats: “If I hang the girl, the Northmen will attack at once, he thought. If I do not hang her, they will know my threats are empty. There is no way out, none.” Theon probably wouldn’t have gone through with killing Beth because he knows it wouldn’t make any difference, all he can do is hope that Ser Rodrik will retreat to save his daughters life.

 

Paranoia and Negative Thinking

By now Theon is really convinced that everyone and everything is out to get him. “Of late it seemed to him as if the very stones of Winterfell had turned against him. If I die, I die friendless and abandoned. What choice did that leave him, but to live?” This is again his biggest concern: he isn’t scared so much about dying, but he’s scared of not being loved or valued by anyone. Theon conveniently forgets that seventeen of his men basically sacrificed themselves for his doomed cause, instead focusing on the negative side. The fact that he “knows” that everyone (the citizens of Winterfell) hates him. “They hid their hatred behind sullen looks and faces blank as slate, yet he could feel it all the same.” And it’s not just the people of Winterfell, it’s everyone in the North as well, those people who are calling him a turncloak. “Every one of them wants me dead. Some were boys he’d drunk with, diced with, even wenched with, but that would not save him if he fell into their hands.”

 

All Theon can do at this point is think negatively. And “brood on the injustice of it all.” He can’t comfort himself anymore because the only way Theon has ever comforted himself has been by denying the truth, and since reality has hit him in the face now all he does is feel sorry for himself.

 

They will attack, he thought gloomily, staring at the flames. Ser Rodrik loves his daughter, but he is still castellan, and most of all a knight. Had it been Theon with a noose around his neck and Lord Balon commanding the army without, the warhorns would already have sounded the attack, he had no doubt. He should thank the gods that Ser Rodrik was not Ironborn. The men of the green lands were made of softer stuff, though he was not certain they would prove soft enough.

 

Not only does Theon know they will attack, but he also has to add that if it were him, his father would have let him die without a second thought. All negative emotions and thoughts get magnified. “<<I rode beside Robb Stark in the Whispering Wood,>> he muttered. He had been frightened that night, but not like this. It was one thing to go into battle surrounded by friends, and another to perish alone and despised. Mercy, he thought miserably.” It’s all or nothing for Theon and it’s been proven that it will be nothing he considers himself doomed. “As the sun moved, the shadow of the tower moved as well, gradually lengthening, a black arm reaching out for Theon Greyjoy. By the time the sun touched the wall, he was in its grasp.”

 

Archery

Theon’s love for archery becomes even more apparent, as it seems to be the only thing that can bring him some kind of peace. “When the wine brought no solace, Theon sent Wex to fetch his bow and took himself to the old inner ward. There he stood, loosing shaft after shaft at the archery butts until his shoulders ached and his fingers were bloody.” It makes him feel powerful and in control, as it is something he’s very good at. It’s a source of confidence even when he knows it won’t give him any real protection. “I saved Bran’s life with this bow, he reminded himself. Would that I could save my own.” There’s of course also the fact that doing archery gives Theon something else to concentrate on, something that does go well, making sure the arrow lands in the right spot.

 

The Night’s Watch

Theon is pretty much at the end of his rope, just looking for a distraction because lying to himself doesn’t work anymore. Until Luwin suggests for him to join the Night’s Watch. Theon considers it and is quickly convinced he could have a life worth living there.

 

When he turned, Maester Luwin was behind him. “Go away,” Theon told him. “I have had enough of your counsel.”

“And life? Have you had enough of that, my lord prince?” He raised the bow. “One more word and I’ll put this shaft through your heart.”

“You won’t.” Theon bent the bow, drawing the grey goose feathers back to his cheek. ‘Care to make a wager?”

“I am your last hope, Theon.” I have no hope, he thought. Yet he lowered the bow half an inch and said, “I will not run.”

“I do not speak of running. Take the black.”

“The Night’s Watch?” Theon let the bow unbend slowly and pointed the arrow at the ground. “Ser Rodrik has served House Stark all his life, and House Stark has always been a friend to the Watch. He will not deny you. Open your gates, lay down your arms, accept his terms, and he must let you take the black.” A brother of the Night’s Watch. It meant no crown, no sons, no wife... but it meant life, and life with honor. Ned Stark’s own brother had chosen the Watch, and Jon Snow as well. I have black garb aplenty, once I tear the krakens off Even my horse is black. I could rise high in the Watch-chief of rangers, likely even Lord Commander. Let Asha keep the bloody islands, they’re as dreary as she is. If I served at Eastwatch, I could command my own ship, and there’s fine hunting beyond the Wall. As for women, what wildling woman wouldn’t want a prince in her bed? A slow smile crept across his face, A black cloak can’t be turned. I’d be as good as any man...

 

Theon’s behavior shows exactly how desperate he is. He threatens to shoot Maester Luwin even when they both know he won’t do it, and that there is no point to it. Theon’s just making empty threats because he wants Luwin to leave him to his brooding. He doesn’t want to be reminded that he is doomed again. He only wants to think about shooting arrows. Once again, Theon’s more concerned with his emotions than the actual situation; “if I distract myself enough maybe it’ll all just go away” Luwin makes that impossible.

 

But Theon does want to live. He values his pride over his life but when Luwin suggests the night’s watch Theon is immediately interested. And his thoughts give us a glimpse at Theon’s deepest desires. He wants to be considered honorable (and immediately connects it to what the Starks would find honorable), he wants to have a place to belong, where he doesn’t have to be conflicted about his identity and to enjoy the things in life that he likes and most of all he wants to be considered a valuable member of society. And he puts the Night’s Watch in the all-good spectrum, convinced he could get what he wants there.

 

Still With the Vanity

 

Theon stooped to scoop a puddled cloak off the floor, shook off the rushes, and draped it over his shoulders. A fire, I’ll have a fire, and clean garb. Where’s Wex? I’ll not go to my grave in dirty clothes.

 

Even when Theon’s convinced he’s about to die, he is concerned about his appearance. And even after Luwin suggest to take the black the very first thing Theon thinks about is his clothes: “I have black garb aplenty, once I tear the krakens off. Even my horse is black.” Theon managed to change a lot of things about his personality for the sake of others, but even after the disapproval of his family about his vanity, Theon has still hold on to it.

 

Burning Winterfell

Burning Winterfell is the symbolic destruction of Theon’s hopes and dreams and the beginning of his transformation at the hands of Ramsay Bolton.

 

“They’re fighting,” Kromm said urgently.

“More men came up, hundreds of them, and at first they made to join the others. But now they’ve fallen on them!”

“Is it Asha?” Had she come to save him after all?

 

Theon is subconsciously aware that his thoughts about Asha were all a manifestation of his own contempt for her. Because the first person he thinks about when he thinks he’s being rescued is her. Deep down he knows that she cares for him and that she had wanted to help him. He was just too stubborn, emotional and all over scornful to let her.

 

Unfortunately, it’s not Asha coming to Theon’s rescue but Ramsay. And he enjoys playing his game with Theon a lot:

 

“Ser Rodrik had you five-to-one.”                    

“Aye, but he thought us friends. A common mistake.”

 

Theon doesn’t realize he is being mocked, even though he now knows Reek is really Ramsay, even though he knows he used the same tactic with Ser Rodrik. Theon is too emotional to think rationally about this situation (as he is most times). Ramsay asks for his prize; Theon was reluctant to give him the girl, but didn’t really consider the moment when he would have to give her to him to be raped (because Theon doesn’t think ahead when it’s about things he doesn’t like – the future is always somehow bright because that’s simply easier) and now that the moment is upon him, he’s even more reluctant but convinces himself that he should do it because “Theon had given his word. This was not the time to flinch. Pay him his pound of flesh and deal with him later.” But it is not Palla that Ramsay wants. Now that he’s outed himself he doesn’t have to work in on Theon’s insecurities anymore because he already knows he’s got the upper hand and he’s just prolonging his twisted game.

 

“I think I’ll have your bedwarmer instead. What do you call her? Kyra?”

“Are you mad?” Theon said angrily. “I’ll have you-“ The Bastard’s backhand caught him square, and his cheekbone shattered with a sickening crunch beneath the lobstered steel. The world vanished in a red roar of pain.

 

Ramsay was probably thoroughly enjoying his game of figuring out how far he could go until Theon snapped. It’s interesting that that moment was Kyra, a girl he tried to distance himself from as much as possible, to the point where he horribly abused her to feel more in control.

 

“Save me the Freys,” the Bastard was shouting as the flames roared upward, “and burn the rest. Burn it, burn it all.” The last thing Theon Greyjoy saw was Smiler, kicking free of the burning stables with his mane ablaze, screaming, rearing...

 

This is a moment that is particularly traumatic for Theon, he often remembers his horse burning. But it goes further than just that (which is bad enough as it is, because as stated before, Theon really loves his horse) it’s also that this is the moment Winterfell is burning, and Theon realizes he’s been betrayed and everything is over. Winterfell is the very first thing that’s important to Theon’s identity that Ramsay destroys. By burning Winterfell Ramsay is burning Theon’s symbolic home. The “reeking” process has now official begun.

 

Conclusion:

Even when doomed, Theon holds on to Winterfell, it is the symbol for his hope, for everything he’s built and everything he desires and he knows he’s about to lose it. When confronted with his feelings of fear and regret, Theon snaps emotionally and realizes his own pain for the first time. Theon tries to distract himself from his impending doom until Luwin presents him with a new option that he immediately holds on to. But he doesn’t have time to act on it as Ramsay kills his enemies, only to deceive Theon into letting him inside the castle. By burning Winterfell Ramsay doesn’t just rob Theon of everything he’s built his identity around, he burns it to the ground.

[INCBlackbird]

 

THEON’S A CLASH OF KINGS ARC

 

“He [Theon] wants to be an Ironborn, and then he conquers a castle that he wants to rule like Eddard Stark”

 

– Lavinia Ceccarelli: this sums it up quite nicely.

