AGoT Reread: Direwolves, Dragons [eggs], Momont’s Raven, and Cats, Oh My! Pets or Providence?

Little Wing · December 3, 2012

grey as the winter sea,with a mane like silver smoke.

Hmm... grey and silver - Stark colours. :eek: Also - sea and smoke. Hmmm...

redriver · December 3, 2012

Hmm... grey and silver - Stark colours. :eek: Also - sea and smoke. Hmmm...

This is why I like the rereads.And why they should be from multiple perspectives.

You were straight on to a couple of points that I had missed completely!

evita mgfs · December 3, 2012

I think the three-way comparisons of Lyanna and Arya, and then later Arya and Jon, are to highlight the "true" Stark look which may be as much a part of their idenity as the paricular look of the Targaryens, again parallels opposites but the same.
I don't know if Martin would have history repeat itself in the form of Bloodravens, (since he is a part of this now), past in that there would be a love triangle between Jon/Aegon/Arya, repeating the scenario of Bloodraven/Bittersteele/Shiera Seastar.
- A Brother that was loved: Robb
- A Brother that was hated: Aegon
- A woman desired: Arya
I personally think that Arya fulfills the maternal role in that she is the spiritual link to Jons Mother, Lyanna, and once he realizes who his Mother was, it will make sense as to why he is much more tolerant of unconventional women, i.e, Arya, Ygritte, Val, etc.
I could see another repetition of History in the sense of Ice and Fire finally able to be in the way that Rhaegar and Lyanna could not if Arya and Aegon are fated for one another.
And I don't think they should be Rhaegar and Lyanna 2.0, but have their own destiny.
When I look at the Authors intent, and Martin writes something as deliberate as: "One day, you will marry a KIng," not a high lord, not a nice guy, but a KIng, and you go back to Maggies Prophesy, as well as the naming of her Direwolf for a Warrior Queen, I think Martin could have very unexpected plans for Arya, at least unexpected by the fans.
The question is, is who will be the King if Aegon is a Perkin Warbeck?
The other nod towards irony and the revenge of the old gods, is the fact that Jaimie had his own child, Myrcella, maimed and almost killed by Darkstar the same way he tried to kill Bran, and now, his swordhand is gone and he has to learn to function all over again as Bran does.

:bowdown: :bowdown: ALIA OF THE KNIFE: Another amazing post! I will attempt to respond in kind with a few oobservations, but I cannot do your words justice! :dunno:

I think the three-way comparisons of Lyanna and Arya, and then later Arya and Jon, are to highlight the "true" Stark look which may be as much a part of their idenity as the paricular look of the Targaryens, again parallels opposites but the same.

Yes – this is a good observation. I have often speculated in posts about that important “Stark” look so many times attributed to Jon and Arya and Lyanna. Not as you have done, but in other contexts. For instance, I have read posts made about Jon Snow’s possible death and if he is indeed dead, how and in what form will he be resurrected. Some people think his appearance will be “marked” by winter in some way, which is interesting, but I tend to think his overall Stark appearance will be preserved, even though I had fun with his appearance in my little scenario in my post.

I don't know if Martin would have history repeat itself in the form of Bloodravens, (since he is a part of this now), past in that there would be a love triangle between Jon/Aegon/Arya, repeating the scenario of Bloodraven/Bittersteele/Shiera Seastar.

I like this scenario, and as another poster said on another thread regarding my concern about both Bran and Jojen being possible Christ-figures – and whether Martin would do such a thing literally – and the poster seemed to think so. Which may be the case of your scenario being repeated in the love triangle. However, I do not know about Arya and Aegon – I am not feeling it yet, anyway!

Regarding history repeating itself, unfortunately, it does!

Sic

I personally think that Arya fulfills the maternal role in that she is the spiritual link to Jons Mother, Lyanna, and once he realizes who his Mother was, it will make sense as to why he is much more tolerant of unconventional women, i.e, Arya, Ygritte, Val, etc.

I think this is a brilliant observation. It is sound and makes sense.

I could see another repetition of History in the sense of Ice and Fire finally able to be in the way that Rhaegar and Lyanna could not if Arya and Aegon are fated for one another.

And I don't think they should be Rhaegar and Lyanna 2.0, but have their own destiny.

When I look at the Authors intent, and Martin writes something as deliberate as: "One day, you will marry a KIng," not a high lord, not a nice guy, but a KIng, and you go back to Maggies Prophesy, as well as the naming of her Direwolf for a Warrior Queen, I think Martin could have very unexpected plans for Arya, at least unexpected by the fans.

I agree! But many people anticipate, or wish that Arya will become Queen, and I do not know if Martin is into wish fulfillment for his fans!

I also speculate if Jon will be the King of Winter, and Arya may be at his side, if not as a consort, as a warrior ally or in another role. But here I am being wishful!

The question is, is who will be the King if Aegon is a Perkin Warbeck?

Jon Snow!

The other nod towards irony and the revenge of the old gods, is the fact that Jaimie had his own child, Myrcella, maimed and almost killed by Darkstar the same way he tried to kill Bran, and now, his swordhand is gone and he has to learn to function all over again as Bran does.

The old gods seemingly punish with an ironic tone. I think – “How Greek!” Even with Jaime saying before he pushes Bran with the abovementioned sword hand, “Take my hand!” Well, his hand is taken!

Thanks for another delightful, observant post! It was a joy to read!

evita mgfs · December 4, 2012

AGOT CHAPTER 13 OVERALL / Eddard POV II

TOWER OF THE HAND SUMMARY

http://towerofthehand.com/books/101/013/index.html

AGOT CHAPTER 14 OVERALL / TYRION II

TOWER OF THE HAND SUMMARY

http://towerofthehand.com/books/101/014/index.html

EVITA TO POST DECEMBER 5

THE PACK SURVIVES TO POST DECEMBER 6

evita mgfs · December 4, 2012

REDRIVER AND ANY OTHERS: I apologize I have not answered your posts yet. I promise I will do so as soon as I get some down time. Christmas and chores have caught up with me! I also have Eddard POV ready to go for tomorrow, so I may post my POV introduction before I even get to write my responses to your posts. But either way, I will address your kind and brilliant posts as soon as I can! :dunno:

evita mgfs · December 5, 2012

AGOT CHAPTER 13 OVERALL Eddard POV II

This POV does not rock my world, so feel free to take the teacher to school here. I love Ned for all the right reasons, and I tolerate Robert on behalf of Ned who picks him as a loyal fiend friend and bother brother. But Ned does not exercise his “free will” to choose Winterfell and his family over the office of Hand to the King and the “adders” of King’s Landing. Duty, honor, responsibility, and other noble intentions motivate him, but he does not follow his “heart”, truly. Or maybe he does, and I just don’t get it? Jaime hints that Ned loved Robert more than his own brother and father. Is Ned repeating the past by choosing Robert over his own family again?

ONE LONG COMPROUND-COMPLEX SENTENCE SUMMARY

On the journey south to King’s Landing, King Robert has Ned roused before dawn so that they can ride out on horseback ahead of the van to talk privately about news His Grace has received via Varys, via Ser Jorah Mormont, who is a spy in Daenerys’ Tagaryen’s world, and who is eager to report her marriage to Khal Drogo of the Dothraki, a possible threat to the Iron Throne; furthermore, Robert tries to pry into Ned’s business by quizzing him about his bastard’s mother, and Robert reveals that he plans to make the Kingslayer Warden of the East, setting aside the son of Jon Arryn, a loyal supporter who died in service to the King. [No good deed goes unpunished!]

OPENING COMMENTARY

“The summons came in the hour before the dawn, when the world was still and grey”.

First sentences usually hold some significance, and in this sentence we see a grey world without sunlight yet, for they are still in the north, in Stark territory, where the world is “grey” like the Stark Sigil, the Stark eyes, the Stark words “Winter is Coming”, and the fur of select Stark direwolves.

Alyn shook him [Ned] roughly from his dreams and Ned stumbled into the predawn chill, groggy from sleep, to find his horse saddled and the king already mounted. Robert wore thick brown gloves and a heavy fur cloak with a hood that covered his ears, and looked for all the world like a bear sitting a horse. "Up, Stark!" he roared. "Up, up! We have matters of state to discuss."

