From Pawn to Player: Rethinking Sansa V

[Alissa]

Welcome, Knight! I'm glad you've found the threads to be enlightening :)

That statement by Sandor certainly sounds ominous, but I've always felt that the use of the word "Hound" is important.

Hi all,

I also love these threads. Sansa is such an interesting character, and all your thoughts and insights have helped me a great deal getting a better understanding of her.

Something I noticed about the Hound while rereading ASoS - whenever he appears it's "The Hound" or "Clegane", sometimes "Sandor Clegane", but it's only in Arya's chapters (after the Red Wedding) where he's quite often simply "Sandor". No idea if this means anything, it just seemed a bit peculiar. At any rate, it never happens in Sansa's chapters.

[Gingerly Grumkin]

When Sansa thinks of Sandor does she think Hound or Sandor?

I know she refers to Tyrion as the Imp, untill they get married and then he's Lord Husband, but I don't remember Sandor. (which I love about asoiaf, how characters have different names i.e. Petyr, Littlefinger. Jaime, Kingslayer, etc. and how characters with different perspectives call them by their respective names

[Lyanna Stark]

That's a really good point, Lyanna. I think this is why LF is so anxious to make sure that she's Alayne Stone in her heart, because really, as Sansa Stark, she has no one to answer to but herself. Sansa draws strength from Cat's memory, but she's never been her mother's daughter in not questioning the word of the patriarch.

That's a good point, I actually didn't consider what it will mean moving forward and for Sansa's identity. In Kings Landing Sansa often thinks to herself that she must be courteous and that "A lady never forgets her courtesies". Does that mean that even without Alayne Stone, she is no longer "a lady" the way she was, but something else? I wonder if the death of Lady (the wolf) symbolises the start of her journey to the not Lady status she has now (maybe matched by a not Ser?)

In AFFC we also see her interacting with people in a different way. She doesn't use her courtesy armour in the same way, instead she is adopting Littlefinger's way of speaking more, and she coaxes and persuades Sweetrobin with promises, manipulation and lies. Has Littlefinger helped create Sansa the not Lady? It almost seems that way. And while Sansa the Lady would be no threat to him since she'd operate within the confines of her role, Sansa the not Lady may not be so pliant.

When Sansa thinks of Sandor does she think Hound or Sandor?

I know she refers to Tyrion as the Imp, untill they get married and then he's Lord Husband, but I don't remember Sandor. (which I love about asoiaf, how characters have different names i.e. Petyr, Littlefinger. Jaime, Kingslayer, etc. and how characters with different perspectives call them by their respective names

Most of the times she thinks of him as the Hound, occasionally as Sandor Clegane and when he appears in her fantasies he is nameless, but still recognisable due to the description.

[brashcandy]

That's a good point, I actually didn't consider what it will mean moving forward and for Sansa's identity. In Kings Landing Sansa often thinks to herself that she must be courteous and that "A lady never forgets her courtesies". Does that mean that even without Alayne Stone, she is no longer "a lady" the way she was, but something else? I wonder if the death of Lady symbolises the start of her journey to the not Lady status she is (maybe matched by a not Ser?)

In AFFC we also see her interacting with people in a different way. She doesn't use her courtesy armour in the same way, instead she is adopting Littlefinger's way of speaking more, and she coaxes and persuades Sweetrobin with promises, manipulation and lies. Has Littlefinger helped create Sansa the not Lady? It almost seems that way. And while Sansa the Lady would be no threat to him since she'd operate within the confines of her role, Sansa the not Lady may not be so pliant.

Very intriguing :) I would say yes, even without becoming Alayne Stone, she would have lost her identification with being a lady (probably starting with the death of her wolf). When LF first proposes the bastard identity to her she is a bit mortified, but in AFFC we see her realising that she can still be a functioning happy individual without such noble status. I think we have to consider why Sansa was so determined to be a "lady" in the first place. To my mind, leaving out her natural temperament and inclinations, it was because she was simply good at being a lady, and ladies are the ones allowed to marry lords and princes and all the fine stuff. Now Sansa is discovering another performance, and she's good at this one too. What's more, this performance might allow for greater autonomy, not being tied to a claim or a forced marriage, restrictions which she's come to abhor.