 

The Need to be Loved:

Consistently, Theon’s biggest concern is to be loved/valued by the people around him. He’s constantly preoccupied with thoughts about what others think of him and it saddens him when he “knows” they hate him/distrust him. All of Theon’s actions/insecurities/thoughts are caused directly by his need to be loved/valued.

 

The value of his Name:

Theon’s name is of great importance to him, he is Theon Greyjoy, he is a lord, and he derives confidence and feelings of self-worth from that. This is partially why he’s a classist. He needs to believe that people of low birth are worth less than people of high birth because this is where those feelings of self-worth are based upon.

 

Insecurities:

Theon’s main insecurities appear to be:  

       A fear of being weak

       A fear of not being valuable and therefore not being loved   

       A fear of not belonging

       Feelings of helplessness

 

Identity Crisis:

Because of this strong need to be loved and to have a place to call home and his anxiety about all of this (because so far it hasn’t exactly worked out), Theon creates a fake identity based on stereotypes (gender stereotypes, highborn stereotypes, Ironborn stereotypes) and his own view on what people expect him to be like, and then he forces thoughts and behaviors upon himself based on this fantasy.

 

Cognitive Distortion (Unhelpful Thinking Styles):

Cognitive distortions are exaggerated or irrational thought patterns that are automatic and habitual. These thoughts cause individuals to perceive reality inaccurately often in a negative way. Cognitive distortions tend to interfere with the way a person perceives an event. Since the way a person feels intervenes with how they think, these distorted thoughts can feed negative emotions and lead to anxiety or depression. Theon displays a lot of these unhelpful thought patterns when we get into his head.

 

Overgeneralization: Making hasty generalizations from insufficient experiences and evidence. Making a very broad conclusion based on a single incident or a single piece of evidence. Example: “Why am I surprised? He thought bleakly. His father had forsaken him, his uncles, his sister, even that wretched creature Reek. Why should his men prove any more loyal?” – Theon VI : in this quote Theon concludes that his men will abandon him because they don’t immediately step forward, to add to how logical that conclusion is he thinks about how “everyone” abandons him.

 

Dichotomous thinking: this is all-or-nothing thinking, with no in-between. Life is usually in the grey area, a little good a little bad. However, this thinking sees only the extreme ends of the scale. An example of this is Theon putting Asha in an All-bad spectrum.

 

Jumping to conclusions when the evidence is lacking or even contradictory. Two specific subtypes are identified: 

      Mind reading: Making assumptions about what other people are thinking (usually about the negative things they are thinking about you) and considering this “the truth when there is no definite evidence. Example: “They hid their hatred behind sullen looks and faces blank as slate, yet he could feel it all the same.” – Theon VI

     Predictive thinking: thinking you can see into the future and know for a fact what is going to happen. Example: “And after all is done and won, they will make songs for that bitch Asha, and forget that I was even here.” – Theon III

 

Exaggerating or minimizing a situation: blowing things way out of proportion or shrinking their importance inappropriately. A subtype of this is Catastrophising: Always imagining the most catastrophic outcome will occur. Example: “Of late it seemed to him as if the very stones of Winterfell had turned against him. If I die, I die friendless and abandoned.” – Theon VI

 

Filtering: The brain's tendency to filter out information which does not conform to already held beliefs.

 

Defense Mechanisms:

Romanticizing: Theon tends to avoid dealing with the truth: when he doesn’t like something he twists the situation every which way until he managed to convince himself that the truth is actually very rose colored for him.

 

“A brother of the Night’s Watch. It meant no crown, no sons, no wife... but it meant life, and life with honor. Ned Stark’s own brother had chosen the Watch, and Jon Snow as well.   I have black garb aplenty, once I tear the krakens off Even my horse is black. I could rise high in the Watch-chief of rangers, likely even Lord Commander. Let Asha keep the bloody islands, they’re as dreary as she is. If I served at Eastwatch, I could command my own ship, and there’s fine hunting beyond the Wall. As for women, what wildling woman wouldn’t want a prince in her bed? A slow smile crept across his face, A black cloak can’t be turned. I’d be as good as any man...” – Theon VI

 

Reaction Formation: a defensive process in which emotions and impulses that are anxiety-producing or perceived to be unacceptable are mastered by exaggeration of the directly opposing tendency.

 

“if the tales be true, you have no more than fifty [Men].” Seventeen, in truth. Theon made himself smile.” – Theon VI

 

Compensatory Narcissistic Personality Disorder: Theon shows signs of having compensatory narcissistic personality disorder. A tendency to overcompensate low self-esteem with forced feelings and displays of narcissism.

 

A quote that touches upon this is “Only a fool humbles himself when the world is so full of men eager to do that job for him.” Theon is convinced that everyone around him will take him down a notch, simply because they can do so (this is a manifestation of the bullying and prejudices Theon has undergone. As a result he expects everyone to dislike him by default and only sees the things that point towards this being true). So he developed what we could classify as narcissistic personality disorder as a defense mechanism against the world with all the people in it who want to mock him.

 

   Theon has some empathy issues: he’s very self-absorbed and always in his own head but he never puts himself into other people’s shoes. Theon only looks at situations from his perspective. It even goes as far as him not considering that people around him don’t have the same information he does (Aeron, Bran).  

   Thinking in extremes -> more anxiety -> more insecurities -> more narcissism

     Envying others and expects others to envy him.

 

A Bad Leader:

Theon has a lot of issues that prevent him from being a good leader; in addition to having no experience, he has the tendency to romanticize everything instead of dealing with his problems directly, which doesn’t solve anything when you have a responsibility to deal with reality. Theon also has the misconception that to be a good leader he needs to do/be what his men want him to be.

 

The Starks:

A lot can be said about Theon’s relationship with the Starks. He feels deserved resentment towards them but at the same time he constantly identifies with Ned and takes him as his example of a good leader while invading Winterfell. He’s in denial about how much the Northern ways have influenced him and tries to force himself to act like an Ironborn, but ultimately shows that he cares nothing for the Ironborn ways and a lot about the Northern traditions.

 

Another important thing to notice is that after his first chapter (after he has given up on “his” plan) he barely ever thinks about Robb. He seems to be purposefully avoiding to do so.

 

The Ironborn:

On the Iron Islands, Theon can’t shake the feeling of being an outsider, which bothers him a lot, because this was supposed to be the place where he would feel like he belonged. He spends pretty much his entire A Clash of Kings arc trying to convince himself that he does belong with the Greyjoys or that he will eventually belong with them, because it’s his only chance to ever have a home and he can’t accept the possibility that they’ll never want him back.

 

[INCBlackbird]

REEK I

Summary:

After not hearing about him for two books, we find Theon locked in a dungeon, eating a live rat he just caught, when he hears voices right outside his door. Despite his prayers, they are indeed coming for him. He is terrified, because if they find him with the rat and tell, Ramsay will hurt him. He feels he should hide the animal’s corpse, but he has not eaten in three days and is starving. When the door opens he crawls into a corner and becomes stiff with fear.

Big Walder and Little Walder Frey enter his cell and when they ask him his name he experiences a new kind of fear when he realizes that he can’t remember the name Ramsay gave him, and he knows Ramsay will hurt him for it. Until Little Walder reminds him that his name is Reek and Theon responds instantly with rhyming it. “My name is Reek, it rhymes with leek.”

Theon has a fleeting thought about overpowering the Walders and running, but is reminded of the last time he tried to run. Kyra got hold of the keys and freed him, to run away together, but in the end it was a trap orchestrated by Ramsay, and Theon witnessed his old mistress die a gruesome death.

The Frey boys take him to the great hall of the Dreadfort. Where Ramsay is hosting a dinner party with Hother Umber and Arnolf Karstark; they recognize him as Theon and urge Ramsay to kill him, but Ramsay has a use for him. He tells Theon that he will marry Arya Stark, and Reek is to come with him to “fetch home his virgin bride”.

Analysis:

In the dungeon:

The rat squealed as he bit into it, squirming wildly in his hands, frantic to escape. The belly was the softest part. He tore at the sweet meat, the warm blood running over his lips. It was so good that it brought tears to his eyes. His belly rumbled and he swallowed. By the third bite the rat had ceased to struggle, and he was feeling almost content.

Then he heard the sounds of voices outside the dungeon door.

At once he stilled, fearing even to chew. His mouth was full of blood and flesh and hair, but he dare not spit or swallow. He listened in terror, stiff as stone, to the scuff of boots and the clanking of iron keys. No, he thought, no, please gods, not now, not now. It had taken him so long to catch the rat. If they catch me with it, they will take it away, and then they’ll tell, and Lord Ramsay will hurt me.

It’s immediately made abundantly clear how terrified “Reek” is, specifically of Ramsay Bolton. Theon keeps wishing that the people outside the room aren’t coming for him; apparently he prefers being alone, in the dark, without food over Ramsay’s attention and whatever that may lead to. This paints a picture of how deep Theon’s fear is rooted and the terrible things that lead to this fear. Things that might happen when he’s not, in fact, left alone. “Go away, he prayed, go away, pass me by, please, please.” But of course they don’t pass him by: Theon is exactly the person Ramsay wants fetched.

“No,” he mumbled, “noooo.” His heels scrabbled at the straw as he tried to push himself into the corner, into the cold damp stone walls.

Theon literally tries to disappear into the wall, no matter how irrational that is, he’s so terrified  that he’s acting completely on instinct.

Rhyming:

“Do you remember who you are?” The fear came bubbling up inside him, and he moaned. “Talk to me. Tell me your name.”

My name. A scream caught in his throat. They had taught him his name, they had, they had, but it had been so long that he’d forgotten. If I say it wrong, he’ll take another finger, or worse, he’ll … he’ll … He would not think about that, he could not think about that. There were needles in his jaw, in his eyes. His head was pounding.