"By all means," Ned said. "Come inside, Your Grace." Alyn lifted the flap of the tent.

Inconsiderate King Robert unexpectedly wakes Ned from a dream-filled sleep [no nightmares] to discuss matters of the state on horseback before breakfast and before Ned can even take a leak! This may be a dire warning if Ned had eyes to see, of where he will rank in the scheme of things if Robert early on behaves with thoughtlessness, placing his concerns over his own friend’s comfort on the arduous journey to his Iron Throne.
It must be too early for Ned to take note of his own saddled horse and a mounted king! Misunderdtanding the visual cues, Ned invites the King into his tent to discuss His Grace's concerns
KR wants to avoid “ears” eager to overhear, and he wants to “taste” Ned’s country, not “see” it. He pulls out ahead of Ned, who tries to speak, but words are wind and he rides alone in silence.
Robert is roaring again, like a Lannister Lion, though he looks like a bear, a hint of the “bear” Ser Jorah who will feature importantly later in this POV.
According to the On-Line Dictionary of Symbology, the BEAR represents the following:

The bear is a creature of contrasts, as it possesses enormous strength and yet generally thrives on fruit and honey. Because of their habit of hibernation during winter months, bears can stand for resurrection.

Robert Baratheon IS a ‘walking contradiction’ – he roars like a lion; he snorts like a stag; and he looks like a bear!
Robert once had a “fierce” strength and “warrior spirit” for he killed Prince Rhaegar on the Trident.
FRUIT may be a “metaphor” for wine, of which Robert indulges himself until inebriation.
FRUIT also represents Robert’s bastards – for his seed is strong and ‘fruitful’!
HONEY may be a “metaphor” for the ladies in which Robert deposits his seed.
Robert ‘hibernated’ from the north, a large part of his realm, in King’s Landing until he “woke up” when Jon Arryn died, in order to seek out Ned as the new Hand of the King.

It was the emblem for the kingdoms of Persia and Russia.

The BEAR is the symbol, or sigil, of House Mormont.
“The Mormonts of Bear Island were an old house, proud and honorable, but their lands were cold and distant and poor”.

For the Celts, it is a symbol of the warrior,

Robert once had a “fierce” strength and “warrior spirit” for he slayed Prince Rhaegar on the Trident, bashing in his breast plate and sending the rubies adorning it into the Trident for future treasure hunters to seek.

and in Christian symbolism we encounter the fable of the she-bear who gives birth to shapeless offspring and must lick them to give them form. Similarly, we are ignorant creatures who find our way only through spiritual knowledge.

Here is a story about Tormund and a She-Bear:
“Are all crows so curious?” asked Tormund. “Well, here’s a tale for you. It were another winter, colder even than the one I spent inside that giant, and snowing day and night, snowflakes as big as your head, not these little things. It snowed so hard the whole village was half buried. I was in me Ruddy Hall, with only a cask o’ mead to keep me company and nothing to do but drink it. The more I drank the more I got to thinking about this woman lived close by, a fine strong woman with the biggest pair of teats you ever saw. She had a temper on her, that one, but oh, she could be warm too, and in the deep of winter a man needs his warmth.
“The more I drank the more I thought about her, and the more I thought the harder me member got, till I couldn’t suffer it no more. Fool that I was, I bundled meself up in furs from head to heels, wrapped a winding wool around me face, and set off to find her. The snow was coming down so hard I got turned around once or twice, and the wind blew right through me and froze me bones, but finally I come on her, all bundled up like I was.
“The woman had a terrible temper, and she put up quite the fight when I laid hands on her. It was all I could do to carry her home and get her out o’ them furs, but when I did, oh, she was hotter even than I remembered, and we had a fine old time, and then I went to sleep. Next morning when I woke the snow had stopped and the sun was shining, but I was in no fit state to enjoy it. All ripped and torn I was, and half me member bit right off, and there on me floor was a she-bear’s pelt. And soon enough the free folk were telling tales o’ this bald bear seen in the woods, with the queerest pair o’ cubs behind her. Har!” He slapped a meaty thigh. “Would that I could find her again. She was fine to lay with, that bear. Never was a woman gave me such a fight, nor such strong sons neither.”
“’What could you do if you did find her?” Jon asked, smiling. “You said she bit your member off.”
“Only half. And half me member is twice as long as any other man’s.” Tormund snorted.

In Jungian psychology, the bear represents danger caused by the uncontrollable contents of the unconscious, and with this is often associated as an attribute of the man who is cruel and crude.

“Ser Jorah had tried to swell the family coffers by selling some poachers to a Tyroshi slaver. As the Mormonts were bannermen to the Starks, his crime had dishonored the north. Ned had made the long journey west to Bear Island, only to find when he arrived that Jorah had taken ship beyond the reach of Ice and the king's justice. Five years had passed since then”.
“Robert's hatred of the Targaryens was a madness in him. He remembered the angry words they had exchanged when Tywin Lannister had presented Robert with the corpses of Rhaegar's wife and children as a token of fealty. Ned had named that murder; Robert called it war. When he had protested that the young prince and princess were no more than babes, his new-made king had replied, "I see no babes. Only dragonspawn." Not even Jon Arryn had been able to calm that storm. Eddard Stark had ridden out that very day in a cold rage, to fight the last battles of the war alone in the south. It had taken another death to reconcile them; Lyanna's death, and the grief they had shared over her passing”.
"And how long will this one remain an innocent?" Robert's mouth grew hard. "This child will soon enough spread her legs and start breeding more dragonspawn to plague me."

The word 'berserk' most likely means 'bear-coat' and refers to a Norse warrior who morphs into a furious bear.

Well, I submit as evidence what a Mormont She-Bear who mates with Tormund and has cubs! This might be Alysane? Who is on her way to the Wall? She tells Asha that she mates with bears to have cubs!
Robert goes berserk over dragonspawn!
Robert also symbolically “morphs” into a bear in this POV, for Ned says Robert looks like a bear.
SOURCE WEBSITE FOR BEAR SYMBOLOGY IN LITERATURE: http://www.umich.edu...tml/B/bear.html

THE SOUNDS OF SILENCE AND THE AUDITORY MOTIF

Ned’s POV is dominated by references to the mouth, lips, throat, and ears, with a continuous use of verbs and other parts of speech that evoke the auditory senses through listening, communicating, speaking, dissonance, and silence. Promises are made and broken; vows are spoken and broken. People want to “taste” not “see’. People want to talk but not hear or listen to anyone but the music of their own voice. Messages are written, delivered, and shared. As Hamlet says, “Words, words, words”, but in Martin’s world “words are wind”, as Ned learns when Robert gallops his horse ahead of his own, and Ned’s words are taken by the wind.

Here are just a few examples:

“Varys the eunuch was the king's master of whisperers” (112).

"Nonetheless," Ned said, "the murder of children . . . it would be vile . . . unspeakable . . . " (112).

“What Aerys did to your brother Brandon was unspeakable. The way your lord father died, that was unspeakable” (112).

“His voice had grown so loud that his horse whinnied . . . quieting the animal . . . “ (113).

“Robert’s thirst for revenge . . .” (113).

“ . . . Jon was as bad as you. More fool, I listened to him” (113).

“ . . . call me Usurper” (113).

“Ned promised” (113).

“I will not name the Arryn boy . . .” (113).

“ . . . name one of your brothers . . .” (114).

“he let the name hang there for a moment” (114).

“The king frowned and said nothing” (114).

“That is . . . unless you have already promised the honor to another” (114).

“He left unsaid his real concern” (114).

"He is my wife's twin, a Sworn Brother of the Kingsguard, his life and fortune and honor all bound to mine” (114).

“His sword helped taint the throne you sit on, Ned thought, but he did not permit the words to pass his lips. “He swore a vow to protect his king’s life with his own. Then he opened the king’s throat with a sword” (114-115).

"The Others take your honor!’ Robert swore” (116).

"What did any Targaryen ever know of honor? Go down into your crypt and ask Lyanna about the dragon's honor!"