[brashcandy]

Hi all,

I also love these threads. Sansa is such an interesting character, and all your thoughts and insights have helped me a great deal getting a better understanding of her.

Something I noticed about the Hound while rereading ASoS - whenever he appears it's "The Hound" or "Clegane", sometimes "Sandor Clegane", but it's only in Arya's chapters (after the Red Wedding) where he's quite often simply "Sandor". No idea if this means anything, it just seemed a bit peculiar. At any rate, it never happens in Sansa's chapters.

Welcome Alissa! It's so nice to see new members on the thread :)

I think the exclusive use of Sandor after the RW could signify how Arya's perspective of him changes. She's beginning to see him as the man, not the monster, and he too has been shedding this identity on his journey throughout the Riverlands.

[Elder Sister]

Very intriguing :) I would say yes, even without becoming Alayne Stone, she would have lost her identification with being a lady (probably starting with the death of her wolf). When LF first proposes the bastard identity to her she is a bit mortified, but in AFFC we see her realising that she can still be a functioning happy individual without such noble status. I think we have to consider why Sansa was so determined to be a "lady" in the first place. To my mind, leaving out her natural temperament and inclinations, it was because she was simply good at being a lady, and ladies are the ones allowed to marry lords and princes and all the fine stuff. Now Sansa is discovering another performance, and she's good at this one too. What's more, this performance might allow for greater autonomy, not being tied to a claim or a forced marriage, restrictions which she's come to abhor.

One of the things I really like about Sansa's maturing is how good she is at running Petyr's household. She's finding her own voice, can manage people, and is getting more and more confident. You don't 'hear' it in her thoughts, necessarily, but you 'see' it in her actions and interactions with others.

[Kittykatknits]

Hi all,

I also love these threads. Sansa is such an interesting character, and all your thoughts and insights have helped me a great deal getting a better understanding of her.

Something I noticed about the Hound while rereading ASoS - whenever he appears it's "The Hound" or "Clegane", sometimes "Sandor Clegane", but it's only in Arya's chapters (after the Red Wedding) where he's quite often simply "Sandor". No idea if this means anything, it just seemed a bit peculiar. At any rate, it never happens in Sansa's chapters.

I see two things happening with the way Arya refers to Sandor. As time goes on, she is seeing that he is a man an a person, he's not just the monster or butcher that killed Mycah. It also foreshadows and hints that The Hound is dying and all that will be left is Sandor Clegane.

Welcome to the boards!

ETA: Oops! Brashcandy beat me to it, but needless to say, I agree with her!

[Elder Sister]

I see two things happening with the way Arya refers to Sandor. As time goes on, she is seeing that he is a man an a person, he's not just the monster or butcher that killed Mycah. It also foreshadows and hints that The Hound is dying and all that will be left is Sandor Clegane.

I hope, I hope, I hope. :)

[Gingerly Grumkin]

I see two things happening with the way Arya refers to Sandor. As time goes on, she is seeing that he is a man an a person, he's not just the monster or butcher that killed Mycah. It also foreshadows and hints that The Hound is dying and all that will be left is Sandor Clegane.

But how are they not the same? When Sandor took off his cloak he stopped acting like a dog but people still refer to him as the Hound like they unconcisely refer to the Lannister boys as Imp and Kingslayer.

The only person who can really switch up his name is Petyr (and hopefully Alayne)

[Elder Sister]

But how are they not the same? When Sandor took off his cloak he stopped acting like a dog but people still refer to him as the Hound like they unconcisely refer to the Lannister boys as Imp and Kingslayer.

The only person who can really switch up his name is Petyr (and hopefully Alayne)

There's a theory that the 'Hound' embodies the worst, base, violent nature of Sandor Clegane, and that through 'The Hound's' death (that is described by Septon Meribald in AFFC), Sandor Clegane is free to have a life without all of the baggage that he has always carried.

But I'm sure people would still refer to him as the Hound, as they do 'Kingslayer' to Jaime L.

