GRRM's use of literary tools for story telling; examples: Sandor-Sansa, Sandor-Arya, Jaime-Cat scenes

[Nagini's Neville]

One of the thing, that always made ASOIAF stand out to me and set it apart from other work in the same genre, is GRRM's common use of literary tools.

(While I've read my fair share of books of all genres and notice those literary tools and absolutely live for them, since I've never studied literature I often don't know how certain tools are called, or if it's even right to call them "literary tools". So all you literary knowledgeable ppl, come and help me out!)

This has probably been analyzed before, but I couldn't find anything on it and I also thought those were good examples to start of this thread.

Rereading some of Sansa's and Arya's scenes with Sandor, I've noticed parallels between each their first and last scenes with him. GRRM included similar key elements in both scenes, but changed something very essential in the last, that illustrates changes within the characters and maybe also within their dynamic.

Sansa's first scene with the Hound -> "Brother-face-story scene" (I know there is one before, but that's very brief and they don't really talk) key elements :

1. She cries

2. she touches him

3. He threatens to kill her

 

Battle of the Blackwater:

1. He threatens to kill her

2. she touches him

3. He cries

 

That she touches him in those scenes is noteworthy, because those are the only scenes she does that. In all of their other scenes he is always the one touching her, while she often tries to get free or tells him to let go of her.

In total he threatens to kill her three times, it all happens within those two scenes. And someone cries, but that person doesn't stay the same.

You could on top of that also mention, the exchange of something personal. In Scene 1 the Hound shares his story of his own free will. In scene 2 Sansa is "sharing" her song, which is also something personal. But he is forcing her to do so. On one hand he is forcing her, but on the other hand she is chooses the song herself, which communicates something personal. It ultimately gets through to the Hound the same way his story gets through to her in scene 1. They are both effected by story/song.

You could also interpret his death threat in scene 1 as a sign, that even though he was not forced by anyone to share his story, it was not really something he wanted/intended to do, but for some reason just felt compelled to do so and maybe regretted it afterwards. So another parallel could be: Sansa was forced by him in s2, he was forced by his own lack of self-control in s1.

 

Arya's and Sandor's first scene -> after he defeated Beric and was burnt; key elements:

1. He is in a bad physical condition

2. He asks her to kill him

3. He confesses his sins

4. Lem stops her 

5. She doesn't kill him

 

Their last scene, when she leaves him:

1.He is in a bad physical condition

2.He asks her to kill him

3. He confesses his sins

4. Nobody stops her 

5. She doesn't kill him

 

In both scenes there are signs, that Arya feels some compassion for him on some level. s1 ("His arm, Arya thought, and his face.") and in s2, because she doesn't just kill him right away, but hesitates before he starts to speak ("I wouldn’t have to kill him. If I just rode off and left him, he’d die all by himself.")

In both scenes she feels anger and resentment towards him (more so in s1), that gets worse through his confession. In s1 Lem stops her. In s2 nobody stops her. And she ends up not killing him in both scenes.

 

Another interesting element, that sticks out is, while it being Sansa's life in question in those prior scenes, it is now Sandor's life being in question.

 

There are also parallels between Sandor's and Sansa's conversation and Jaime's and Cat's in ACOK.  

“You think I fear death?” That seemed to amuse him. “You should. Your crimes will have earned you a place of torment in the deepest of the seven hells, if the gods are just.” “What gods are those, Lady Catelyn? The trees your husband prayed to? How well did they serve him when my sister took his head off?” Jaime gave a chuckle. “If there are gods, why is the world so full of pain and injustice?” “Because of men like you.”

A Clash of Kings, Catelyn 7

 

“So long as I have this,” he said, lifting the sword from her throat, “there’s no man on earth I need fear.” (...)

“What will you do when he crosses?” “Fight. Kill. Die, maybe.” “Aren’t you afraid? The gods might send you down to some terrible hell for all the evil you’ve done.” “What evil?” He laughed. “What gods?” “The gods who made us all.” “All?” he mocked. “Tell me, little bird, what kind of god makes a monster like the Imp, or a halfwit like Lady Tanda’s daughter? If there are gods, they made sheep so wolves could eat mutton, and they made the weak for the strong to play with.”

A Clash of Kings, Sansa 4

 

Both even mention Ned's death. The Hound is a bit more elaborate, than Jaime: 

"“Here’s your truth. Your precious father found that out on Baelor’s steps. Lord of Winterfell, Hand of the King, Warden of the North, the mighty Eddard Stark, of a line eight thousand years old … but Ilyn Payne’s blade went through his neck all the same, didn’t it? Do you remember the dance he did when his head came off his shoulders?”"

A Clash of Kings, Sansa 4

 

Those scene of course illustrate the parallels between these characters. The similarities between Jaime and Sandor and the similar themes surrounding them have been analyzed a lot before. And it has been often mentioned, that Sansa looks like her mother and she also aspires to be like her ("I must be as strong as my lady mother.") There are other similarities like fitting into the role society has assigned to them. They are both moral characters. But there are also differences between them of course.

 

If you have any thoughts and interpretations on those particular examples, please share.

If you can think of any other scenes, in which GRRM uses literary tools for his story telling, please share!