"You avenged Lyanna at the Trident," Ned said, halting beside the king. Promise me, Ned, she had whispered” (116).

"The gods be damned. It was a hollow victory they gave me. A crown . . . it was the girl I prayed them for. Your sister, safe . . . and mine again, as she was meant to be. I ask you, Ned, what good is it to wear a crown? The gods mock the prayers of kings and cowherds alike" (116).

“in silence” (116).

“I never said a word” (116).

I think you get the idea!

REGARDING NEDBERT

I’m neutral on this – like “Switzerland”, as Bella Swan was fond of saying when Jacob and Edward fought for her love in the Twilight Series.

I am re-evaluating the Gatsby thing, though. I may have it wrong: Ned is Nick Carraway, who wants the world to “stand at a moral attention”, and HE IS half in love with Gatsby. But Nick/Ned sees the illusion behind Gatsby’s / Robert’s dream of recapturing the past, ["What do you say, Ned? Just you and me, two vagabond knights on the kingsroad, our swords at our sides and the gods know what in front of us, and maybe a farmer's daughter or a tavern wench to warm our beds tonight" (110) ], and although he disapproves, he becomes a willing pawn in the “game” and admits that Gatsby / Robert turned out “all right” in the end. But Nick lives and Gatsby dies – although Gatsby dies BEFORE he learns the UGLY TRUTH – so who ends up with the better fate? Just some random wonderings here! [Note that Robert also dies BEFORE LEARNING THE UGLY TRUTH!]

Moreover, Fitzgerald doesn’t make us guess – he clues the reader in on Nick when he ends up in the elevator with the photographer McGee with his hand on the “lever”, and then later when Nick wakes up beside McGee in bed!

HOW TO WIN FRIENDS AND INFLUENCE PEOPLE:

ROBERT BARATHEON STYLE

Robert rudely and selfishly wakes up Ned before sunrise to unburden himself.
Robert compels him to ride on horseback.
Robert rides ahead of Ned, not beside him.
“The king did not hear him” !
Robert tells Ned that he was never a boy because he was too duty-bound.
Robert angers Ned by meddling in his personal business regarding the mother of his bastard son Jon Snow.
Robert patronizes Ned for being too sensitive about fathering a bastard and dishonoring himself and Catelyn before their gods.
Robert calls Ned “prickly” and says his sigil should be a “hedgehog”.
Robert calls barrows of the First Men a “graveyard” condescendingly, and he complains about the cold.
Robert dismisses Ned’s “history lesson” [Ned mistakenly believes Robert truly wants to “taste” the north], by manipulating the conversation back to himself and his pending concerns.
Robert doesn’t care a fig for the north: it is cold, grey, and littered with graves.
Robert intimates that Ned is too much like Baelor the Blessed when bedding a woman, when what a woman wants is unbridled passion, I guess.
Robert disregards Ned’s observations about Ser Jorah Mormont’s past crimes, for which Ned feels Ser Jorah should pay with Ice, the king’s justice.
Robert takes stock in Ser Jorah’s reports, even though he proved untrustworthy in the past and skipped town to avoid his fate.
Robert hints at pardoning the “slaver turned spy” despite Ned’s misgivings. By Robert entertaining Ser Jorah’s reports, His Grace seemingly exonerates the exile of his guilt.
Robert argues with Ned about “murdering children” and the king suggests sending an assassin to prevent any “upstart” dragonspawn to grow up Dothraki and bring the “screamers” to get him.
Robert strikes below the belt when Ned says murdering children is “unspeakable”, to which the King kindly reminds Ned about King Aerys Targaryen II ordering the deaths of Ned’s lord father Rickard and his brother Brandon, AND Aerys’ son Prince Rhaegar allegedly “raping” Ned’s sister Lyanna “hundreds” of times. [These are hateful arguments!]
Robert tells Ned that Robert was a fool to have listened to Jon Arryn’s arguments against killing the “surviving” dragonspawn, just as Robert will be a fool to listen to Ned’s arguments.
Robert refuses to see the reasoning behind Ned’s advisement that the Dothraki will “not” cross the Narrow Sea because they have no ships and hate and fear water.
Robert further butts heads with Ned when he confesses naming Jaime Lannister the Kingslayer Warden of the East, thereby usurping Jon Arryn’s only trueborn son and even Robert’s own brothers for a tricksy Lion, who murdered the last king he vowed to protect.
Robert debates hotly, defending the Lannister’s behavior during Robert’s Rebellion instead of hearing Ned – who was a reliable “eye witness” on site when the whole Iron Throne “sit down” occurred. He saw the “horror”! "You were not there," Ned said, bitterness in his voice”.
Robert openly laughs at Ned’s heart-felt revelation of Jaime taking the Iron Throne in his glittering gold armor [like Prince Hector’s “flashing” armor in Homer’s Iliad] with the bloody golden sword resting across his knees [just like the stone statues in the crypts of WF] with a dead king at his feet instead of a stone direwolf.
"I cannot answer for the gods, Your Grace . . . only for what I found when I rode into the throne room that day," Ned said. "Aerys was dead on the floor, drowned in his own blood. His dragon skulls stared down from the walls. Lannister's men were everywhere. Jaime wore the white cloak of the Kingsguard over his golden armor. I can see him still. Even his sword was gilded. He was seated on the Iron Throne, high above his knights, wearing a helm fashioned in the shape of a lion's head. How he glittered!" [Aside: the empty eyes of the stone dragons follow Ned like the eyes of the heart tree in WF’s godswood seemingly follows Catelyn and others] Robert mocks Ned by postulating that Jaime needed a place to sit down, for killing kings is a tough job, and the Iron Throne was the only available seat at the time; therefore, Jaime made himself comfortable [was ready to order an alcoholic beverage – teasing] DESPITE the great risk the throne posed to his person and DESPITE the discomfort of the unforgiving seat. [Jaime the martyr!] “It wasn’t Jaime’s fault! It was the room’s fault!”

“Perhaps he was tired," Robert suggested. "Killing kings is weary work. Gods know, there's no place else to rest your ass in that damnable room. And he spoke truly, it is a monstrous uncomfortable chair. In more ways than one" (116).

Robert insults Ned when he says that Ned used to know how to ride.
Robert gallops his horse over the FM’s barrows, the horse kicking up dirt behind him to punctuate his departure.

THE LANNISTERS AND THE GREAT GATSBY PARALLELS

Like the Tom Buchanans, Myrtle Wilson, and Gatsby’s party and house guests, the baseless rich who drift from party to party, on their polo ponies and in their ostentatious vehicles, are much like the Lannisters who also leave a “wake” of destruction behind them.

Jon Arryn suspiciously and suddenly dies, and Lysa Arryn accuses the Lannisters for his demise, which prompts Ned to take the office of Hand in order to learn the truth of her accusations.
The King and Queen behave unpleasantly when Robert visits the WF crypts to pay his respects to his long lost love Lyanna.
Cersei and her brother Jaime violate the laws of hospitality by fornicating in an abandoned tower while the others are out hunting; they are, after all, guests of host Ned Stark of Winterfell.
Jaime tosses Bran out a window for “love”!
Indirectly because of the Lannisters, Jon Snow is forced to take the “black”.

**We can continue to add to this list as the re-read progresses.

NODS TO HOMER’S ILIAD

**Rhaegar kidnapped or abducted Lyanna, or she went willingly, which mirrors Helen of Sparta who “goes willingly” with Prince of Troy Paris, albeit under one of Aphrodite’s love spells which was part of her bargain when Paris as Alexander awards her the Golden Apple, a top prize in the competition among Athene and Hera, all vying for the title of Fairest.

“And Rhaegar . . . how many times do you think he raped your sister? How many hundreds of times” (112).

Menelaus liked to blame Paris for this violation of the laws of hospitality – ignoring the possibility that his wife went with the Prince of her own volition, just as Robert seemingly assumes that Rhaegar forced Lyanna to go with him.

Regardless, the abduction of Helen started the Trojan War when the Atrides, Menelaus and Agamemnon, launched a 1000 ships to retrieve Helen. Similar to the onset of Robert’s Rebellion?