“Please,” he squeaked, his voice thin and weak. He sounded a hundred years old. Perhaps he was. How long have I been in here? “Go,” he mumbled, through broken teeth and broken fingers, his eyes closed tight against the terrible bright light. “Please, you can have the rat, don’t hurt me …”

Tragedy strikes when Big Walder asks him for his name and Theon has forgotten the name Ramsay gave him, he knows how important it is to Ramsay that he remains Reek, the identity Ramsay gave him. It’s been hammered into him for months but after a while in the dark, he’s forgotten because deep inside he doesn’t want to be Reek, he subconsciously rejects the identity when he doesn’t need to take it on to protect himself from Ramsay’s wrath. He becomes so terrified that his thoughts turn completely mangled, as if he is distracting himself from the matter at hand with completely unrelated thoughts to try to reduce his terror. Until Big Walder reminds him what his name is.

“Reek,” said the larger of the boys. “Your name is Reek. Remember?” He was the one with the torch. The smaller boy had the ring of iron keys.

Reek? Tears ran down his cheeks. “I remember. I do.” His mouth opened and closed. “My name is Reek. It rhymes with leek”’ In the dark he did not need a name, so it was easy to forget. Reek, Reek, my name is Reek. He had not been born with that name. In another life he had been someone else, but here and now, his name was Reek. He remembered.

This is probably the moment where Theon starts rhyming. In the Middle Ages, rhyming was a way for people who couldn’t read to memorize passages more easily; that was one of the original purposes of rhyming, and Theon is using it here in a similar way. He is so terrified of forgetting his name again that he rhymes it to help himself remember it, and he continues doing so as a way to reduce anxiety about the chance of forgetting it again. The fact that he forgot his name and is anxious about forgetting it again, is pretty telling. Even after being completely brainwashed, Theon’s so adverse to being Reek that he has to force the identity on himself.

Defiance:

“You’re to come with us,” said Little Walder. “His lordship has need of you,” said Big Walder.

Fear went through him like a knife. They are only children, he thought. Two boys of eight. He could overcome two boys of eight, surely. Even as weak as he was, he could take the torch, take the keys, take the dagger sheathed on Little Walder’s hip, escape. No. No, it is too easy. It is a trap. If I run, he will take another finger from me, he will take more of my teeth.

Even at his weakest state Theon still shows some defiance, at least internally. He doesn’t act on it, but remarkably not because Ramsay has completely broken him; it’s more because Ramsay has instilled the fear in him that when he sees a chance to escape it might simply be a trick on Ramsay’s part. A game he’s playing with Theon to see if he’ll grab the chance so Ramsay can punish him for it. It’s fear of Ramsay that makes him want to run but equally it’s the same fear that keeps him from trying to. This particular fear doesn’t come out of nowhere either, Ramsay instilled it in him on purpose. Theon remembers the event vividly:

“He had run before. Years ago, it seemed, when he still had some strength in him, when he had still been defiant. That time it had been Kyra with the keys. She told him she had stolen them, that she knew a postern gate that was never guarded. “Take me back to Winterfell, m’lord,” she begged, pale-faced and trembling. “I don’t know the way. I can’t escape alone. Come with me, please.” And so he had. The gaoler was dead drunk in a puddle of wine, with his breeches down around his ankles. The dungeon door was open and the postern gate had been unguarded, just as she had said. They waited for the moon to go behind a cloud, then slipped from the castle and splashed across the Weeping Water, stumbling over stones, half-frozen by the icy stream. On the far side, he had kissed her. “You’ve saved us,” he said. Fool. Fool.

It had all been a trap, a game, a jape. Lord Ramsay loved the chase and preferred to hunt two-legged prey. All night they ran through the darkling wood, but as the sun came up the sound of a distant horn came faintly through the trees, and they heard the baying of a pack of hounds. “We should split up,” he told Kyra as the dogs drew closer. “They cannot track us both.” The girl was crazed with fear, though, and refused to leave his side, even when he swore that he would raise a host of Ironborn and come back for her if she should be the one they followed.

Within the hour, they were taken. One dog knocked him to the ground, and a second bit Kyra on the leg as she scrambled up a hillside. The rest surrounded them, baying and snarling, snapping at them every time they moved, holding them there until Ramsay Snow rode up with his hunts-men. He was still a bastard then, not yet a Bolton. “There you are,” he said, smiling down at them from the saddle. “You wound me, wandering off like this. Have you grown tired of my hospitality so soon?” That was when Kyra seized a stone and threw it at his head. It missed by a good foot, and Ramsay smiled. “You must be punished.”

Reek remembered the desperate, frightened look in Kyra’s eyes. She had never looked so young as she did in that moment, still half a girl, but there was nothing he could do. She brought them down on us, he thought. If we had separated as I wanted, one of us might have gotten away. The memory made it hard to breathe. Reek turned away from the torch with tears glimmering in his eyes.

In particular Theon recalls a lot about Kyra, even details like how she trembled, and how young the fear in her eyes made her look. This event is seared into Theon’s memory, because it was particularly traumatic to witness someone he used to be intimate with killed so gruesomely by his tormenter. The incident shows that after all, Theon cared about Kyra and Kyra cared about him. He comforted her and stuck by her because she was scared, even though he was sure they had a better chance of surviving if they split up. In this situation Theon put her needs above his own which is not something Theon does often. He also appears to feel guilt over what happened to her, because “there was nothing he could do”, and does the same thing he does in A Clash of Kings when dealing with feelings of guilt: he blames it on others (in this case Kyra).

Theon recalls this event every time he thinks about escaping, because after such an experience Ramsay has instilled in him the fear that whenever he sees a chance for escaping, it is probably another trap Ramsay himself has set for him, just like with “Kyra and the keys”. So instead Theon forces Ramsay’s lies onto himself, the ones that reduce his anxiety and will make him obey: “Reek. My name is Reek, it rhymes with bleak. He had to remember that. Serve and obey and remember who you are, and no more harm will come to you. He promised, his lordship promised.” So obeying is what he does:

When Little Walder pulled him up and Big Walder waved the torch at him to herd him from the cell, he went along as docile as a dog. If he’d had a tail, he would have tucked it down between his legs.

If I had a tail, the Bastard would have cut it off. The thought came unbidden, a vile thought, dangerous. His lordship was not a bastard anymore. Bolton, not Snow. The boy king on the Iron Throne had made Lord Ramsay legitimate, giving him the right to use his lord father’s name. Calling him Snow reminded him of his bastardy and sent him into a black rage. Reek must remember that. And his name, he must remember his name. For half a heartbeat it eluded him, and that frightened him so badly that he tripped on the steep dungeon steps and tore his breeches open on the stone, drawing blood.

Clearly Theon doesn’t really believe those lies he was telling himself before; he is very well aware, at some level, that Ramsay will hurt him as he pleases. It’s easier for him to believe otherwise though. If he can believe that Ramsay won’t hurt him as long as Theon does as he wants, he can feel like he has some control over his fate. He can prevent the pain Ramsay could inflict on him. Ramsay adds another layer of internal conflict by telling him these lies, he made Theon feel responsible for his own pain, made him believe it was his own fault for not doing Ramsay’s bidding. On a certain level these lies definitely have an effect on Theon, because he wants to believe them but no matter how hard he tries he can’t convince himself of their truth completely. They have instilled doubt in him about himself but deep down he knows the truth about Ramsay.

It’s interesting how this thought of defiance scares Theon more than the previous one of escaping. Theon knows Ramsay very well, and he knows exactly what makes him tick, he knows that Ramsay doesn’t tolerate being called a bastard. It’s not about insulting him; it’s about insulting him with that word. Even just thinking about it scares Theon so much that he loses control for a moment.

It appears that Ramsay has tortured Theon into thinking that he is some kind of almighty force who knows everything, to the point where he knows what Theon himself thinks. Theon of course doesn’t consciously realize this, but the subconscious fear is there, and it causes him to panic over a thought he couldn’t control. In essence, Ramsay has partially succeeded in controlling Theon’s thought process: Theon tries to force thoughts upon himself that he knows Ramsay would approve of, though this proves that he’s not completely under Ramsay’s control. But enough so that Ramsay and Theon both believe he is. 

Second guessing:

He did not know how long he had been down there in the dungeons, but it had to have been half a year at least. That long, or longer. What if it has been five years, or ten, or twenty? Would I even know? What if I went mad down there, and half my life is gone? But no, that was folly. It could not have been so long. The boys were still boys. If it had been ten years, they would have grown into men. He had to remember that. I must not let him drive me mad. He can take my fingers and my toes, he can put out my eyes and slice my ears off, but he cannot take my wits unless I let him.

Theon is constantly second guessing his own perception of the situation, which could drive one mad. When you cannot know if what you “know” is even real: Ramsay has even taken that control away from Theon, the control to trust his own senses. But Theon is fighting this control very hard. He’s trying to force himself to be rational about it, instead of letting Ramsay take what he wants, like he does with most other things Ramsay tries to control.

Ramsay Snow:

At the high table the Bastard of Bolton sat in his lord father’s seat, drinking from his father’s cup.

Ramsay will take any chance to feel more like a legitimized Bolton, because as has been stated before, he has a severe hatred of his bastard status, so much that if he is reminded of it, it might “send him into a black rage.” Ramsay probably harbors insecurities about his legitimacy even after he’s been granted it. After all, being legitimized doesn’t erase his history of growing up among the smallfolk. Ramsay is bold and lacks self-control, he’s pretty much the opposite of his father, he has trouble sword fighting and knows nothing of politics, All of those things emphasize this history that he’d like to ignore so he overcompensates by sitting in his father’s chair, wearing the Bolton colors all the time, and expressing his sadistic tendencies mainly through his love for flaying people alive. Much like Theon overcompensated his lack of Ironborn experience by trying to act the (what he thought was the) Ironborn stereotype, Ramsay tries to act the (what he thinks is the) Bolton stereotype.