[Kittykatknits]

LOL @ Deckard Cain. I have spoiled myself with the D3 cinematics, and Tyrael <3 Always had a weird crush on him despite him being only wings and armour, really. :lol: It would be bad indeed if Sandor turned into the Wanderer, but I always found the imagery around the Wanderer very compelling, whether it's when he fakes the angel wings or turns into rats.

EDIT: Aaah this makes me want to cave in an buy D3 so badly.

I loved Tyrael's voice in D2. It's different in D3 and not nearly as sexy. :( But, I'm loving the game, they've made quite a few improvement from D2 that make for much better gameplay IMO.

Personally I think it would be really mean to Sansa to first lose her wolf and then her replacement, too! :)

Yes, it does make you wonder. Stranger is put away in the back of the stable though, and even though he is "restrained" he' still definitely his old self. It make you wonder about Sandor though since she's obviously ok with doing simple tasks like digging graves and serving tables, which I can't imagine him ever agreeing to before.

It would be beyond cruel indeed!

It's seems like we are seeing quite a bit in conflict on the QI which confused me at first but after thinking about it, this makes sense to me. We know the The Hound is dead and that Sandor Clegane is at rest. But, if we look at his time there as therapy where he is learning to better handle his emotions and gentle his rage, his behavior and that of Strange seem correct. Making changes to who you are isn't an easy, linear path. It's a two step forwards, one step back type of thing so this may be what we are seeing here. If he is putting himelf towards a path of "redemption", I see that being a rather messy path. You don't quiet a lifetime's worth of demons and rage easily.

Yes, both of them are very far from the ladylike ideal :) I remember kittykatknits saying in a previous post about Sansa's virginity being a plot point, and I agree that it is, but how does Sansa the character feel about her maidenhead? I don't think she ruminates it on it much, outside of thinking that it wouldn't have been bad to be undressed for a man she loved with genuine friends and family.

I don't think Sansa reflects on her maidenhead at all other than the point you mention. She has come to realize that her claim is one of the reasons she is a valuable marriage prize but I don't think she has realized that her maidenhead is just as much of an issue too. We know that Tyrion received pressure to consummate their marriage but I'm not sure how aware of this Sansa is. Of course, we know that it makes an annulment impossible but Sansa seemed to be working to keep him at a distance in general rather than a specific concern in this regard.

But, we know that her maidenhood is a big deal based upon what we see happening to other women in the books. Back in book two, Renly points out that Margareary is still a maid, then later when she is betrothed to Joffrey, this fact is pointed out again as being very important. Tywin wants to marry Cersei off but she is used goods at this point. Lysa was "spolied" and forced in to a marriage to an old man who would take her. Lancel, when he talks to Cersei about his new wife, mentions that she is also no longer a maiden and points out her widowed status, almost as it is a negative. Finally, what I found particularly interesting, is the discussion Jaime has in Feast over when Jeyne Westerling can marry again. He states that it must be at least two years, just in case, so there is no doubt on whether there is children from her marriage with Robb or who the father of those children might be.

Sansa doesn't seem to realize that her maidenhood may be as much of a burden as her claim. I wonder if LF has thought about this at all? Since he conspired to marry her off to Tyrion, it seems he doesn't care. This, of course, makes me even more suspicious about his future plans with her.

[Kittykatknits]

But how are they not the same? When Sandor took off his cloak he stopped acting like a dog but people still refer to him as the Hound like they unconcisely refer to the Lannister boys as Imp and Kingslayer.

The only person who can really switch up his name is Petyr (and hopefully Alayne)

There's a theory that the 'Hound' embodies the worst, base, violent nature of Sandor Clegane, and that through 'The Hound's' death (that is described by Septon Meribald in AFFC), Sandor Clegane is free to have a life without all of the baggage that he has always carried.

But I'm sure people would still refer to him as the Hound, as they do 'Kingslayer' to Jaime L.

I agree with Elder Sister. The Hound is a name people give to Sandor Clegane but there is more going on there. We know, through his conversations with Sansa, that the Hound is also an identity that Sandor took on for that base, violent nature. There are times, in the first three books that we get peeks of the real Sandor Clegane coming through. His quiet pride when he tells Sansa the history of his house and the gentle way he gives the gift of mercy to that Piper archer are some examples that come to mind.