**Elia’s son whose head is dashed against a wall echoes the tragic events of baby Astyanax’s death, the son of Prince Hector, when the King of Ithaca Odysseus takes the babe from Andromache and dashes his head against the Walls of Troy and tosses the corpse from its summit. Similarly, the Mountain does this deed, supposedly, to Elia and Rhaegar’s son.

“The boy had been no more than a babe in arms, yet Lord Tywin's soldiers had torn him from his mother's breast and dashed his head against a wall” (112).

** “And they had taken the city by treachery." In this quote Ned refers to how the Lannisters gained access to King’s Landing, which hints at the treachery Odysseus devised, inspired by Athene, of the Trojan Horse, the means by which the Argives gain access beyond the formidable walls of Troy! Then while the Trojans partied, drinking to excess in celebration at the Greek fleets vacating the shores of Troy, the Argives sneak out the wooden horse, open the gates of Troy to allow their allies in, and all hell breaks loose. Troy falls in flame.

**Lord Tywin’s son Jaime Lannister slays the King of the Seven Kingdoms Aerys Targaryen just as Achilles’ son Neoptalamus slays King Priam of Troy. Both made a bloody mess of the job!

**Martin’s use of the DAWN as a transitional device echoes Homer’s personification of the “rosy fingered Dawn” in a standard epic convention.

“Dawn broke as they crested a low ridge, and finally the king pulled up” (110).

QUOTES OF NOTE

"Kingslayer," Ned said. The rumors were true, then. He rode on dangerous ground now, he knew. "An able and courageous man, no doubt," he said carefully, "but his father is Warden of the West, Robert. In time Ser Jaime will succeed to that honor. No one man should hold both East and West" (114).

I HOPE NO ONE [Arya] eventually is Warden of the East and West and North!

“Troubled sleep was no stranger to him. He had lived his lies for fourteen years, yet they still haunted him at night” (115).

We can make a guess as to what these “lies’ are to which Ned refers in the above quote: if Jon is the result of a love-fest between Rhaegar and Lyanna, then Ned has lied to his King, his wife, his “adopted’ son Jon, and many, many others as well!

In the RED KEEP Ned sees RED BLOOD and Lannister RED:

"I was still mounted. I rode the length of the hall in silence, between the long rows of dragon skulls. It felt as though they were watching me, somehow. I stopped in front of the throne, looking up at him. His golden sword was across his legs, its edge red with a king's blood. My men were filling the room behind me. Lannister's men drew back. I never said a word” (116)

“The king threw back his head and roared. His laughter startled a flight of crows from the tall brown grass. They took to the air in a wild beating of wings. "You think I should mistrust Lannister because he sat on my throne for a few moments?" He shook with laughter again. "Jaime was all of seventeen, Ned. Scarce more than a boy" (116).

King Robert “fears” a thirteen-year-old girl who marries a horselord, and he calls her “dragonspawn”. However, he “roars” like a lion in merriment at seventeen-year-old Jaime sitting his Iron Throne. Is this irony? Blindness? Ignorance? Madness? Robert is his own worst enemy!
Robert’s roar affrights the crows – hmmm.

“For a moment Ned did not follow. He had run out of words, and he was filled with a vast sense of helplessness. Not for the first time, he wondered what he was doing here and why he had come. He was no Jon Arryn, to curb the wildness of his king and teach him wisdom. Robert would do what he pleased, as he always had, and nothing Ned could say or do would change that. He belonged in Winterfell. He belonged with Catelyn in her grief, and with Bran.

A man could not always be where he belonged, though. Resigned, Eddard Stark put his boots into his horse and set off after the king” (117)

Ned runs out of word and nothing Ned could say or do would could persuade Robert from doing what he pleased, as he always had. Martin establishes Robert’s stubbornness, his temper, and his skewed loyalties to the Lannisters.
Martin evokes sympathy for Ned and feelings of frustration for the position Ned has put himself and his family in, for it appears that no matter which way he chooses, he is doomed.

I suppose a good part of my resentment toward Robert has to do with his selfishness. Apparently, being married to a Lannister has caused some of the family’s more notorious and unflattering personality traits have “rubbed off” on the King. Too bad there is not more of ‘Lan the Clever’ to temper Robert’s anger – and to give him a few extra smarts, such as observing Syrio’s instruction to Arya:

“Hear, smell, taste, feel . . . there are many ways to know the world for those who cannot see.” [Maybe it should be adjusted for Robert –“for those who cannot HEAR or SEE”!]

Edited for clarity and grammatical errors.

the titan of westeros · December 5, 2012

poor Ned its like when your chasing someone trying to tell them to come back and you know they are going to do something stupid or hurt themselves or something like that. They never listen and they always end up hurting themselves and the blame will always be put on you. Someone will ask why didn't you help him or something like that. Same thing is happening to Ned, he is trying to speak sense to Robert but Robert wont listen, instead Ned will be blamed for Roberts downfall.

evita mgfs · December 6, 2012

DAENERYS 2 A GAME OF THRONES
This is the chapter where Daenerys Targeryen gets married to Khal Drogo.Dany is a reluctant participant in this union,which has been brokered by IIyrio,on the assumption that the Khal will provide an army to Viserys to retake the Iron Throne in Westeros.
So it's a time of fear for Dany.Fear of Drogo and his Dothraki horde,and fear of Visery,with his accusatory euphemism,"You woke the dragon.".Waking the dragon refers to another of Viserys' little temper tantrums.
Though,of course,in Martin's style this could be prophecy and foreshadowing too!
The phrase occurs quite early in the chapter during a dream in which a naked Dany is being physically assaulted by Viserys because-"You woke the dragon,you woke the dragon."
The dream concludes,"As if in answer,there was a hideous ripping sound and the crackling of some great fire.When she looked again,Viserys was gone,great columns of flame rose all around,and in the midst of them was the dragon.It turned it's head slowly.When it's molten eyes found her,she woke,shaking and covered in a fine sheen of sweat.She had never been so afraid.....
....until the day her wedding came at last."
With hindsight we can view this as foreshadowing.Basically,exit Viserys,enter dragon.Though it could also be read as Viserys turns into a dragon.And,"You woke the dragon?"
The fear of the wedding recurs straight away and is not diminished,by the sights of killing,gluttony and debauchery she witnesses on the day.But finally,some respite occurs with the present ceremony.
Viserys' gift of Irri,Jhiqui and Doreah don't lessen the gloom,especially with the revelation that he and Illyrio have sampled the wares already.But Mormont's present of history books of Westeros is an "Aw bless" moment.
But then Illyrio delivers the dragon's eggs.Dragon's Eggs!
"The eons have turned them to stone,yet they burn bright with beauty."
Dany marvels at their beauty,but we know these are real dragon eggs,don't we?Will she "wake them?"Of course she will.
And then to the last present,a horse from Khal Drogo,a filly,"..grey as the winter sea,with a mane like silver smoke."A beautiful description.
The filly bonds with Dany instantly,responds to her every instruction.Important in bonding with the Dothraki,who venerate horses.Did Drogo put more thought into choice of animal than we might suspect?

:bowdown: :bowdown: REDRIVER: Great Job! This was a POV that I thought was rather “sexy”, and I do think Khal Drogo put time and thought into his wedding gift to Dany, the same way that he puts time and thought into his lovemaking with his young bride later. This wedding night scene in the book is so beautiful, and I resent that HBO did not characterize Khal Drogo accordingly in their interpretation of the wedding night scene. The Khal in the novel seems far more likeable in the novels – I mean, I felt Dany’s fear of him, but once I learned of his worship of her, sort of speak, he gentled greatly in my eyes. I think the HBO version wanted to maintain the wildness, the metaphoric ‘stallion’ that is Khal Drogo, and by making Drogo on television a romantic lover might have weakened their vision? I do not know! I am baffled as to why this scene was changed as well as the later scene when Dany takes Drogo under the stars, face to face, for the lovemaking that impregnates her.