These insecurities about his birth are the reason Ramsay lashes out so much when anyone calls him a bastard or reminds him in any way that he was born one; he needs to keep ignoring it and make himself feel like a Bolton, so he can’t have others reminding him he isn’t one.

At the sight of Reek, he smiled a wet-lipped smile. “There he is. My sour old friend.” To the men beside him he said, “Reek has been with me since I was a boy. (1) My lord father gave him to me as a token of his love.(2)”

The two lords exchanged a look. “I had heard your serving man was dead,” said the one with the stooped shoulder. “Slain by the Starks, they said.”

Lord Ramsay chuckled. “The Ironmen will tell you that what is dead may never die, but rises again, harder and stronger. Like Reek. (3) He smells of the grave, though, I grant you that.”

1. Ramsay pretends like the old Reek never died and that Theon is the same Reek. Even though he’s very well aware this is not the case. But for reasons we can only speculate about Ramsay wants to consider them the same person. Ramsay’s old servant “Reek” was a very important person in Ramsay’s life. So Ramsay probably had a hard time dealing with his death, he took on his name and then he tried to turn Theon into a new Reek; but throughout all of this he pretends that the old Reek never died. He probably realized that he’d grown accustomed to what Reek provided him with (companionship, approval, things he wants from Roose but doesn’t get) and missed those things in his life. He doesn’t like thinking about Reek’s death, that would be acknowledging a problem and, much like Theon, Ramsay prefers to ignore his problems.

2. Ramsay romanticizes his relationship with his father. Roose doesn’t exactly bother to cover his distaste for his bastard son, and Ramsay takes issue with that. So any chance he gets he’ll try to convince himself that his father does love him and care for him. Again, this is similar to what Theon did in his A Clash of Kings arc: when he didn’t like the truth, he romanticized it. Because it’s easier to twist the truth into something they like, than to actually deal with the truth.

3. Ramsay proves to be perfectly aware that this new Reek was originally Theon Greyjoy, when he next connects Reek to the saying of the Ironborn. He appears to consider Theon’s transition to Reek a rebirth, which is not so far from the truth – as far as Ramsay is concerned, anyway. Ramsay took away Theon’s identity and gave him a new one. And maybe in Ramsay’s twisted mind, he believes that this rebirth is so complete that he virtually is the same as the old Reek. Theon, however, is not gone, he’s just hiding in his subconscious for the moment, biding his time. He’s suppressed because of the fear Ramsay has instilled in him, but Ramsay never managed to “kill” him, mainly because when he was torturing Theon he was mostly breaking the already fake identity Theon had forced upon himself.

 

What has Ramsay done to Theon:

Even if he had wanted to resist, he did not have the strength. It had been scourged from him, starved from him, flayed from him.

This gives a general picture of what Theon’s been through all these months, but later on in the chapter we get some specifics:

“Him? Can it be? Stark’s ward. Smiling, always smiling.”

“He smiles less often now,” Lord Ramsay confessed. “I may have broken some of his pretty white teeth.”

So Theon tried out his smiling technique on Ramsay (”Ramsay hated my smiles, so he took a hammer to my teeth. I can hardly eat.” – The Turncloak), and as a response Ramsay hammered some of his teeth out. Theon’s smiling is one of his most common defense mechanisms. He used it to hide emotions he didn’t want others to see, but Ramsay can’t have Theon hiding anything. He needs to expose all his secrets, emotions, fears in order to take him apart and then put him together again as Reek. So Ramsay takes this defense away from Theon.

However, the smiling is an emotional defense; it’s possible that Ramsay started with taking away Theon’s physical defenses:

“There’s blood on your mouth,” Ramsay observed. “Have you been chewing on your fingers again, Reek?”

“No. No, my lord, I swear.” Reek had tried to bite his own ring finger off once, to stop it hurting after they had stripped the skin from it. Lord Ramsay would never simply cut off a man’s finger. He preferred to flay it and let the exposed flesh dry and crack and fester. Reek had been whipped and racked and cut, but there was no pain half so excruciating as the pain that followed flaying. It was the sort of pain that drove men mad, and it could not be endured for long. Soon or late the victim would scream, “Please, no more, no more, stop it hurting, cut it off,” and Lord Ramsay would oblige. It was a game they played. Reek had learned the rules, as his hands and feet could testify, but that one time he had forgotten and tried to end the pain himself, with his teeth. Ramsay had not been pleased, and the offense had cost Reek another toe.

Ramsay targets Theon’s physical defenses. Theon’s weapon of choice is a bow, so Ramsay decides to maim his hands. If he cuts off enough fingers, Theon won’t ever be able to wield a bow again. Ramsay is cutting away at his hope. And he is doing it slowly because as Reek mentions, “Thus far he had lost two fingers off his left hand and the pinky off his right” Ramsay has mostly focused on his left hand so far, but Theon knows that eventually he will get to his right. His intension is not only to physically hurt him, but also to make him feel helpless. And there is another layer to this particular method of torture. Ramsay flays Theon’s fingers and lets the wounds fester until Theon begs him to cut them off. By doing this Ramsay forces Theon to participate in his own torture. One of Theon’s biggest insecurities is believing himself to be weak. So Ramsay hurts him to the point where he can’t take it anymore, making him feel entirely like a weakling. Some of Theon’s toes underwent the same treatment, with pretty much the same purpose. Because with wounded toes, running or even walking becomes almost impossible.

The next part is another instance of Ramsay controlling every single aspect of Theon’s life.

“I ate a rat,” he mumbled.

“A rat?” Ramsay’s pale eyes glittered in the torchlight. “All the rats in the Dreadfort belong to my lord father. How dare you make a meal of one without my leave.”

But Theon comforts himself with more Ramsay-induced lies.

My lord was only japing, he tried to tell himself. He does not want to hurt me, he told me so, he only does it when I give him cause. His lord was merciful and kind. He might have flayed his face off for some of the things Reek had said, before he’d learned his true name and proper place.

He calls him merciful and kind; this appears to be something Ramsay made him think (like most of these kinds of thoughts are). So Ramsay wants Theon to consider him merciful and kind in spite of what he did to him. He wants to be appreciated by someone, and if his father won’t do it, he’ll get it from the person who can’t refuse, Reek, at the cost of brainwashing him into it.

Conclusion:

Theon is at his lowest point. He’s alone in a dungeon, eating living rats. He fell so low he can only climb up, Ramsay has taken everything away from him, including his identity. This chapter sets the tone for his entire A Dance With Dragons arc. He remembers Kyra and the keys, the reason he’s always scared Ramsay’s playing a trick on him when he sees a chance to escape, something that comes back throughout his entire arc. He starts the rhyming, which is also a constant throughout the book, and in connection with what his name means to Theon. His identity, the basis of not just his A Dance With Dragons arc but in fact, what constitutes Theon’s entire storyline.

 

[The Princess of Ghosts]

Why has no one commented yet?! Great analysis as ever (one of the reasons I actually made this account, happy first post to me). I think I've realized many of the things you've said but it's another thing to see it written. Ramsay stripping away his physical defenses makes so much sense (I never noticed the fingers - bow connection) especially considering that he almost certainly took his genitals. In my opinion Theon has never been mentally strong and I'd say that he was most stable when he was campaigning with Robb. I love how GRRM continues to use the same expression especially when it comes to Theon - in the end of ACoK how it always tasted bitter/not sweet/wrong and saying 'mercy' repeatedly, not so much asking the people surrounding him, but more of a prayer. I love your analyses and I'm really looking forward to see the rest of his ADwD chapters as The Prince of WF and A Ghost in WF are one of my favourite.

[INCBlackbird]

On 21-8-2016 at 0:56 PM, The Princess of Ghosts said:

Why has no one commented yet?! Great analysis as ever (one of the reasons I actually made this account, happy first post to me). I think I've realized many of the things you've said but it's another thing to see it written. Ramsay stripping away his physical defenses makes so much sense (I never noticed the fingers - bow connection) especially considering that he almost certainly took his genitals. In my opinion Theon has never been mentally strong and I'd say that he was most stable when he was campaigning with Robb. I love how GRRM continues to use the same expression especially when it comes to Theon - in the end of ACoK how it always tasted bitter/not sweet/wrong and saying 'mercy' repeatedly, not so much asking the people surrounding him, but more of a prayer. I love your analyses and I'm really looking forward to see the rest of his ADwD chapters as The Prince of WF and A Ghost in WF are one of my favourite.

Oh god I only just saw this now. Thanks for commenting. and ooh very nice first post! welcome to the forum!
I agree that he was most stable when campaigning with Robb and I think that is because he could do something he was good at (archery) to prove his worth so he was valuable. Furthermore he had a good friend in Robb so he felt like he belonged, he could forget the hostage situation a bit at that point. And also, he wasn't in charge, he didn't have to worry about leadership, he just did what he was told, which works fine for Theon. Yeah, Theon definitly has a certain tone in his chapters, and of course the tone is different in his Clash arc then in his Dance arc. I've actually got everything written already so I can put up another chapter now. i should really do it weekly or something but I constantly get distracted. But if you want to read more, I wrote a book on Theon. The analysis is in there as well, but also other stuff. It's like 300 pages long so yeah there's plenty there haha I'll give you a link to that https://www.amazon.com/RISING-HARDER-STRONGER-depth-formation-ebook/dp/B016S9MHIY#nav-subnav

 

[INCBlackbird]

REEK II

 

Synopsis:

 

Ramsay sends “Reek” off to negotiate with the Ironborn at Moat Cailin, to get them to surrender the castle.

 

After Victarion left them to play his part in the kingsmoot, the Ironborn aren’t doing well, to say the least. They are pretty much out of supplies, their water is poisoned so they live on ale. And they are kept under siege by the Crannogmen.