Sandor tossing the cloak can be read many ways, and one of those is his decision to leave the life of the Hound behind, as he says it "I'm my own dog now". But, that's a process, he's trying to figure out what it means. First he has his gold but that is lost to him. Then, he captures Arya and has hopes to ransom her and swear himself to Robb but that is dashed too. Finally, we see the two of them wandering the Riverlands together, no real purpose or destination. At this point, Sandor is in a downward, suicidal spiral. I believe that his feeling of responsibility towards Arya is one of the primary things holding him together, but that is becoming less effective over time. Finally, of course, we see the end when he gives his "death bed confession" underneath that tree. It's a process of the Hound dying and it takes several blows for that to happen so that Sandor Clegane can emerge, hopefully in a much better place than we last saw him.

One of the things I really like about Sansa's maturing is how good she is at running Petyr's household. She's finding her own voice, can manage people, and is getting more and more confident. You don't 'hear' it in her thoughts, necessarily, but you 'see' it in her actions and interactions with others.

I agree. I think this fact leads people to miss what is happeing in her thoughts at times. Sansa does not spend much time reflecting on her thoughts or what is happening at times. She makes many statements that leave us wondering and then doesn't elaborate. It's part of what makes her chapters so rich.

[brashcandy]

Sansa doesn't seem to realize that her maidenhood may be as much of a burden as her claim. I wonder if LF has thought about this at all? Since he conspired to marry her off to Tyrion, it seems he doesn't care. This, of course, makes me even more suspicious about his future plans with her.

I agree, and it's really interesting. For a noble girl, she's almost quite detached about it in a sense. She's naturally afraid of losing it through violence (Marillion/the bread riot), and in situations where she feels no desire for the man (the marriage to Tyrion), but otherwise she doesn't appear to spend much time contemplating it as something that goes hand in hand with her claim to Winterfell. Is this underscoring the points we've noted before: that Sansa is much more concerned with a loving, consensual relationship than anything else? She doesn't view her maidenhead as something which distinguishes her as a valuable commodity, or a prize to the highest bidder, but as just a part of herself which she would part with in ideal circumstances...?

[Daidalos]

Well we know that honesty is an integral part of Sandor's character, not just a facet of the Hound's. Kittykat was right when she said that the major problems with the Hound were his emotional and rage issues. His confession to the Elder Brother must have been fairly honest as well, since the EB knows he was with Arya Stark and all about his hatred for his brother. Even when Sandor tries to tell a small white lie, as he did by telling Arya Sansa gave him a song, the weight of his conscience eventually crushes him and he tells the truth.

I wonder to what degree Sandor's emotional and rage issue are reactions against the profound dishonesty of the society he finds himself in. For example, just as Sansa has come to understand, Sandor knows that the institution of knighthood is deeply hypocritical. He doesn't buy into the delusion that knights are morally superior, as he has suffered at the hands of an individual who came to be a knight, which makes his rage quite understandable to me. Sandor, or mabe the Hound, has emotional issues to be sure, but it seems to me that his rage is justified.

Consider, if the world is corrupt and dishonest, should you not feel rage? It's not even necessarily negative; at best, you can channel it into constructive endeavours, at worst it destroys you, as it nearly did Sandor. But should Sandor therefore give up his rage? I think not. That would be a surrender of sorts. Westeros and its institutions are stitched together with lies and delusions, and there should be rage against such a system, against such a world. Personally, I think that a "reformed" Sandor would be sad and boring; as I have said before, Sandor is not a good person, but he is a product of a broken system and his rage against the hypocrisy of that same system is both interesting and important.

If you take away Sandor's rage, how much of his honesty would remain, seeing as his rage exists in a wider context where dishonesty and privilege are tied together? In my opinion, to turn from rage to passivity and acceptance would be a tragic development for Sandor. Of course, we haven't seen Sandor after his confession/repentance, so my misgivings may be misplaced, but I fear he may be a lesser man in many ways.