I also recently purchased the graphic novel Volume 1, which I truly enjoy as a companion to the novel along with the reread. Those dragon eggs are well-drawn and detailed – so that they can really be studied individually. I have read some interviews where Martin scoffs at all the color symbolism in the stories, but I think these eggs have significant coloring, especially the black and red egg, for I think of Rhaegar and the Trident, his black breastplate and the rubies that fall into the waters after Robert’s war hammer does its mortal damage.

But on this reread with the dragon eggs, it occurs to me that they share the colors associated with the CotF, when Leaf explains how some people are “marked” by the CotF to receive special gifts, like greendreams, greensight, warging familiars, etc. Just as the direwolves of House Stark are seemingly marked by the old gods, I wonder if Dany’s eggs share a similar association? Just speculating.

Thanks again for a job well done!

evita mgfs · December 7, 2012

You guys/girls are pst this a bit, but I just found your thread & thought I would point out something interesting from one of Cat's chapters. During the Chapter when Ned, Cat & Lewin are discussing the letter; I noted that Ned opened the windows, Lewin came in & they subject changed, Cat thought that the windows should be closed while discussing such secrets, Ned nodded absently (but didn't close the windows)... Could this suggest that someone was listening on this conversation? Mance? Jaquen? Little Birds?

:bowdown: Addicted to Snow: This is a really good observation, and one I will keep in mind as I am rereading the next POV I present, Catelyn’s third POV, where Bran’s window figures prominently, as well as the door. I feel that Martin employs windows and doors symbolically, which I did not catch until this intense reread where I am presenting an introduction to quite a few chapters. Now, windows and doors are jumping off the page, it seems. And Martin is so deliberate and careful with his writing and organization, I do believe he is a master at employing symbols, and many other literary devices, astutely with meaning and relevance.

Regarding the windows Ned opens in Cat’s room, I did not speculate on the possibility of an eavesdropper, especially since the room is seemingly situated on an upper story overlooking the guard towers. I also looked at the view from the window in the graphic novel, and it appears that Ned is looking out to towers that are only a few feet above his vantage point when looking out the windows. The guard posts appear vacant in the drawings so mayhap in this scene early on, we as readers may be linking the lovemaking of Cat and Ned as a precursor to the lovemaking between Cersei and Jaime in an abandoned tower where the lovers do not fear that a spy will appear in the window of all places when they are on an upper floor: certainly only “little birds” could appear at a window that high up, and what “little birds” can spy then tell about it? Ironically, Bran will become a “little bird” as a result of his fall, and he will learn to fly and to spy from behind the masks in the weirwood trees, at least until his powers grow stronger and he learns to use other conduits to see.

Yes, I think the windows and doorways can and will be more significant as the novel progresses, and the possibility of “hearing” or “seeing” something going on in a room on an elevated floor will be important. I can think of an example from ADwD, during the scene detailing Ramsay’s wedding night with Jeyne Poole with assistance from Reek/Theon and maybe a dog, outside in the godswood a raven quorks, which indicates to me that Bran, who is behind the heart tree during the wedding ceremony, is still present in the godswood, represented by the raven, and this is the way we know that Bran and the godhood of which he is a part is fully aware of Ramsay’s nasty ways in the marriage bed even though the door is closed and Theon is sworn to silence.

Again, thanks for pointing out your observation!

Sorry for the boldface. For some reason, this post will not let me change the font when I try!

evita mgfs · December 7, 2012

This is why I like the rereads.And why they should be from multiple perspectives.
You were straight on to a couple of points that I had missed completely!

Redriver: your post with the description of Khal Drogo’s wedding gift to Dany, made me think about how much consideration the Khal really did give to the gift, and I decided that he selected the color of the filly based on the color of Dany’s hair. The Khal later calls Dany “Moon of My Life”, and I thought maybe he did have a deeper connection intended with the color “silver”.

Hmm... grey and silver - Stark colours. :eek: Also - sea and smoke. Hmmm...

Little Wing: your post about the colors made me think even more about the importance of silver. [i also analyzed the grey, but I had to make this post one unit for it became rather large!]

Then both of these combined lead me to consider the symbology of silver in literature.

So, I went to my handy-dandy On-Line Dictionary of Symbology to look up “silver”, and what I found really applies to Dany and her situation! I was amazed. Read on:

1.SILVER when opposed with GOLD (masculine), Silver is usually feminine.

a.Khal Drogo is the masculine GOLD, whom Khaleesi later calls ‘Her sun and stars”, which are gold and linked to the heavenly bodies just as Khaleesi represents the silver, for she has silver hair and her horse has a silver mane.

b.Also, the horse is a filly, which is a female horse under four years of age, just as Dany is a young girl, newly a teenager and newly a woman grown, ready to marry and bear children.

2.Silver often represents the moon, virginity, purity, the QUEEN.

a.Dany is called “Moon of my Life” by Drogo, affectionately, later in the novel.

b.Dany is a virgin when she comes to Khal Drogo’s bed, and she is pure not only of body, for she is untouched, but also she is pure of spirit and mind: she comes across as honest, sincere, loving, and maternal, not dishonest, affected, hateful, and neglectful, all the bad traits that make-up her brother Viserys.

3.The culmination of these symbols can be seen in the Greek goddess Artemis, twin sister of Apollo, the SUN God. She was one of the few virgin goddesses, the moon was her symbol, and she hunted with silver bow and arrows.

a.Artemis as a goddess may apply to Khaleesi in that the goddess is associated with the moon. Dany has a brother but he is no twin nor is he a sun god, and both she and her brother are targets for [or symbolically hunted by] King Robert who despises dragonspawn.

b.Artemis’ father is the king of the gods Zeus, the cloud-gatherer, the king of kings, lord of the thunderbolt; likewise, Dany’s father is King of the Seven Kingdoms, Aerys Targaryen II, who many seem to believe thought of himself as a “god” through ancestory or divine providence.

c.These traits of Artemis the goddess from another symbol site fit Dany much better: Artemis is the Greek Goddess of the hunt, forests, and childbirth. While she herself was a virgin Goddess, Artemis was closely associated with the birth process from a very young age—immediately after she was born, she assisted her mother the goddess Leto [motherhood], in the birth of her twin brother, Apollo. The births were painless for Leto, and thereafter Artemis was called on by women in labor to ease their pain. She also watched over infants, both human and animal, until they were weaned. She then became the protector of female children, as Apollo was the protector of male children. In an apparent contradiction, it was also Artemis who brought sudden death to infants, girls, and women, just as Apollo did the same with boys and men, and while she protected infant animals, she was also the Goddess of hunting. [http://www.goddessaday.com/greek/artemis].

d.I will not detail HOW Dany is associated with the “birthing” process, because that is much later, but it has to do with those dragon eggs. In this regard I see Dany as like Artemis; otherwise, she has not lead a hunt nor has she learned to shoot a bow and arrow.

e.That is, unless “hunt” is a metaphor representing “war” – Dany is a force behind an army fighting her war.

f.The “bow and arrow” could be a metaphor representing any “airborne” agent meant as a deadly weapon against an enemy force.

g.As far as Dany bringing sudden death to infants, girls, and women, at least as of yet I do not think this can be said.

h.Comparing Dany to Artemis deserves its own post for she is associated with the “stag”: stags pull her chariot, and one of her epithets is shooter of stags.

Well, I originally started to make a short post about the color silver, and guess what? I started to get those racing thoughts where all of a sudden, the connections start to happen. So I went on to look up other colors, and my little post turned into a 20 page word document, after editing!

This is what rereads have done for me. I get ideas from others’ posts, and then as I start to write out my theory and analysis, other ideas spring into my mind. But it all starts with that little bit of inspiration – and then a lot of work developing it with evidence from the text.

So, I threaten you all with a few other posts where I look at specific colors, such as the Stark grey, the north colored grey, the “grey rats”, and the symbology of grey. Then I wrote about the colors of those dragon eggs and parallels with the colors associated with the CotF and their designation “marks” to indicate those given a “gift” by the old gods. And I wrote about the symbology of the “egg” and applied it to Dany.

Then my computer crashed, I lost half my document, and had to start over!

That being said, I also was contemplating Martin’s use of the DOG as GOD spelled backwards – you know, when “dog” may represent a godhead, or symbolize one, or a body or entity that represents Christ-like goodness. [but Martin could also use GOD/DOG ironically, and what would count as “dogs”? All canines? The direwolves? The Hound? The Starks individually, or as a whole?]