 

Theon is brought to their leader, Ralf Kenning, who is dying a slow and painful death after getting shot by a poisoned arrow. Theon makes an end to his suffering by cutting his throat and focuses to the task at hand. He assembles the remaining survivors and presents them with Ramsay’s terms. He promises that lord Ramsay will allow them to go home if they surrender.

 

Dagon Codd refuses his terms and Theon panics, until Adrack Humble kills him and encourages his comrades to accept the terms. Ramsay, of course, doesn’t keep his promise and flays them all alive.

Ramsay assures Theon that he doesn’t have to go back to the dungeon; instead he gets to live with his dogs, he even orders a collar to be made for him.

 

When Roose arrives, joined by Hosteen and Aenys Frey, Theon notices someone else he brought. Someone from his past. He presents her as Arya Stark, but Theon instantly recognizes her as Sansa’s best friend, Jeyne Poole.

 

Analysis:

 

Escaping

When Theon is sent on his way to Moat Cailin, he immediately thinks Ramsay is playing another game with him. “Do they think that I will run?” But Theon reflects that he can’t run, not only because Ramsay and his bastard boys would easily catch up to him, but also because: “Where would he run to?”, considering he’s completely surrounded by enemies. “He would not run. He could not run. I will deliver him the castle. I will. I must.”

 

It’s remarkable that Theon never even considers joining forces with the Ironborn he is meant to persuade for Ramsay; they are his people but he doesn’t even mention them when going over all the enemies he’s surrounded by. Presumable because he considers them doomed either way, as Ramsay probably told him they are. Theon has abandoned his own romanticized views and replaced them with Ramsay’s to protect himself.

 

Theon vs Reek

Through being sent to a familiar place, Reek is reminded a lot about the time “before he knew his name” in this chapter. And compares Theon to Reek throughout the entire chapter. In many cases he attempts to stop himself from remembering because it scares him, but it’s difficult to control when your mind wanders.

 

I have come this way before. It was a dangerous thought, and he regretted it at once. “No,” he said, “no, that was some other man, that was before you knew your name.” His name was Reek. He had to remember that. Reek, Reek, it rhymes with leek.

 

When the first memory appears he immediately separates Theon from Reek, as a way to allow the memories without it being too dangerous. Because when he’s not thinking about Theon as himself, he’s not doing anything wrong, according to Ramsay’s rule. Especially when he reinforces it by constantly contrasting Theon versus Reek to highlight the differences in who they are:

 

• When that other man had come this way, an army had followed close behind him, […] Reek rode alone.

• When that other man had come this way, he had been mounted on a courser, swift and spirited. Reek rode a broken-down stot, all skin and bone and ribs.

• The other man had been a good rider, but Reek was uneasy on horseback.

 

This is another defense mechanism: he wants to feel like Theon again, and with all the memories it’s easy to fall into that trap, so he needs to force himself to remember that: “He was not even a man. He was Lord Ramsay’s creature, lower than a dog, a worm in human skin.” He’s trying to hold on to his Reek persona out of fear of what Ramsay will do if he finds out that he’s straying out of path. After he’s established this clear difference between Reek and Theon, he lets the memories flow more easily.

 

The Karstarks took the Drunkard’s Tower and the Umbers the Children’s Tower, he recalled. Robb claimed the Gatehouse Tower for his own. If he closed his eyes, he could see the banners in his mind’s eye.

 

This is the first time he remembers Robb in A Dance with Dragons, and it’s remarkable that he thinks of him specifically; he doesn’t remember where he stayed but he does remembers where Robb stayed. Not long after this, Theon has another memory that involves Robb, and this time he is part of the memory as well. And not just that, he even remembers it as it being himself, not “The man I was before”.

 

There was where I sat, the last time I was here, he remembered. Robb was at the head of the table, with the Greatjon to his right and Roose Bolton on his left.

 

Robb is possibly more comforting to him than himself (because thinking of himself as Theon is dangerous and painful). But it’s also that Theon was very focused on Robb at this time in his life: his friendship with Robb was the only healthy relationship he held onto while in Winterfell, and now he might subconsciously go back to that time, and go back to holding on to Robb because there really isn’t much else for him to remember fondly.

 

"I am ironborn,” Reek answered, lying. The boy he’d been before had been ironborn, true enough, but Reek had come into this world in the dungeons of the Dreadfort. “Look at my face. I am Lord Balon’s son. Your prince.” He would have said the name, but somehow the words caught in his throat. Reek, I’m Reek, it rhymes with squeak. He had to forget that for a little while, though. No man would ever yield to a creature such as Reek, no matter how desperate his situation. He must pretend to be a prince again.

 

But it doesn’t take long for the memories to catch up on Theon’s “system” because he is still the same person. And no matter how much torture Ramsay put him through, no one can undo that. And remarkably the final trigger is the memory of Smiler.

 

“What horse? I never had no horse.” I did. The memory came back in a rush. Smiler’s screams had sounded almost human. His mane afire, he had reared up on his hind legs, blind with pain, lashing out with his hooves. No, no. Not mine, he was not mine, Reek never had a horse. “I will kill him for you.”

 

Theon panics from the memory that he can’t suppress he has to forcefully correct himself to abide to Ramsay’s rules and immediately focuses on something else. Something unrelated. Something he’s doing in order to get Ramsay what he wants. Because this way he distracts himself from his disobedience and the possible consequences of it.

 

Reek and Ramsay

The immense impact Ramsay has on Theon becomes clear throughout this chapter. Even when he’s not there, Ramsay has him in his grip.

 

“Dagon Codd yields to no man.” No, please, you have to listen. The thought of what Ramsay would do to him if he crept back to camp without the garrison’s surrender was almost enough to make him piss his breeches. Reek, Reek, it rhymes with leak. “Is that your answer?” The words rang feebly in his ears. “Does this codfish speak for all of you?”

 

Oddly enough, Theon draws strength from his fear here, instead of succumbing to his moment of panic. In particular, he draws strength from his name; he repeats his Reek rhyming and suddenly he manages to compose himself. And he is likely very good at keeping that panic under control and hiding his feelings, because the Ironborn don’t seem to notice Theon’s internal struggle. This is probably something he had to learn while being in Ramsay’s captivity. Theon used to need his smiles to hide his feelings, and Ramsay took those away from him; but now apparently, he’s learned to hide everything completely, without the aid of smiling it away.

 

“Lord Ramsay treats his captives honorably so long as they keep faith with him.” He has only taken toes and fingers and that other thing, when he might have had my tongue, or peeled the skin off my legs from heel to thigh.

 

Theon lies to himself in order to be what he knows Ramsay wants him to be, grateful that he hasn’t done worse. These are probably literal thoughts Ramsay has planted in his head and Theon draws from them to make himself believe this lie. When he says this to the Ironborn, he is being genuine, because he makes himself believe it. (Even if it’s only for a second.)

 

Reek knew he had won. He almost felt a man again. Lord Ramsay will be pleased with me. He pulled down the kraken banner with his own two hands, fumbling some because of his missing fingers but thankful for the fingers that Lord Ramsay had allowed him to keep.

 

These are very Stockholm Syndrome-like thoughts that Theon is having. Though, he hasn’t really developed Stockholm Syndrome in this case, since he doesn’t actually believe his own lies (they are very difficult to believe). He tries very hard to give merit to them so he can believe them. It worked with the Starks because there were enough ambiguities in the situation that he ended up genuinely developing affection for some of them. And they made it easy for Theon to believe that that affection was returned, even when it wasn’t in Ned’s case (it was in Robb’s, of course). But with Ramsay that’s not an option, he’s being brainwashed into believing whatever Ramsay wants him to believe but it’s been proven before that Theon knows Ramsay will hurt him if he feels like it. Stockholm syndrome happens when a captive has some agency and in this case Theon has none. He wants to believe Ramsay’s lies because it’ll make it easier to do what Ramsay says, and if he believes that Ramsay “doesn’t want to hurt him” he doesn’t have to be scared all the time. It’s self-preservation instinct, but never a genuine belief.

 

The dogs swarmed around them, snapping and snarling at the strangers. The Bastard’s girls, Reek thought, before he remembered that one must never, never, never use that word in Ramsay’s presence.

 

He didn’t even say it out loud, but as we have seen in the previous chapter, Theon is even scared of his own thoughts. Ramsay even has Theon’s thought process under control, apparently.

 

“When the last of them were gone, Ramsay Bolton turned his smile on Reek. He clasped him by the back of the head, pulled his face close, kissed him on his cheek, (1) and whispered, “My old friend Reek. (2) Did they really take you for their prince? What bloody fools, these ironmen. The gods are laughing.”

“All they want is to go home, my lord.”

“And what do you want, my sweet Reek.” Ramsay murmured, as softly as a lover. (1) His breath smelled of mulled wine and cloves, so sweet. “Such valiant service deserves a reward. I cannot give you back your fingers or your toes, but surely there is something you would have of me. Shall I free you instead? Release you from my service? Do you want to go with them, return to your bleak isles in the cold grey sea, be a prince again? Or would you sooner stay my leal serving man?”

A cold knife scraped along his spine. Be careful, he told himself, be very, very careful. (3) He did not like his lordship’s smile, the way his eyes were shining, the spittle glistening at the corner of his mouth. He had seen such signs before. You are no prince. You’re Reek, just Reek, it rhymes with freak. Give him the answer that he wants. (4)

“My lord,” he said, “my place is here, with you. I’m your Reek. I only want to serve you. All I ask … a skin of wine, that would be reward enough for me … red wine, the strongest that you have, all the wine a man can drink …”

Lord Ramsay laughed. “You’re not a man, Reek. You’re just my creature. (5) You’ll have your wine, though. Walder, see to it. And fear not, I won’t return you to the dungeons, you have my word as a Bolton. We’ll make a dog of you instead. (6) Meat every day, and I’ll even leave you teeth enough to eat it. You can sleep beside my girls. Ben, do you have a collar for him?”

