Jump to content

Arya's mental illness


Rondo

Recommended Posts

On 6/9/2022 at 2:58 PM, Equilibrium said:

Revenge killings are perfectly sane and moral course of action when authorities could't be expected to establish appropriate mechanisms of justice. They are mandatory or salutary in many cultures and subcultures today as they were in much of the pre-contemporary period of Western European history, because official justice isn't or wasn't reliable.

The old man in the tavern underwriting insurance was not an enemy.  He had done no harm to Arya.  Arya killed him because she is crazy.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Rondo said:

The old man in the tavern underwriting insurance was not an enemy.  He had done no harm to Arya.  Arya killed him because she is crazy.

She killed the insurance broker because she was told to.  Nothing more, nothing less.  Even then, she asked a lot of questions; more than the FM would have liked.  Her actions may or may not have been bad; they were definitely sane.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

15 hours ago, Rondo said:

The old man in the tavern underwriting insurance was not an enemy.  He had done no harm to Arya.  Arya killed him because she is crazy.

 

13 hours ago, Nevets said:

She killed the insurance broker because she was told to.  Nothing more, nothing less.  Even then, she asked a lot of questions; more than the FM would have liked.  Her actions may or may not have been bad; they were definitely sane.

She killed Daeron too.  Arya's actions are not justified.  Arya is insane.  I don't know if she can use her insanity to get herself out of the gallows when she gets caught. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

16 hours ago, Rondo said:

Most people are sane.  Arya is insane.  Suffering and sadness do not affect all in the same way.  Most can accept and move on.  Arya is not such.  So much hate in that little heart of hers caused her sanity to snap.

Another professional psychological diagnosis courtesy of the University of Reddit. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 hours ago, Bowen Marsh said:

She killed Daeron too.  Arya's actions are not justified.  Arya is insane.  I don't know if she can use her insanity to get herself out of the gallows when she gets caught. 

She killed Daeron because he was a deserter from the NW.  You can disagree with her actions on a moral level (I do here) but it's not insanity, it's a harsh interpretation of justice brought about by her experiences.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 6/10/2022 at 7:06 PM, Rondo said:

The old man in the tavern underwriting insurance was not an enemy.  He had done no harm to Arya.  Arya killed him because she is crazy.

Arya did it in order to become a better murderer. It’s like a street criminal taking an initiation test to get into a gang of murderers. Arya murdered the old man to become a gang member. Arya is very sick inside. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, Darth Sidious said:

Arya did it in order to become a better murderer. It’s like a street criminal taking an initiation test to get into a gang of murderers. Arya murdered the old man to become a gang member. Arya is very sick inside. 

George has compared Arya to a child soldier in interviews so I suppose the comparison to a gang initiation is somewhat apt.  However, they are usually regarded as ordinary criminals, or, especially at Arya's age, manipulated and exploited children.  Insanity doesn't come into it, though immaturity can.

And while these individuals are often psychopaths, that isn't the case with Arya.  If anything, she cares too much about others, especially those she's seen harmed.  And she still has a moral compass, wobbly though it may be.  Her need for reassurance that the insurance man had actually harmed his customers should be evidence of that.  She won't kill those she believes are innocents.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 6/12/2022 at 12:04 AM, Nevets said:

George has compared Arya to a child soldier in interviews so I suppose the comparison to a gang initiation is somewhat apt.  However, they are usually regarded as ordinary criminals, or, especially at Arya's age, manipulated and exploited children.  Insanity doesn't come into it, though immaturity can.

And while these individuals are often psychopaths, that isn't the case with Arya.  If anything, she cares too much about others, especially those she's seen harmed.  And she still has a moral compass, wobbly though it may be.  Her need for reassurance that the insurance man had actually harmed his customers should be evidence of that.  She won't kill those she believes are innocents.  