[Kittykatknits]

I agree, and it's really interesting. For a noble girl, she's almost quite detached about it in a sense. She's naturally afraid of losing it through violence (Marillion/the bread riot), and in situations where she feels no desire for the man (the marriage to Tyrion), but otherwise she doesn't appear to spend much time contemplating it as something that goes hand in hand with her claim to Winterfell. Is this underscoring the points we've noted before: that Sansa is much more concerned with a loving, consensual relationship than anything else? She doesn't view her maidenhead as something which distinguishes her as a valuable commodity, or a prize to the highest bidder, but as just a part of herself which she would part with in ideal circumstances...?

I agree. Sansa seems to be concerned with the circumstances of how it is lost, not with it as having political value. I'm not sure if this is because she hasn't fully realized it yet or not. Based upon her thoughts that we are privy too, I'm inclined to say that she has not yet had this realization. But, when we look at in broader context, such as her desire to not marry and her need to be loved, I'd say her concern to be in a loving relationship would be the more important element for her.

[Valkyrja]

I wonder to what degree Sandor's emotional and rage issue are reactions against the profound dishonesty of the society he finds himself in. For example, just as Sansa has come to understand, Sandor knows that the institution of knighthood is deeply hypocritical. He doesn't buy into the delusion that knights are morally superior, as he has suffered at the hands of an individual who came to be a knight, which makes his rage quite understandable to me. Sandor, or mabe the Hound, has emotional issues to be sure, but it seems to me that his rage is justified.

Consider, if the world is corrupt and dishonest, should you not feel rage? It's not even necessarily negative; at best, you can channel it into constructive endeavours, at worst it destroys you, as it nearly did Sandor. But should Sandor therefore give up his rage? I think not. That would be a surrender of sorts. Westeros and its institutions are stitched together with lies and delusions, and there should be rage against such a system, against such a world. Personally, I think that a "reformed" Sandor would be sad and boring; as I have said before, Sandor is not a good person, but he is a product of a broken system and his rage against the hypocrisy of that same system is both interesting and important.

If you take away Sandor's rage, how much of his honesty would remain, seeing as his rage exists in a wider context where dishonesty and privilege are tied together? In my opinion, to turn from rage to passivity and acceptance would be a tragic development for Sandor. Of course, we haven't seen Sandor after his confession/repentance, so my misgivings may be misplaced, but I fear he may be a lesser man in many ways.

I think that what was mentioned earlier about how Sansa prays for Sandor's rage to be 'quieted' or 'gentled', but at the same time admires his ferocity and thinks that someone like Dontos could have used a deal more of such ferocity, is important here. I don't think for one minute Sandor will ever become some completely 'normal' or 'boring' person......he will *always* have emotional baggage, of one kind or another. It is therefore possible he will always carry at least some of that 'rage' at the injustice of the world and the people in it. I think the important thing for him is to be able to function without eventually letting this rage consume/overcome him. Assuming Sandor yet lives, in order to be useful to anyone or anything in this life he must be able to at the very least function again (mentally/emotionally), and part that absolutely requires at least *some* quietening of the all-consuming rage and anger that fueled the Hound.

It is definitely interesting that in Arya's chapters, she seems to cease calling Sandor 'the Hound' as she called him so often in her bedtime prayers, when she hoped to one day kill him. Instead, despite herself, she comes to see the broken man behind that Hound helmet. Sandor too begins to shed this identity more and more, and by the end his Hound helmet is left on the banks of the Trident, only to be picked up and used by imposter after imposter.

The way I see it, if Sandor is still the falsehood-hating man that we came to know, then he can no longer be the Hound. Not only is the part of him that was the Hound 'dead' as the EB puts it, but the Hound that still exists (the "Hound" that is raping and terrorizing Saltpans) is a lie.