 

1. This is a very intimate thing Ramsay is doing. There’s definitely some sexual undertones in this entire sequence.

2. Another instance where Ramsay is pretending that Theon and Reek are the same person, calling him an old friend.

3. Ramsay is testing him, and Theon knows that. Theon’s taught himself to read Ramsay’s intensions, his moods… so he can do/say exactly what Ramsay wants him to.

4. Even though Theon knows it’s a test, he still has to force himself to “give him the answer he wants”: he has to reinforce the identity Ramsay has given him. He has to tell himself, because deep down he knows he is a prince, he was reminded of his true identity too much in this chapter to be unaffected by it.

5. Even though it’s clear to the both of them that Theon is aware that he’s “not a man” because he’s been brainwashed to believe so. Ramsay likes to reinforce it any chance he gets. Because more than anything he enjoys Theon’s pain. And he knows that taking away his humanity is unbearable for him. it enforces Theon’s already held convictions about his own worthlessness.

6. A dog is exactly what he technically becomes, and he even talks about himself that way “Collared and chained and back in rags again, Reek followed with the other dogs at Lord Ramsay’s heels when his lordship strode forth to greet his father.” He gives Ramsay exactly what he wants. To the point where he thinks of himself the way Ramsay wants him to.

 

Death

It’s important to examine how Theon’s position as far as death is concerned develops throughout his arc.

 

A quick death here would be a hundred times better than returning to Lord Ramsay as a failure.

If I die, I die. Reek only prayed the archer knew his business, so death would be quick and clean. A man’s death, not the end Ralf Kenning suffered.

 

Theon isn’t exactly scared of death and he prefers it over things Ramsay would do to him if he failed him (as anyone probably would), but he doesn’t wish for it, and if he has to die he wishes for it to be “a man’s death”. He still values his dignity somewhat, even after everything Ramsay has done to him, Theon still has some pride left.

 

Ironborn

 

“I thought there would be more. We came at them three times, and three times they threw us back.” We are Ironborn, he thought, with a sudden flash of pride, and for half a heartbeat he was a prince again, Lord Balon’s son, the blood of Pyke. Even thinking was dangerous, though. He had to remember his name. Reek, my name is Reek, it rhymes with weak.

 

One of the things Theon always drew strength from was his heritage; he might have been a hostage but he was important because of his status and as pointed out in his A Clash of Kings  arc, he clung to that and romanticized the Ironborn. Now he has a good reason to be proud and it instantly draws him back to doing that.

 

This is the first time Theon really feels like himself again, it is him who feels like a prince again, not the person he was “before he knew his name”. It’s a glitch in the system of separating Theon and Reek. The first glitch, but not the last.

 

Jeyne Poole

 

The girl was slim, and taller than he remembered, but that was only to be expected. Girls grow fast at that age. Her dress was grey wool bordered with white satin; over it she wore an ermine cloak clasped with a silver wolf’s head. Dark brown hair fell halfway down her back. And her eyes …

That is not Lord Eddard’s daughter.

Arya had her father’s eyes, the grey eyes of the Starks. A girl her age might let her hair grow long, add inches to her height, see her chest fill out, but she could not change the color of her eyes. That’s Sansa’s little friend, the steward’s girl. Jeyne, that was her name. Jeyne Poole.

“Lord Ramsay.” The girl dipped down before him. That was wrong as well. The real Arya Stark would have spat into his face. “I pray that I will make you a good wife and give you strong sons to follow after you.”

“That you will,” promised Ramsay, “and soon.”

 

The importance of Jeyne Poole in Theon’s arc can’t be underestimated. She is a constant living reminder of his past life. She is the proof that he was not in fact, “born in the dungeons of the Dreadfort”, as he says in the beginning of this chapter.

 

It’s remarkable that out of all things, he recognizes her by the eyes. Eyes are a distinctive feature, it’s where you usually look to see what a person is feeling. Theon makes an instant emotional connection with Jeyne.

 

Conclusion:

This chapter is all about memories, Reek is reminded of his past life, both of his Ironborn heritage (thought the Ironborn at Moat Caitlin) and his time with the Starks (through Moat Caitlin itself and the memories of Robb the trip brings, and the introduction of Jeyne Poole). Through these memories he is forced to reflect on who he used to be and rediscovers the desire to be that person. To be Ironborn.

 

 

[The Princess of Ghosts]

On 9/1/2016 at 0:27 AM, INCBlackbird said:

Oh god I only just saw this now. Thanks for commenting. and ooh very nice first post! welcome to the forum!
I agree that he was most stable when campaigning with Robb and I think that is because he could do something he was good at (archery) to prove his worth so he was valuable. Furthermore he had a good friend in Robb so he felt like he belonged, he could forget the hostage situation a bit at that point. And also, he wasn't in charge, he didn't have to worry about leadership, he just did what he was told, which works fine for Theon. Yeah, Theon definitly has a certain tone in his chapters, and of course the tone is different in his Clash arc then in his Dance arc. I've actually got everything written already so I can put up another chapter now. i should really do it weekly or something but I constantly get distracted. But if you want to read more, I wrote a book on Theon. The analysis is in there as well, but also other stuff. It's like 300 pages long so yeah there's plenty there haha I'll give you a link to that https://www.amazon.com/RISING-HARDER-STRONGER-depth-formation-ebook/dp/B016S9MHIY#nav-subnav

 

 

Yes, I definitely agree that campaigning with Robb was a win-win situation for Theon: he was not in charge but he wasn't supposed to be (he wasn't a prince/heir) but still he was close to the leader and high in the 'hierarchy' because of his friendship with Robb (despite having no bannermen sworn to Winterfell, as every other man that was close to him was a Northern lord). 

Yes, please, I'd be really happy if you post your analyses regularly (I'm going to chime in everytime nothing can stop me ). It's also so good of you to continue posting those chapter analyses even after you've written a whole book!

Great work as ever! These chapers are not my favourite because they are essentially an introduction to Reek and a build-up to Theon's, I prefer not to name it as rebirth but maybe it is exactly that. It strikes me that he somehow deep in his mind refuses to think about Robb and what happened (Ramsay has definitely told him all about the Red Wedding and he knows he had played a role in his untimely death) but as he sees familiar sights he cannot stop the memories from flooding. This remembrance starts in this chapter (he mentions him for the first time here) and will finish in Theon I after he reclaims his name and comes to a full realisation

Quote

And Robb. Robb who had been more a brother to Theon than any son born of Balon Greyjoy's loins. Murdered at the Red Wedding, butchered by the Freys. I should have been with him. Where was I? I should have died with him.

It is the same with his relationship with death: he goes from thinking about 'a man's death' (he uses that phrase once more in the Ghost of Winterfell chapter, which again accentuates his arc) but in a passive way, by an arrow, without engaging in actual combat to praying to the Old Gods for a sword in Winterfell's Godswood.

(I am once more rushing through the chapters :/, sorry)  

[INCBlackbird]

REEK III

 

Synopsis:

 

Ramsay arrives at the keep of House Stout after an unsuccessful search for some Freys who got lost while on their way to Winterfell with Wyman Manderly. He organizes a welcoming feast, annoyed that his father didn’t do it for him. Roose disrupts the party when he sends out everyone (but Theon/Reek), to have a word with his son.

 

They discuss the Northern alliance, and in the end Roose announces that he will take Reek with him. Ramsay doesn’t want to let him but there’s nothing he can do.

 

Roose tries to convince Theon to bathe and change clothes, trying to lull him into a sense of security by telling him he’s grateful to him for his service. Theon, though, is suspicious: “The son is just the shadow of the father”, after all.

 

They eventually arrive at Barrow Hall, where Roose introduces “Reek” as Theon Greyjoy to Lady Barbrey Dustin, who, as the widow of William Dustin, rules over Barrow hall. Hearing his real name makes him panic and he insists that Theon died in Winterfell.

 

Analysis:

 

Ramsay Returns

 

Ramsay Bolton had returned and would want his Reek on hand to serve him.

 

The choice of words here is pretty telling: not just “Reek” but “his Reek”. Theon acknowledges Ramsay’s possessiveness over him. He knows Ramsay will send for him when he returns and his only concern is to please him. Theon is extremely observant of Ramsay’s mood: “His lordship himself rode Blood, a red stallion with a temper to match his own. He was laughing. That could be very good or very bad, Reek knew.” Both Ramsay and Theon have horses with names, personalities and colors that seem to match their own. Theon’s was called Smiler, and smiling is of course a very well-known and distinct characteristic from Theon, and the black horse (same as Theon’s hair color) appeared to have a rather restless personality. Theon specifically mentions how Blood (what an appropriate name for a bloodthirsty sadist’s horse) has a temper that matches Ramsay’s.

 

Of late, his lord had been forced to restrain himself, for Barrowton was full of men House Bolton needed, and Ramsay knew to be careful around the Dustins and Ryswells and his fellow lordlings. With them he was always courteous and smiling. What he was behind closed doors was something else.

 

The people who know about Ramsay’s sadistic tendencies might conclude a similar thing but Theon, of course, has special insight into Ramsay’s practices. He puts himself into Ramsay’s shoes and appears almost sympathetic to him for having to restrain himself. It’s probably something that Ramsay demands of him, he wants someone to be compassionate towards him and Theon is the perfect candidate. It’s also related to Theon’s self-preservation instinct, because if Ramsay has to keep himself in check, that probably means he’ll work out his frustrations on Theon. But instead of thinking about that, Theon prefers to think of It from Ramsay’s perspective.

 

Little Walder laughed, and a moment later all the other men were laughing too. “Oh, leave him be,” said Ramsay.