I will close this out and meander on to the next one before I come up with any more ideas or associations. [Khal Drogo wears silver bells in his hair, and Dany’s hair is silver. Silver also symbolizes “betrayal”, in the biblical sense when Christ is betrayed for 30 pieces of silver, I think?]

And if anyone wants to introduce a chapter in this reread, just let me know. We welcome any volunteers to offer a fresh perspective. I can imagine everyone gets tired of my long-winded, rambling posts . . .! Just let me or The Pack Survives know.

redriver · December 7, 2012

Great stuff,Evita.You're energy and enthusiasm are infectious.

On the subject of colours and dragons eggs,I keep linking them to Tyrion's eye colour,one black,one green.I wonder if Tyrion opened his third eye,would it be "pale cream,streaked with gold"?

I agree that the TV depiction gave a different impression of the marriage consummation.On the reread of the chapter,it was surprisingly tender and consensual.

Clearly,the bond between Dany and Drogo is initiated in this chapter,by how Dany handles the filly,which was chosen by Drogo.

I wonder what Ilyrio made of this?

evita mgfs · December 9, 2012

SYMBOLIC SIGNIFICANCE OF THE COLOR GREY

The color grey in Martin’s ASoIaF is symbolic, and thus far in the series, Martin attaches “grey” to aspects of the Starks: Ned, Jon, and Arya have the Stark grey eyes. The world that is the cold north where Winterfell lies is “grey”. The Direwolves of House Stark are associated with “grey”: Grey Wind has “smoke grey fur” and yellow eyes. Lady has “grey fur” and yellow eyes. Nymeria has a hundred little grey cousins, and her eyes are yellow. Summer is silver and smoky grey with yellow eyes. [shaggydog is all black with bright green eyes, and Ghost is all white with red eyes. Even though these wolves are not “grey”, they each distinguish a color that, when combined, makes “grey”: black and white].

Moreover, the banners of House Stark of Winterfell presents a grey direwolf racing across an ice-white field. Ned’s Valyrian steel blade Ice was spell-forged, and is described as “dark as smoke” (14). The Wall often seems “a pale grey, the color of an overcast sky” (183). Maester Luwin wears grey robes, and Catelyn thinks of a grey rat when he pulls something from one of his many sleeves. The stone walls of Winterfell are grey, and are depicted as such in the graphic novel volume I. Last, Ned Stark’s ward from the Iron Islands is named Theon “Greyjoy”. Thus, as we progress through AGoT, we may find other applications of “grey” as a symbolically significant color.

According to The On-Line Dictionary of Symbology, [http://www.umich.edu/~umfandsf/symbolismproject/symbolism.html/G/gray.html]

1.“Gray is often seen as neutral, depression, and humility.”

a.Neutral: Grey is the neutral of black and white. Or we could say that a “grey” character is part good and part evil, for white and black often represent goodness and evil, respectively.

b.Depression: King Robert finds the cold north grey and “depressing”. The grey-green colors of the godswood depress Catelyn.

c.Humility: the quality of being modest or respectful – Jon Snow is the most modest and respectful of the Starks from my view thus far. He always puts his brothers and sisters above his own personal gain, and he is obedient to a fault, even joining Benjen Stark at the Wall as a recruit for the Night’s Watch, as his father no doubt instructed him.

2. “Ashes are usually grey in color, and therefore a natural correlation exists between the two.”

a.Ashes are relevant to many situations involving flames and burning in future POV’s.

b.In Catelyn’s next POV, the library tower in Winterfell is set on fire.

3.“commonly views grey as symbolic of death of the body while the soul remains eternal.”

a.The dead Stark lords and Kings of Winter reside in the Winterfell crypts, a stone monument carved in their likenesses with a stone direwolf at their feet.

b.If the Stark remains are buried in the crypts, then perhaps the “soul” that “remains eternal” resides in the heart tree in the godswood of Winterfell.

4.“Hebrew tradition relates the color grey to wisdom.”

a.I am not sure about the Hebrew religion, but I do know that in Homeric mythology and epics, Athene, the goddess of war and wisdom, is depicted as having grey eyes, and she is often called “owl-eyed Athene”, for the Greek deities were anthropomorphic and each god/goddess has an animal association. The “grey eyes” of Athene denotes “wisdom” just as the owl is a symbol of wisdom as well.

b.The grey eyes of Athene seemingly applies to the grey eyes of the Starks, which may suggest wisdom on some level.

c.The brain is often depicted as grey in color on anatomy charts, etc.

The meaning of the color grey as described in “The Herder Dictionary of Symbols: Symbols from Art, Archaeology, Literature and Religion” is as follows:

5, “Grey consists equally of black and white,”

I cannot think of an instance where black and white in equal proportions combine to make grey, but there are instances when black and white are significant, as in the direwolves Shaggydog and Ghost.
Jon Snow has a bastard last name of “Snow”, he owns a white direwolf, and he wears black as a brother of the Night’s Watch.
Jon Snow is Ice, and perhaps he will be balanced by a “black” force, or “fire”, which when it burns often chars and blackens what it feeds upon, ultimately leaving ash. [i am stretching here – but I also think of Dany’s Drogon and his counterpart Jon’s Ghost!].

“it is the color of mediation and compensating justice,”

Perhaps the “mediation” and justice” stem from #8, the grey cloak that Christ wears as judge at the Last Judgment.
Ned uses his sword Ice to deliver “the king’s justice”, as he does with a deserter of the Night’s Watch in Bran POV I of AGoT.
The maesters in their grey attire serve as mediators and advisers to their liege lords and family.

it is the color of “ intermediate realms” (e.g., in folk belief it is the color of the dead and of spirits that walk abroad).

In the graphic novel volume I, the crypts of Winterfell are depicted in shades of grey, which reaffirms #3.

“In Christianity it is the color of the resurrection of the dead and of the cloak that Christ wears as judge at the Last Judgment.”

If the crypts are associated with grey, then I suppose if the dead Starks and Kings of Winter rise, they may as well be grey, which fits with the grey association with the Starks and the north in general.

I'm still having problems with format - and I cannot get rid of the bold face. Sorry!

evita mgfs · December 10, 2012

AGOT 15 OVERALL / CATELYN POV III

SUMMARY IN BRIEF

In Catelyn’s third POV overall, Martin presents a sleep-deprived mother who has become obsessed with the well-being of her comatose son to such a degree that she is ignoring her household and other duties and responsibilities in order to devote twenty-four hours a day to Bran. Consequently, her oldest son Robb assumes a leadership role and unburdens his mother after he attempts to lecture her about her lack of attention to her other children in favor of Bran. While he is with mother, Robb spies the library on fire through Bran’s window, and when he leaves to attend to the flames, a would-be-assassin-for-hire appears with a dagger to kill Bran, but instead he wrangles with Catelyn and has his throat ripped open eventually by Bran’s unnamed direwolf who intercedes to assist Catelyn in her defense of Bran. After Catelyn’s wounds are tended and she gets some well-earned sleep, she decides to travel to King’s Landing with Ser Rodrik Cassell to learn what she can about the hired would-be-assassin’s deadly weapon, a Valyrian steel blade with a dragonbone hilt.

FIRST SENTENCE OF POV

Ned and the girls were eight days gone when Maester Luwin came to her one night in Bran's sickroom, carrying a reading lamp and the books of account.