Perhaps, Sandor realizes that to continue to embrace that 'Hound' side of himself fully would also be to perpetuate a lie, especially if on the QI he is able to have the self-awareness to realize he has changed even from when we first met him in AGoT. Sandor may nonetheless always remain a ferocious (and ferociously loyal) dog.....(I would hope so, at least, and if Lannisters and Starks can be called Lions/Wolves all the time, then Sandor will always be a Dog of sorts. ) :)

I think that Sandor can still represent the hypocrisy of knighthood in Westeros, even without the exact same level or intensity of 'rage' that he displayed previously. If anyone could manage this without becoming boring, it would be him. He can still be straight-talking, crude, harsh, fierce, ferocious, even indignant or angry.....but perhaps just without the outright RAGE.

If anything, I would say that some of his more 'selfless' acts have actually revealed the hypocrisy of knighthood just as much --if not more-- than his verbally raging on about it does. (Sometimes I think Sandor is a great deal bark and not as much bite as he'd want others to believe. ;) ) For instance, during the time in KL, his actions speak louder than even his angry words. The knights who are supposed to protect the innocent beat Sansa. Sandor is not a knight, but he saves Sansa all the same. :)

[brashcandy]

I agree. Sansa seems to be concerned with the circumstances of how it is lost, not with it as having political value. I'm not sure if this is because she hasn't fully realized it yet or not. Based upon her thoughts that we are privy too, I'm inclined to say that she has not yet had this realization. But, when we look at in broader context, such as her desire to not marry and her need to be loved, I'd say her concern to be in a loving relationship would be the more important element for her.

Ok, I've had a look at her final chapter in AFFC and pulled out the quotes relevant to this question.

Brune would be a good match for a bastard girl like Mya Stone, she thought. It might be different if her father acknowledged her, but he never did. And Maddy says she's no maid either.

"Randa. It seems a hundred years since I was four-and-ten. How innocent I was. Are you still innocent, Alayne?"

She blushed. "You should not... yes, of course."

"Saving yourself for Lord Robert?" Lady Myranda teased. "Or is there some ardent squire dreaming of your favors?"

"No," said Alayne, even as Robert said, "She's my friend. Terrance and Gyles can't have her."

"I do need another husband. I had one once, but I killed him."

"You did?" Alayne asked, shocked.

"Oh yes. He died on top of me. In me, if truth be told. You do know what goes on in a marriage bed, I hope?"

She thought of Tyrion, and of the Hound and how he'd kissed her, and gave a nod.

In the first example, we see that Sansa is aware of the political value of virginity, noting that Brune will offer the best chance for a girl like Mya Stone - unacknowledged and no longer a virgin - to get married. During her conversation with Randa Royce she blushes when the talk of her own innocence comes up, and denies that she has someone waiting in the wings to claim it. Then we have her admission that she knows what goes on in the marriage bed, based on Tyrion and how the Hound kissed her (although she doesn't tell these details to Randa).

What's interesting from these examples is that whilst Sansa is perfectly capable of appreciating the "value" of others like Mya Stone, and the options open to her, she remains largely silent on her own "worth." She blushes when Randa questions her, but later on when asked if she knows what goes on in the marriage bed, responds quite normally with no real discomfort. Perhaps she feels that the initial question by Randa was a bit inappropriate given the personal nature of it, but the question of what happens in a marriage bed is a lot more general and pretty much public knowledge. However, there's still an inherent contradiction IMO to these two responses, since she calls on some very personal experiences to answer the latter question..

Am I making sense here? :) I guess my conclusion would be that Sansa is still a girl caught between two worlds. She's still "innocent" in the physical sense, but she's had some mature experiences relating to men and sexuality which are informing her outlook. Essentially, she's developing into womanhood: beginning to have sexual fantasies and more thoughts about the kiss from Sandor.

I would imagine that given LF's task for her to charm Harry the heir, we should see her having her more thoughts on her on virgin status and how it impacts on her future. How is she going to be able to "use" it without compromising her maidenhood. And certainly it's a huge plot point in the potential annulment of her marriage to Tyrion.

[brashcandy]

All this talk about virginity just made me think of the symbolism behind Sansa's thoughts about Sandor when she's in the Eyrie:

He took a song and a kiss and left me nothing but a bloody cloak

It almost reads like a deflowering to me. We know the "song" Sandor initially spoke of was simply a metaphor for sex, add to that the kiss, and then the bloody cloak - i.e. the bloody sheet that is used as proof of a girl's maiden status.

