Just Finished ADWD A Couple Weeks Ago (Arya Chapters)

[CoconutBackwards]

I'm pretty disappointed with where Arya stands and to be honest there has been virtually no pay off for all these chapters I've read about her.  The grand finale of this being the last book and the chapters with her and the Faceless.  The whole Faceless experience was long and imo went nowhere.  

Does anyone else feel this way?  Any theories about why I read all these chapters about her saying she's no one over and over?  With everything Arya has been through I can see how she could grow up to be one of the toughest characters of anyone, but are we ever gonna see this?  How many more books/decades would I have to wait for to see any kind of fruition with her?

/end rant.

 

*If I put this in the wrong spot let me know.  I definitely don't wanna spoil anything for anyone.

[a black swan]

Arya is going to face a choice on whether to remain No One or return to Arya Stark. That struggle should come to fruition in the next book when I suspect she will leave the HoBW and return to Westeros. Lots of factors may contribute to this development in her story and the impact of facing all the mess back home. 

For example, it's highly likely Arya will meet Jeyne Poole, the girl pretending to be Arya Stark in Westeros, while the real Arya is trying to lose herself. It's a nice symmetry in both their narratives. What impact will that have on the real Arya? What is going to trigger her to choose to reclaim her identity and return home with the skills and knowledge she has learned? What are the FM and the Iron Bank really up to now that both entities have an "Arya" with them?

 

[Tucu]

Look at the parallels betwen Arya's and Bran's training. She was blinded to awaken her powers, Bran awoke his powers in the darkness of crypts. Arya is giving her identity away to belong to the Faceless Men; Bran is merging with the trees. Old powers are awakening.

We then have the link between the Faceless Men and the Iron Bank and Tycho Nestoris telling Jon

Quote

We Braavosi are descended from those who fled Valyria and the wroth of its dragonlords. We do not jape of dragons

They are training a child Faceless Men with warging abilities and are not fond of dragonlords.

[CoconutBackwards]

On 9/21/2018 at 5:24 AM, a black swan said:

Arya is going to face a choice on whether to remain No One or return to Arya Stark. That struggle should come to fruition in the next book when I suspect she will leave the HoBW and return to Westeros. Lots of factors may contribute to this development in her story and the impact of facing all the mess back home. 

For example, it's highly likely Arya will meet Jeyne Poole, the girl pretending to be Arya Stark in Westeros, while the real Arya is trying to lose herself. It's a nice symmetry in both their narratives. What impact will that have on the real Arya? What is going to trigger her to choose to reclaim her identity and return home with the skills and knowledge she has learned? What are the FM and the Iron Bank really up to now that both entities have an "Arya" with them?

I like that a lot.  That's a very good observation on your part and obviously went right over my head.

[John Suburbs]

Not every character arc ends with high drama at the conclusion of each book. What usually happens, though, is that there is some kind of transition:

Jon and the NW march north of the wall ==>Jon joins the wildlings ===> Jon becomes LC of the NW ==> Jon is stabbed

Sansa becomes ward of the IT ===> Sansa becomes Alayne in Eyrie ===> Sansa descends from the Eyrie

Tyrion becomes Hand in KL ===> Tyrion flees to Pentos ===> Tyrion escapes from slavery and joins the Second Sons

So for Arya, her transitions are:

She escapes KL with Yoren ==> she escapes Harrenhall with Gendry and Hot Pie==> she leaves Westeros for Braavos ==> now she has finished her training and is an FM