First sentences usually contain important information, and the first sentence here indicates a passage of time so that the reader has a general idea of how long Ned has been gone and how long after his departure had Bran remained in a coma.
It is night, for Maester Luwin brings a lamp to read by as well as books of account.
The account ledgers indicate matters of household and money that need to be addressed, and the fact that Maester Luwin deems it necessary to bring these materials to Bran’s sick room suggests that these matters are quite important, with eight days passing before ML decides to bother Cat with tedious details of estate running.
The lamp and/or fire and light are important symbols in literature, and I had been taught that fire/light/illumination symbolized knowledge, a Greek myth evidencing a story to illustrate the concept in the Titan Prometheus sacrificing himself to bring fire [knowledge] to mankind against the explicit orders of Zeus, king of the gods.
In Lord of the Flies, Piggy’s glasses are the necessary component for creating fire on the deserted island, so Piggy allegorically stands for knowledge in the novel, although Piggy’s lens is broken when Jack Merridew smacks him in the face, which makes Piggy blind in one eye – just as the boys on the island are half- blind to “reason” and truth; that is, the beast on the mountain is only a man, at once “heroic but sick”. Toward the novel’s end, Piggy’s glasses are smashed to bits along with the conch shell that represents the law and order governing the island. As a result, the savages are completely blind to reason and truth, and law and order are no longer governing their behavior as they take up weapons to hunt down Ralph and kill him.
The symbol for The National Honor Society is a torch and its flame.
In Julius Caesar, Lucius is Brutus’ serving boy who illuminates his garden/study and who delivers him letters, which contain “knowledge”, albeit lies written by Cassius and delivered by Cinna.
In the following quoted, Catelyn sees Robb’s face illuminated in the lamp light just as he comes to the realization that the dogs are barking because the library is on fire.
The library is associated with knowledge, so it is ironic that the library is where the would-be-assassin decides to set the fire. “When she looked up, his face was pale in the lamplight. "Fire," he whispered.”

According to the On-line Dictionary of Symbology, THE LAMP as a symbol in literature means the following:

Life, the LIGHT of divinity, wisdom, intellect, and good works are all manifestations of the symbolic nature of the lamp.

Bran may be unconscious during this scene, but his direwolf is aware of all that is transpiring in their collective memory, so the unnamed direwolf is the deliverer of “life” as well as Bran’s connections to “divinity, wisdom, intellect, and good works” – all part of what the 3EC, BR, and the CotF promise Bran: a 1000 eyes, 100 skins, knowledge deep as the roots of trees . . .

Lamps can also be a gateway to another plane, as in the story of Aladdin and the genie.

Bran will be spiritually linked to another plane of consciousness through his 3EC dreams in which he will choose to fly, not die.

Brings protection against dark demons, and can be the illumination of the spirit.

Bran’s unnamed direwolf protects him and his mother against dark demons represented by the would-be-assassin.

Purity and virginity also relate, as well as beauty and love.

Bran defines all of these descriptors in his sweet nature, for he is purity, virginity, beauty, and love.

It is one a pinnacle symbol of self-sacrifice, as it consumes itself to offer light to the world.

Bran will make a great sacrifice when he decides to sit the weirwood throne, although we may learn later that Bran will be able to fulfill his dreams by living his life vicariously through the lives of others.
Catelyn, in a sense, sacrifices her health and the Winterfell household and her family in order to stay with Bran throughout the time immediate after his fall.

The source material for above is http://www.umich.edu/~umfandsf/symbolismproject/symbolism.html/L/lamp.html

Catelyn Stark suffers from sleep deprivation in her third POV, and Martin illustrates her symptoms through what she says, what she does, and what others reveal about her. For me to understand the totality of the affects of sleep-deprivation, I found this list of symptoms on-line and decided to matchup examples from each symptom to Catelyn in this POV.

Discovery Health: 10 Signs You May Be Sleep Deprived

By Tome Scheve

http://health.howstuffworks.com/mental-health/sleep/disorders/10-signs-you-may-be-sleep-deprived.htm

. . . There are many symptoms of sleep deprivation affecting our bodies and our brains. Sleep deprivation can be a source of domestic unhappiness, career shortcomings and potentially life-threatening situations. . .

In the following quote, Catelyn herself acknowledges that she is tired; moreover, she does not understand why she is losing her composure, even shouting at the maester.

“She had been shouting, she realized with a sudden flush of shame. What was happening to her? She was so tired, and her head hurt all the time.”

Moreover, through Robb’s gentle scolding the readers learn the extent of Catelyn’s devotion: "Is that what you call it? You haven't left this room since Bran was hurt. You didn't even come to the gate when Father and the girls went south."

10: Inability to Handle Stress

.. . Sleep deprivation wears down our normal capacity to deal with daily aggravations and challenges . . . Running short on sleep seems to lower the threshold for "stress perception." . . . While lack of sleep can augment stress, stress itself can lead to inadequate sleep. . .

Research seems to indicate that people . . . who respond to stress by losing sleep keep their focus on their roiling emotions [source: The Franklin Institute]. . .

Catelyn exemplifies this symptom when Maester Luwin confronts her with making decisions regarding the running of Winterfell, and she raises her voice, setting him aback. Note the bolded descriptions below:

She cut him off . . .

Her eyes snapped around and found him. "A master of horse?" Her voice was a whip.

The maester was shaken. "Yes, my lady. Hullen rode south with Lord Eddard, so—"

Martin shows Catelyn’s lack of general decorum by losing her control and snapping her eyes on him, using her voice as a whip.

Likewise, Robb reveals in his words to his mother that he knows she has not been sleeping:

"Rest. Maester Luwin tells me you've hardly slept since Bran's fall."

"I can't," she wept. "Gods forgive me, Robb, I can't, what if he dies while I'm asleep, what if he dies, what if he dies . . . " The wolves were still howling. She screamed and held her ears again. "Oh, gods, close the window!"

Catelyn divulges her paranoid-delusional thinking because she feels that if she leaves Bran’s side and takes time to sleep, he will die and she will be to blame. Her thinking may be guilt driven.

Catelyn has made Bran’s window a battle of wills, and in the above quote, she screams out to the gods to close the window. Will they answer her?

9: Poor memory

. . . After a restless night, you may become forgetful or experience "senior moments." . . . The less deep sleep you get, the fewer connections form between nerve cells. Both humans and animals perform worse on memory tests when deprived of sleep . . .

"Leave us now," Robb said. Maester Luwin bowed and departed. Robb closed the door behind him and turned to her. He was wearing a sword, she saw.”

AND

“Her son was dressed in boiled leather and ringmail, she saw, and a sword hung at his waist.”

AND

“Ser Rodrik bristled at him. "Put that away! The Lannisters are a hundred leagues away. Never draw your sword unless you mean to use it. How many times must I tell you, foolish boy?"

Abashed, Robb sheathed his sword, suddenly a child again. Catelyn said to Ser Rodrik, "I see my son is wearing steel now."

I am not sure, but I think Catelyn either forgets that she saw Robb wearing steel four days earlier, or she decides now to say something about it.
FYI: Jon Snow repeats this warning to Ser Patrek in ADwD when the Knight draws his sword on Wun Wun. Although Jon Snow gives credit to the warning to Ned Stark.

She didn't remember falling to the floor, but there she was, and Robb was lifting her, holding her in strong arms

8: Inability to Concentrate

Sleep-deprived subjects in studies are not only more likely to perform poorly on tests requiring concentration, but also, they're more likely to overestimate their performance. They underestimate the effects of sleep deprivation on their ability to concentrate [source: Downs].

. . .

“Catelyn could see the flickering reddish light through the open window now. She sagged with relief. Bran was safe. The library was across the bailey, there was no way the fire would reach them here. "Thank the gods," she whispered.

Robb looked at her as if she'd gone mad. "Mother, stay here. I'll come back as soon as the fire's out."

Catelyn is not in “the present” here, for she is living in her mind. She does not realize that Robb thinks she is thanking the gods for the fire, not thanking the gods for the fire being located far away from Bran’s sick room so he will not need to be saved from the flames.

Catelyn is experiencing rapid thought changes, or racing thoughts, for her focus jumps from one thing to the next. She detects that Robb is wearing a sword, but then her mind jumps back to Bran and whether she should move his bed beneath the window so that he gets more sunlight. The fact that Robb is now wearing steel seems less important than Bran getting enough sunlight. Catelyn’s reasoning skills are fried.

7: Increased Appetite

Controlling caloric intake is hard enough for most people, but when their sleep-deprived brains start making demands, it can be nearly impossible to control the cravings. . . .

Catelyn does not demonstrate any symptoms of an increased appetite. She deprives herself of nourishment just as Bran is deprived of nourishment in his unconscious state.