[Newstar]

One thing I always thought surprising was that LF must have anticipated that the Lannisters' response to the leaked Willas Tyrell marriage plot would be to marry Sansa off immediately to a Lannister. It's clear that he didn't very much care if the marriage was consummated or not; I suppose he could write off the physical issue with her maidenhead with a Margaery-type "I lost it while riding" lie. What would have happened if Sansa had gotten pregnant, though? Was he planning on forcefeeding her an abortifacient as Lysa was? Was he just going to stash her in the Vale until she gave birth and cover up the child's existence? It seems like poor planning on his part.

I've had a suspicion that the false kiss memory could possibly have been Martin planting the seed for Sansa's entire original account to end up being false (or incomplete); I've never brought it up because it is crazy, and the textual evidence against it is legion.

Sansa's original account of her run-in with the Hound during Blackwater, or Sansa's original account of everything? There are other instances in the text of Sansa repurposing the truth in her memories--she genuinely seems to remember the Joffrey/Arya incident as going down differently than it did--and of Sansa "losing time"--lifting her head to feel the snow falling on her face in ASOS and then winding up on her knees--but they don't stick out the way the fake kiss memory does.

As for the "Sansa was actually raped during Blackwater and has blocked it out" theory, there isn't actually any textual evidence against it, apart from the Hound saying "I should have [raped her]." Sansa's non-reaction to the Hound basically attacking her--wishing the Hound were with her in ASOS, believing briefly that the Hound is the one saving her from Marillion, etc.--could be written off as the result of her repression of what happened.

That quote of the Hound's is very strangely written, though: "I took the bloody song, she never gave it. I meant to take her, too. I should have. I should have *bleeped* her bloody and ripped her heart out before leaving her for that dwarf." There are two interpretations here, but to me, only one of them makes sense:

1. Take = take Sansa away from King's Landing. "I took the bloody song, she never gave it. I meant to take her [away] too. I should have [taken her with me]. I should have *bleeped* her bloody and ripped her heart out before leaving her for that dwarf." If that's the interpretation, then his comment that he should have had sex with her and then murdered her is a complete non sequitur from what came before. I should have taken her with me, but I also should have done something horrible to her rather than leave her for Tyrion? Unless he equates physically removing her from King's Landing with the worst possible thing he could do to her, it makes no sense.

2. Take = rape Sansa. "I took the bloody song, she never gave it. I meant to [rape] her, too. I should have [raped her]. I should have *bleeped* her bloody and ripped her heart out before leaving her for that dwarf." This is a logical progression. I took (in the sense of seizing) the song. I meant to take her, too. I should have, etc. etc. He says he took something from Sansa, says he should have "taken" her as well and goes on to specify that he should have screwed her bloody.

[Daidalos]

One thing I always thought surprising was that LF must have anticipated that the Lannisters' response to the leaked Willas Tyrell marriage plot would be to marry Sansa off immediately to a Lannister. It's clear that he didn't very much care if the marriage was consummated or not; I suppose he could write off the physical issue with her maidenhead with a Margaery-type "I lost it while riding" lie. What would have happened if Sansa had gotten pregnant, though? Was he planning on forcefeeding her an abortifacient as Lysa was? Was he just going to stash her in the Vale until she gave birth and cover up the child's existence? It seems like poor planning on his part.

Whether it's poor planning or not depends on the degree to which LF originally intended to use Sansa as a political pawn, rather than as a personal plaything. If the former, then yes, it was poor planning, since he cannot possibly know that any Lannister-arranged marriage involving Sansa won't be consummated, but if the latter, then it doesn't matter whether she retains her maidenhead or not. I think LF expected the marriage to be consummated and didn't really care much about it. However, I also think that LF's game plan changed when he killed Lysa. Considering his tenuous grasp of the Vale, LF needed to shore up political alliances and secure his power, and in those circumstances a still innocent Sansa proved a valuable resource to be used. In a sense, it was lucky, but I don't think he originally placed that much importance on her virginity.