 

It’s interesting that Ramsay enjoys tormenting and bullying Theon but when someone else does it he tells him to back off. This seems like another form of possessiveness: only Ramsay gets to taunt Theon. He’s his after all.

 

“His lordship slew him for his goats?”

“His lordship slew him for calling him Lord Snow. […]” Lord Snow. Reek nodded, his chains clinking as he wrestled with Blood’s saddle straps.

By any name, Ramsay’s no man to be around when he is in a rage. Or when he’s not.

 

Ramsay is clearly very sensitive about his status as a bastard. And the fact that he puts so much importance in a name shows that he’s really insecure about it, which is not surprising considering all the prejudices the society he lives has about bastards. Ironically, Theon clung to his last name in the same way in A Clash of Kings and for very similar reasons. For both Ramsay and Theon, their last names are something that is supposed to prove their worth, a worth they’re insecure about and want to find any kind of support they can to try and be confident about it.

 

Roose and Ramsay

Roose and Ramsay’s semi-private (considering everyone but Reek is gone) conversation gives us a lot more insights in Ramsay’s relationship with his father.

 

Ramsay’s problem isn’t his lack of intelligence; it’s his need to rebel against his father while also desperately wanting his approval. Not to mention his tendency to overestimate himself and his impulsiveness.

 

“Stark’s little wolflings are dead,” said Ramsay, sloshing some more ale into his cup, “and they’ll stay dead. Let them show their ugly faces, and my girls will rip those wolves of theirs to pieces. The sooner they turn up, the sooner I kill them again.” The elder Bolton sighed. “Again? Surely you misspeak. You never slew Lord Eddard’s sons, those two sweet boys we loved so well. That was Theon Turncloak’s work, remember?”

 

Ramsay wants his father’s approval but he inherited nothing of his father’s pragmatism. Roose is a subtle man who cares nothing for other people and is quite clearly a psychopath himself. Differently from Ramsay, though, this is an advantage for Roose, since he can act without being hindered by emotional issues, and he can focus completely on the task at hand without feeling remorse. He is a cautious man, clearly annoyed that his son fails to be so as well. He urges Ramsay to be more like him: “Your amusements are your own, I will not chide you on that count, but you must be more discreet. A peaceful land, a quiet people. That has always been my rule. Make it yours.” But in many ways Ramsay is the opposite of his father: he is what could be called an emotional psychopath. He is ruled by his wants/needs/fears and lacks any kind of self-control. Roose understands human emotions, he just doesn’t share any, while Ramsay doesn’t even understand them or care for anyone else’ but his own. He doesn’t even consider that they might be of any importance to his own wants and needs or even his survival. Ramsay’s lack of empathy is a limitation. It makes Ramsay not a very good player in the game.

 

“You will plant a son in her,” Roose Bolton said, “but not here. I’ve decided you shall wed the girl at Winterfell.” That prospect did not appear to please Lord Ramsay. “I laid waste to Winterfell, or had you forgotten?”

“No, but it appears you have … the Ironmen laid waste to Winterfell, and butchered all its people. Theon Turncloak.”  Ramsay gave Reek a suspicious glance. “Aye, so he did, but still … a wedding in that ruin?”               

 

Even after his father in the very same conversation warned him not openly admit that he was the perpetrator of what happened in Winterfell, because he needs the support of the Northmen and he needs Theon to blame for Winterfell’s destruction, Ramsay still insists that he was the one who did it. He even asks his father if he’s forgotten. This is an emotional response; he knows that his father is very well aware of what he did or didn’t do, but it bugs him that he’s not acknowledging it openly because this is something Ramsay is proud of, and he wants his father to be proud of him for it, too.

 

Theon, who is chained up in the corner of the room, pays attention to the conversation between father and son. He is aware of Ramsay’s mood but he does dare to internally comment on some of the things Ramsay says:

 

Ned Stark’s sons are all dead, Reek thought. Robb was murdered at the Twins, and Bran and Rickon … we dipped the heads in tar … His own head was pounding. He did not want to think about anything that had happened before he knew his name. There were things too hurtful to remember, thoughts almost as painful as Ramsay’s flaying knife …

 

Theon is clearly confusing his lies with the truth here; Ramsay has probably conditioned him to believe that they really killed Bran and Rickon, to make sure he’d never misspeak about it. And as a result Theon breaks himself off before he can even think about the truth.

 

“I’m sick of waiting. We have a girl, we have a tree, and we have lords enough to witness. I’ll wed her on the morrow, plant a son between her legs, and march before her maiden’s blood has dried.” She’ll pray for you to march, Reek thought, and she’ll pray that you never come back to her bed.

 

This is quite a defiant thought Theon has here. Without panicking about it, like he often does after having defiant thoughts. Then again, this isn’t an uncontrolled thought that he couldn’t stop himself from having. Theon projected himself onto Jeyne, imagined what it’d be like for her and he came to the conclusion that any sane person would come to. It’s also something that Theon would want in her position, but it’s easier to think about it from her perspective than from his because it’s still dangerous to, even internally, break Ramsay’s rules. This is the safest way to wish for Ramsay’s death.

 

The Lord of the Dreadfort glanced at Reek. “Oh, and unchain your pet. I am taking him.”

“Taking him? Where? He’s mine. You cannot have him. (1)”

Roose seemed amused by that. “All you have I gave you. You would do well to remember that, bastard. As for this… Reek… if you have not ruined him beyond redemption, he may yet be of some use to us. Get the keys and remove those chains from him, before you make me rue the day I raped your mother. (2)”

Reek saw the way Ramsay’s mouth twisted, the spittle glistening between his lips. He feared he might leap the table with his dagger in his hand. (3) Instead he flushed red, turned his pale eyes from his father’s paler ones, and went to find the keys. But as he knelt to unlock the fetters around Reek’s wrists and ankles, he leaned close and whispered, “Tell him nothing and remember every word he says. I’ll have you back, no matter what that Dustin bitch may tell you. Who are you?”

“Reek, my lord. Your man. I’m Reek, it rhymes with sneak.” (4)

“It does. When my father brings you back, I’m going to take another finger. I’ll let you choose which one.” (5)

Unbidden, tears began to trickle down his cheeks. “Why?” he cried, his voice breaking. “I never asked for him to take me from you. I’ll do whatever you want, serve, obey, I … please, no …”

Ramsay slapped his face. “Take him,(6)” he told his father. “He’s not even a man. (7) The way he smells disgusts me.”

 

1. Ramsay is clearly very attached to his “Reek” at this point. Ramsay relies on “Reek” for a lot of things, he’s gotten used to it and can’t handle his father taking that away from him.

2. Roose isn’t exactly subtle about his supposed “relationship” to Ramsay’s mother. This also comes into play later. It’s important to understand why Ramsay is so attached to his “pet”. He wants acceptance from his father, maybe even “love”, or rather, Ramsay’s perception of what love is. But his father is at best cold to him so he had to search for such things elsewhere, and that’s where “Reek” comes into play. He can’t refuse to give Ramsay what he wants; so everything Ramsay desires, Reek is forced to satisify.

3. Theon is very focused on Ramsay’s mood. He knows exactly what sets him off. To the point where he can imagine his reactions.

4. Theon has to assure him that he’s still “his Reek” even though he has no agency as far as leaving goes. That’s all Roose. But Ramsay deals with a lot of insecurities that need to be nurtured. He needs to hear “his Reek” remind him that he’s his, that he won’t lose Reek, no matter what his father does. Because he’s scared that he will, and he’s gotten used to having him to satisfy his needs. Deep down Ramsay knows that whatever his father decides to do is what will happen eventually, that it’s out of his control. And if he decides not to give Theon back to him, then he won’t get him back, and that is what scares him. He needs to convince himself that is not true, and Reek telling him it’s not, is one way to strengthen his belief. It’s another case of not dealing with the truth but instead choosing to believe a lie he wants to believe.

5. Theon noticed Ramsay’s anger before, but Ramsay didn’t act on it, and couldn’t act on it because his father owns him and he knows it. Ramsay is impulsive but not that impulsive, and instead he decides to work his anger out on Reek, not caring that he’s completely powerless in the situation. Reek is his punching bag. It’s a defense mechanism called displacement: to work his frustrations out on someone else because he can’t work them out on his father (he does it with Theon all the time of course, It’s one of the many reasons Ramsay’s so attached to him). Ironically, Theon used the same defense mechanism several times in A Clash of Kings.

6. Ramsay needs this to happen at his command; he needs to be in control. It’s not like he could stop his father in taking “his Reek”; if he could, he would have. But Ramsay knows he can’t, and he can’t deal with that so he needs to feel like it is his choice. He tells his father to “take him” and that he doesn’t even want him. Trying to make it seem like it is in fact his choice, even though they all know it’s not.

7. This is a very effective way of hurting Theon and Ramsay knows it. The Theon he broke was obsessed with being manly, and even after Ramsay did everything to strip him of that, he still uses it to hurt him, as if he needs something like that at this point. Ramsay is not at all as sure of himself as he pretends to be; overcompensation is a big defense mechanism for Ramsay too. Especially now that his pet is being taken away and there’s nothing he can do about it, he needs to resort to things he used in his torture to break Theon, after he already broke Theon completely (or so he thinks) to boost his ego.

 

Roose and Theon

Roose taking Theon away from Ramsay marks a big change; it gives Theon time to breathe, a chance to be without fear of being punished constantly and therefore a chance to slowly rebuild his identity and reclaim his name. No wonder that their first conversation starts and ends with Theon’s name as the subject:

 

“What would you have me call you?” the lord asked, as they trotted down the broad straight streets of Barrowton. Reek, I’m Reek, it rhymes with wreak. “Reek,” he said, “if it please my lord.”