Arya was not forced to kill the old man. She wasn’t forced to go to the Faceless Men boot camp. She made those choices. She wasn’t manipulated. She chose. Sure we can debate the quality of her ability to make decisions. Arya is insane and therefore her mind functions as well as a chamber pot with a crack. Any evaluation for punishment that is fair would have to take her mental condition into consideration. She gets her head taken off or she spends her life inside a padded jail cell.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 minutes ago, Darth Sidious said:

Arya was not forced to kill the old man. She wasn’t forced to go to the Faceless Men boot camp. She made those choices. She wasn’t manipulated. She chose. Sure we can debate the quality of her ability to make decisions. Arya is insane and therefore her mind functions as well as a chamber pot with a crack. Any evaluation for punishment that is fair would have to take her mental condition into consideration. She gets her head taken off or she spends her life inside a padded jail cell.

I'm considering the quality of her decision making in light of the fact that she is 11 years old.  Such individuals are not known for their great decision making processes, processes not helped by the trauma and violence she has experienced and witnessed.

Of course the Faceless Men are manipulating her.  They gave her choices she knows won't appeal to her, and she now fears abandonment if she doesn't do as she is told.

I do not like her affiliation with the Faceless Men and the sooner she breaks ties with them, the better.  I don't think they're training her to be an assassin, and maybe never were.  She would be a poor candidate in any event.  She cares too much.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 6/10/2022 at 6:06 PM, Rondo said:

The old man in the tavern underwriting insurance was not an enemy.  He had done no harm to Arya.  Arya killed him because she is crazy.

No, she killed him because she was told to. In order to get into the Assassins' club. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Arya’s judgment is corrupted by her insanity. I would love to label Arya evil. She has done evil things. But her mental illness and insanity distorts her judgment. It will be hard to label Arya evil because she is insane. She has difficulty resisting her lust for murder.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 6/14/2022 at 3:30 AM, Darth Sidious said:

Arya was not forced to kill the old man. She wasn’t forced to go to the Faceless Men boot camp. She made those choices. She wasn’t manipulated. She chose. Sure we can debate the quality of her ability to make decisions. Arya is insane and therefore her mind functions as well as a chamber pot with a crack. Any evaluation for punishment that is fair would have to take her mental condition into consideration. She gets her head taken off or she spends her life inside a padded jail cell.

She was an orphan whose kidnapper-protector Sandor Clegane appeared to be dying leaving her friendless and alone, far from home with no belief that her home even exists for her to make for.  She sold her horse and got ripped off because she is easy prey.  Who can she turn to?  The man who helped her at Harrenhall and gave her a token to use in need.  It's born of desperation but it's an entirely rational decision to seek passage to Braavos and she has no idea what she is getting herself into until after she arrives.

How many orphans or strays end up as gang members or child soldiers?  Are they destined for padded cells or de-radicalisation and easier lives once they have better options?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've finally read the entire thread and now I'm laughing my ass out as I realized that everyone, literally everyone, who argues that Arya is a little psychopath murderous bitch is a Daenerys Stan. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, Moiraine Sedai said:

Most orphans of war do not become homicidal maniacs like Arya.  

:dunno: And yet most gang members or child soldiers do terrible things until they find an escape route, a safer place or a better way.

She has a kill list just like Beatrice Kiddo of those who wronged her family.  She kills for revenge (Raff the Sweetling), out of necessity (the Bolton guard at Harrenhall) or out of a belief that it is deserved (Dareon's punishment for deserting the NW is death).  Only the insurance salesman is an outlier and she considers a long time over why he might deserve it.

You can dislike Arya's character or her path, it's certainly dark and morally challenging but a homicidal maniac?  Nah

Rorge, Biter, The Mountain that Rides, Ramsay Bolton or Vargo Hoat are homicidal maniacs.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, Moiraine Sedai said:

Most orphans of war do not become homicidal maniacs like Arya.  

No but I'm willing to bet money that the majority of them grow up to live criminal lifestyles (however petty or serious) and that almost all of them develop some kind of emotional and/or mental issue(s).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There is a congenital issue with Arya which made her susceptible to madness.  The life experiences which were terrible just turned on the potential for her mind to go.  Just guessing but it is the dreaded wolf blood.  The same which Lyanna and Brandon had.  Her life will be short.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
×
×
  • Create New...