Sasha Steelsong Posted June 13, 2015 Share Posted June 13, 2015 I'd like to weight something regarding Arya's decision. Obligatory disclaimer first, it is statutory rape in most of the world. Now, on the subject. What's terrifying, I think, it's not that Arya is willing to put herself in a situation where there is a real chance of rape - as Sansa did regarding Ramsay. In the Mercy chapter, a much younger Arya simply doesn't care at all if Raff kisses her, touches her or if she has to touch him. Book Arya is desensitized. We don't know if the show will portray it like in the books. But, as far as we can speculate, this isn't Arya thinking "I'm risking getting penetrated by Meryn Trant". Instead, it's Arya thinking "I don't care if Meryn Trant penetrates me as long as it helps me kill him". Which, I think, it's even more chilling. Oh I am entirely with you. I read the chapter and was appalled, not because of what happened but of how lost Arya clearly was in her mentality about it all, if necessary she would have gone through with it and that is abundantly clear in the Mercy chapter. I've loved Arya's story, and knew she was very far gone, in part because she younger in the books than the show, but the really scary part was how natural the scene seemed. What I mean by that was how it didn't seem like GRRM was accelerating things or taking things too far, but that it was totally organic to her story that she be that desensitized. I hope like hell she can find her way back to some peace, but after reading that chapter I started to think the chances were dwindling. She may have a shot if she doesn't finish her training, but I don't see any story intersecting with hers to stop her path and increasingly worry she's another Stark who is going to have a tragic end. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShadowKitteh Posted June 13, 2015 Share Posted June 13, 2015 In Borodin's World:Everyone who doesn't hate D&D for (insert reason du'jour-this week it's a pedo character) = bad person. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShadowKitteh Posted June 13, 2015 Share Posted June 13, 2015 Why? It's unnecessary. In the show, Trant was already on her list and Raff was never on her list.If you were the author, a showrunner, a producer, or a suit at HBO, you'd have a say in whether it's necessary or not. But you aren't, so you don't. You hate the books and the show. We get it. Why are you here? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoamingRonin Posted June 13, 2015 Share Posted June 13, 2015 That's BS. The writers could have her gain access to Trant in a zillion different ways. You could use this argument for anything that makes you uncomfortable in the adaptation. Don't like incest? Well, the books changed Cersei and Jaime from their very first scene. They could make it so that Jaime was some knight of a different House. They didn't have to be brother and sister. The only thing that really matters about their relationship is that their children are bastards and not Robert's heirs. The more you argue, the more you hurt your case. We all agree that the sexual violence against people (of any age and sex) is gratuitous and unnecessary in the majority of cases. For example: we didn't need to know that Craster's wives were raped in the books or the show because we already know the Night's Watch is comprised mostly of criminals. If you would just say that and leave it, no one would argue against you. But you insist on demonizing the show while cringing away from criticizing Martin. ... On a different note: I think the show handles sex and sexual violence far better than the books do. There are less examples of rape and attempted rape on the show. It's not something they throw out every other episode like Martin does in his chapters. The books tell us rape happens in the real world and hammers this point home until it becomes exhausting. At least with the show, I don't have to envision a 14 year old girl or 11 year old girl in a sexual situation. Everyone is of age. We get to follow the victims to see how they have dealt with what has happened to them. Even supporting characters like Craster's wives get screen time so that what they suffered wasn't just done to shock the viewers. Characters in the book like Arya and Sansa escape rape inexplicably even though they are threatened with it time after time after time. Martin knows that if one of them is raped, he will have to deal with it in depth and so he just taunts them to make us uncomfortable. So then he destroys sideline characters just to go "Oho! Do you see? This is the real world and rape happens!" Anyone read the Ice Dragon story Martin wrote? The main character's sister is raped while her father is nailed to a wall and forced to watch. What comes of this? Nothing. The girl eventually learns to smile again (whatever that means) and that's all Martin has to say on that. It's a needless detail but since Martin's world is full of gritty gritty grimdark realism, someone has to be raped. For him, it wouldn't make sense otherwise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeyne's Addiction Posted June 13, 2015 Share Posted June 13, 2015 Alrighty then. Case closed. It seems to have been reopened. What changed? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thisishardcore Posted June 13, 2015 Share Posted June 13, 2015 Someone is arguing for the sake of arguing... Arya's arc is one of the most consistent on the show. D&D should at least get credit for it, though what they've done to the rest of this season is quite poor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jellyfish Posted June 13, 2015 Share Posted June 13, 2015 Well as Arya has a kill in the books that does involve a character on her list who has no issue with pedophilia which Arya uses to her advantage to make the kill happen, that character does not exist in the show, and they clearly wanted to have Ayra knock another individual off her list in the show this season, it makes sense that someone else on her list that the audience already knows (Trant) takes the place of the person on her list who doesn't exist in the show. Not to mention the scene: 1) shows how Arya can get close to said knight in full armor who is easily twice her size in a believable way and successfully kill him, 2) shows how far down the rabbit hole Arya has traveled in the name of revenge that she is willing to put herself in that situation just to kill a man, 3) shows that Trant is not someone who only did bad things following someone else's orders (like the Hound who Arya didn't kill) but really deserves to be on her list. Not to mention that a lot of the bad things that Trant has done, Arya is entirely ignorant of because they happened after she left King's Landing. As it is relatively faithful to her story in the books I don't have a problem with it, particularly since it is the depravity that Arya uses against Trant/Raff so she has to be made aware of it for that part of her story to play out. I agree. it was a rather clever way to introduce the really well written Mercy chapter. i normally don't post very often , I am more an interested forum reader but this very redundant debate goes imo into a very dangerous direction. some posters suggest in a very offensive way that the showmakers and Martin himself at least belittle child abuse, at worst condone it or even find pleasure in writing child porn. this gets outright annoying. do these posters even realize that they leave any level of civilized debate? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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