 

At this point Theon’s only just been taken away from Ramsay: he doesn’t know why, he doesn’t know for how long and he has no idea what kind of man Roose will be to him, but he’s definitely cautious about it: “The son is just the shadow of the father.” So when asked his name he quickly reminds himself it is Reek, with a rhyme and not any rhyme, he rhymes Reek with wreak. Wreak means to take revenge on. This could definitely be a sign of rebellion, albeit it may not be deliberate but rather a subconscious reaction. Nevertheless, he sticks to being called “Reek”. Obviously he’s not nearly ready to reclaim his name, not even in his own head, but there was a moment where he wanted to, not only because he rhymed before replying, but also because the first word that came to mind was wreak.

 

Throughout their conversation Roose attempts to slowly convince Theon to act somewhat like himself again. Of course, that’s for his own personal gain, not out of human decency. Roose makes several suggestions, but Theon refuses them all and becomes increasingly more panicked:

 

“A bath and change of clothes will make you smell sweeter.”

“A bath?” Reek felt a clenching in his guts. “I … I would sooner not, m’lord. Please. I have… wounds, I… and these clothes, Lord Ramsay gave them to me, he … he said that I was never to take them off, save at his command …” […]

He could not let them take the clothes Lord Ramsay gave him. He could not let them see him. “Would you prefer to dress in silk and velvet? There was a time when you were fond of such, I do recall.”

“No,” he insisted, shrilly. “No, I only want these clothes. Reek’s clothes. I’m Reek, it rhymes with peek.” His heart was beating like a drum, and his voice rose to a frightened squeak.

 

When Roose brings up something very specific to Theon, his love for fine clothes, Theon panics even more but the next time he speaks he refers to Reek in the third person. This can be seen as another sign of subconscious rebellion, that he quickly tries to undo by saying “I’m Reek” and rhyming his name out loud out of sheer panic. Roose is making it difficult for Theon to remain what Ramsay wants him to be, by tempting him with his real identity.

 

It all ends with him being called Theon again and the terror that follows. Because Theon is more than a name, it’s a personality that was stolen from him by Ramsay, and all those things Roose talked about are a part of this personality, like pieces from a puzzle.

 

“Lady Barbrey, allow me to present the rightful Lord of the Iron Islands, Theon of House Greyjoy.” No, he thought, no, don’t say that name, Ramsay will hear you, he’ll know, he’ll know, he’ll hurt me. Her mouth pursed. “He is not what I expected.”

“He is what we have.”

“What did your bastard do to him?”

“Removed some skin, I would imagine. A few small parts. Nothing too essential.”

“Is he mad?”

“He may be. Does it matter?” Reek could hear no more. “Please, m’lord, m’lady, there’s been some mistake.” He fell to his knees, trembling like a leaf in a winter storm, tears streaming down his ravaged cheeks. “I’m not him, I’m not the turncloak, he died at Winterfell. My name is Reek.” He had to remember his name. “It rhymes with freak.”

 

After Theon hears his true name he full on goes into a panic mode, because he wants it back badly, but he can’t have it; he has to remember his ‘name’, the one Ramsay gave him, because even someone else saying the real one far, far away from Ramsay convinces him that Ramsay will hear him and hurt him for it. And Roose saying his true name and talking about him and what Ramsay did to him with Lady Dustin tempts him to reclaim it. It’s so close now all he needs is to be less afraid of Ramsay. But it goes further than just names because both symbolize an entire identity. Reek is the identity Ramsay forced onto him and Theon is the identity he really wants because it’s the real him. A constant internal struggle between these two identities is going on and through what Roose said, Theon is fighting harder, only the fear of Ramsay keeps him from taking over.

 

Everything in the conversation is in sync with how Theon thinks about Ramsay. He defends him both out loud:

 

“Does he truly think that he can ever rule the North?”

“He fights for you,” Reek blurted out. “He’s strong.”

 

And in his head, when Roose accuses Ramsay of having killed his brother Domeric:

 

He could be wrong. Brothers die sometimes, it does not mean that they were killed. My brothers died, and I never killed them.

 

Ramsay has conditioned him to only think good of him to the point where it comes naturally to Theon. He automatically defends Ramsay against any criticism, even when Ramsay himself isn’t present. Interestingly enough though, here Theon subconsciously thinks of his real brothers Rodrik and Maron, who died. They are Theon’s brothers, not Reek’s, He is acknowledging his true identity without even realizing it. Some slight progress can definitely be seen even after only being away from Ramsay for a little while.

 

Ramsay and the First Reek

Roose tells Theon about Ramsay’s past, which gives us a better understanding of Ramsay and where the name Reek comes from.

 

“I knew the original Reek,” Roose tells Theon. He was a servant at the dreadfort, his real name was Heke, but he was best known as “Reek”, a nickname he got because he had a rare disease that made him smell bad. No amount of cleaning helped – he even tried to drink perfume once, something Roose punished him for. When Ramsay’s mother (who Roose raped) comes to the castle demanding help with their son, who was growing up “wild and unruly”, Roose gives her Reek. It was meant mockingly, but Ramsay and Reek grew inseparable and Roose tells Theon that he doesn’t know whether “it was Ramsay who corrupted Reek, or Reek Ramsay.”

 

Ramsay tried to turn Theon in the original Reek, making him smell bad by not allowing him to bathe or change clothes. Theon’s visceral reaction when Roose suggests that he cleans up tells us exactly how important this was to Ramsay.

 

“A bath and change of clothes will make you smell sweeter.”

“A bath?” Reek felt a clenching in his guts. “I… I would sooner not, m’lord. Please. I have … wounds, I… and these clothes, Lord Ramsay gave them to me, he… he said that I was never to take them off, save at his command…”

 

Clearly Ramsay puts a lot of emphasis on this: he needs to keep the act as real as he possibly can. We’ve also seen before in the first Reek chapter that he likes to pretend Heke and Theon are the same person altogether. Reek was extremely important to Ramsay: how important and in what way we can only speculate about, but he was undeniably a big part of Ramsay’s life and a major force in how he was shaped.

 

In addition Ramsay also appears to romanticize his father’s relationship with his mother.

 

“Has my bastard ever told you how I got him?” That he did know, to his relief. “Yes, my … m’lord. You met his mother whilst out riding and were smitten by her beauty.”

 

This must be something Ramsay told Theon. Never mind that in the same chapter Roose told Ramsay “don’t make me rue the day I raped your mother”, and now he doesn’t shy away from telling Theon the truth of the matter:

 

“I was hunting a fox along the Weeping Water when I chanced upon a mill and saw a young woman washing clothes in the stream. The old miller had gotten himself a new young wife, a girl not half his age. She was a tall, willowy creature, very healthy-looking. Long legs and small firm breasts, like two ripe plums. Pretty, in a common sort of way. The moment that I set eyes on her I wanted her. Such was my due. This miller’s marriage had been performed without my leave or knowledge. The man had cheated me. So I had him hanged, and claimed my rights beneath the tree where he was swaying.”

 

Clearly Roose doesn’t hide what he did to Ramsay’s mother, so what Ramsay told Theon was something he came up with himself. He has an issue with his father having raped his mother (despite the fact that he’s a rapist himself.) so he prefers to lie to himself and others about it, to distort the truth. He probably told Theon because he wouldn’t dare to refute his story even if he’d known the truth; so Ramsay would have one more person to share this distortion with and the more people believe it, the easier it is for Ramsay to hold on to his version.

 

It is not a coincidence that we get to know all about the history behind the name Reek in this particular chapter. Because this is what marked the beginning of Theon letting go of it and reclaiming his own identity. Roose has taken Theon away from Ramsay for the time being, and for now Theon is still clinging to his Reek identity, but he’ll realize soon enough that Ramsay isn’t there to enforce it anymore. Being away from Ramsay gives Theon the chance to reclaim his name. This chapter is about the beginning and the end of Reek.

 

Conclusion:

This chapter is all about the name Reek. We get to know its origins and have a better understanding of how important it is to Ramsay, and in consequence how important Theon is to Ramsay as he’s currently carrying that name and the identity that comes with the name. But it is also the chapter that defines a fundamental change in Theon. In the end, Theon insist that he is Reek and that Theon died in Winterfell, but we see throughout the chapter that he is very much aware he is, in fact, Theon and now that Roose has taken him away from Ramsay, Theon can get a chance to reclaim his name. The desire to do so becomes harder to resist. This is the last chapter where Theon internally insists he is Reek. It’s about the symbolic birth and death of “Reek”.

 

 

[ftheking]

Very interesting read! Thanks for the work. I feel I know Theon better with every post I read in here. He is the most amazing PoV character IMO.

One small thing I just noticed in the laste post; Ramsay's not denying that his father raped his mother, nor disapproving, he just gives it a positive spin. Being smitten with someone's beauty and raping them is no contradiction - on the contrary it's the logical consequence in Ramsay's opinion. (I don't think any man would think it a contradiction, incuding all non-rapists) Influenced by his life story, Ramsay truly believes rape is great thing, he has zero negative opinions about it. This is of course one little part of what made him such a messed up monster.

Something I wanted to discuss from the first page. You write that Theon doesn't get that Ironborn are religious and that is the reason he doesn't care about religion. Like he is making a mistake by not being religious. However, you seem to quite clear counter.evidence in the quote in which Theon reflects that he doesn't pray much at all, but you can't tell a priest that even if he's your uncle. Clearly he knows that religion is theoretically suppossed to be important, that he is suppossed to care about it. He just doesn't, which is really the most normal thing in any world for a young, healthy man to seek fun and glory and don't give much of a damn about any gods. It feels perfectly real and authentic. It's also not Theons problem with the Ironborn. He is right to think that being hard, manly and really good with ships are the traits he would need to impress his father and many bannermen. No one questions his faith, except Aeron, who is some kind of crazy born again zealot in the context of the Iron Islands. (And zealots pop up everywhere in the known world right now, Sparrows, Red priests...)