However, in a symbolic sense, Catelyn is feeding on her own “grief”.

What follows is a passage detailing the hearty meal the servants deliver to Catelyn when she wakes up: “Before he could answer, the servants returned with a plate of food fresh from the kitchen. There was much more than she'd asked for: hot bread, butter and honey and blackberry preserves, a rasher of bacon and a soft-boiled egg, a wedge of cheese, a pot of mint tea. And with it came Maester Luwin.” I do not think this is evidence of any kind, I merely found it interesting – and the addition of Maester Luwin as the last item on the menu appeared intentional as well as humorous!

6: Vision Problems

Vision problems due to lack of sleep increase the odds of all sorts of mishaps, such as falls, car crashes or accidents on the job. . . Visual distortions and difficulty focusing are hazardous symptoms of sleep deprivation. . . You may even start seeing things that aren't really there, detecting movement out of the corners of your eyes. It can be hard to process peripheral images and those in your direct line of sight at the same time. . .

Catelyn seemingly has some difficulty steadying herself during the fight with the would-be-assassin, although even if I had 24 hours sleep, I probably could not have done as well as she does in delaying the intentions of the would-be-assassin.

However, in her peripheral vision, she sees the “blur” that is Bran’s direwolf coming through the doorway. Even though Catelyn shuts Bran’s window on the fire and the wolf, the wolf still finds his way to his lordling Bran.

Thus, I think Catelyn’s vision problem is a symbolic one: she cannot see the importance of Bran and his wolf being together; however, this unfortunate attack exposes for Catelyn the protective natures of the direwolves. Obviously, this gives her enough comfort that she decides to leave Bran’s bedside to journey to King’s Landing to learn whatever she can about the dragonbone handled Valyrian steel dagger.

5: Poor Decision-making

. . . The brain's prefrontal cortex is involved in judgment and impulse control, and when it's feeling the strain of sleep deprivation, your decision-making abilities feel the strain as well.

. . . Studies have shown that sleep-deprived people are more likely to make risky decisions [source: Venkatraman]. Without sleep, you'll act aggressively in hopes of achieving short-term gains. . .

Catelyn taking on the would-be-assassin seems a risky business, but Martin has clearly shown us that Catelyn is willing to go the distance for her Bran.

I mentioned this before, but it may be worth stating here: Catelyn takes risks with her own well-being by not eating, not sleeping, and depriving herself of the emotional comfort her own family members could give her at this time of need.

Below is a passage in which Catelyn reflects on the “nightmare” of memories after Bran’s fall and her great sleep. Catelyn recalls the dream of blood and grief that she survives:

“It all seemed like a nightmare to her now, everything since Bran's fall, a terrible dream of blood and grief, but she had the pain in her hands to remind her that it was real. She felt weak and light-headed, yet strangely resolute, as if a great weight had lifted from her.”

Catelyn feels weak and light-headed, but she also feels as if a great weight has been lifted from her in regards to her resolution.

Another poor decision Catelyn makes is not allowing Bran’s window to remain opened, even after the window opened seemingly makes Bran’s heart beat stronger.

**The decisions she makes after she sleeps four days are not a result of sleep-deprivation because she is well-rested when she makes them.

4: Diminished Motor Skills

Researchers discovered that after you've gone a night without sleep, you're essentially operating on the same level as someone who's legally intoxicated [source: The Franklin Institute]. When you're sleep deprived, your mouth may not be able to get the words out as you try to communicate. Slurred speech, stuttering and speaking in monotone are clues that point to sleep deprivation. You may also fumble with small objects and be unsteady on your feet.

. . . Sleep deprivation also leads to slower reaction times. . .

Even though Catelyn surprises the would-be-assassin who does not expect her to be in the room with Bran, it wins her little advantage for he moves quicker than Catelyn anticipates. Perhaps it is Catelyn who is moving more slowly in her sleep-deprived state.

3: Relationship Troubles

When sleep disorders affect one member of a household, they affect all members. Keeping late hours -- mixed with random daytime sleeping -- throws off family activity schedules, bonding time and the sleep patterns of other family members. . .

We have evidence of some relationships stressors in this POV; for example, Catelyn shouts at Maester Luwin who is only reminding Catelyn of her duties as the lady of Winterfell. We learn through Robb that Catelyn did not say goodbye to Ned, Arya, and Sansa in person – she watched from the window instead. We also learn that Rickon is running wild, clinging to Robb, and that Robb needs his mother as well. He confesses how great the stress has been on him without father or his mother to help him cope from day to day.

**Catelyn pleads with Ned to reconsider his decision to go forth to King’s Landing to be hand of the King when he is needed so desperately at Winterfell, at home with his distressed wife and crippled child. "I said my farewells to them here, and watched them ride out from that window." She had begged Ned not to go, not now, not after what had happened; everything had changed now, couldn't he see that? It was no use. He had no choice, he had told her, and then he left, choosing.”

Catelyn discloses that Ned is hypocritical in telling her that he cannot remain at WF – and he has no choice. But Catelyn feels Ned is indeed making the choice TO GO.

2: Medical Problems

If you've been running yourself ragged without the proper amount of sleep, your health may start providing clues that it's time to snooze. . .

The immune system begins to lower its defenses. The white blood cell count decreases, and the remaining white blood cells become lethargic. . .

We see Catelyn’s mental health decline in her behavior and in what she says and how she says it. We also suspect that due to her over tired state, she is physically weak, even falling on the floor. It is amazing that she is able to keep the would-be-assassin at bay as well as she does, and it is even more fortuitous that Bran’s unnamed wolf arrives when he does.

Catelyn herself admits that she was mad with grief:

"He came for Bran," Catelyn said. "He kept muttering how I wasn't supposed to be there. He set the library fire thinking I would rush to put it out, taking any guards with me. If I hadn't been half-mad with grief, it would have worked."

I think the inference here is that Catelyn’s temporary madness was a GOOD thing for it caused Catelyn to react differently from the norm. Catelyn in “good form” would not have stayed behind with her sick son; no. She would have rushed right into the fray, come hell or high water, and with no foresight into her own danger, or by behaving with heroic recklessness, she may have left her children motherless. Or maybe she would have been on site, ordering the guards about in their duties. One way or the other, Catelyn would have been in the midst of things and Bran would have been a lesser priority.

Maybe Catelyn should listen to that country western song “Thank God for Unanswered Prayers.”

What follows is the quote leading up to Catelyn’s total mental collapse in hysterical laughter:

“The wolf was looking at her. Its jaws were red and wet and its eyes glowed golden in the dark room. It was Bran's wolf, she realized. Of course it was. "Thank you," Catelyn whispered, her voice faint and tiny. She lifted her hand, trembling. The wolf padded closer, sniffed at her fingers, then licked at the blood with a wet rough tongue. When it had cleaned all the blood off her hand, it turned away silently and jumped up on Bran's bed and lay down beside him. Catelyn began to laugh hysterically.”

This occurs after the would-be-assassin is killed. Catelyn seems to allow her exhaustion to overcome her, which is a result of her epiphany: the direwolves are not bad, truly. The direwolves are a good force, for Bran’s wolf arrived in time to save her boy. The fact that Catelyn allows the wolf to clean her wound is symbolic: she allows the wolf to heal her wound by cleansing it with his tongue just as she allows the wolf’s presence in the sickroom; Catelyn also sees redemption in the direwolf’s silent promise to her to be at Bran’s side as guardian and protector in the future, which finally puts Catelyn at ease. She will now be able to sleep, to eat, and to reason and make decisions with a clear head.

The quote that follows depicts some of the physical symptoms Catelyn is showing in regards to her declining health: “Catelyn was shaking. It was the grief, the cold, the howling of the direwolves.”

1: Mood Swings

When you're exceptionally tired but unable to get sleep, it doesn't take much to set you off. Situations that normally would be manageable may suddenly seem much more irritating. . .

Sleep deprivation increases your odds of experiencing feelings of depression, burnout and decreased empathy. Those who are already depressed or have other underlying mental health disorders may find those problems exacerbated by lack of sleep. . .

Martin shows the readers a roller-coaster ride in the distressed mind of Catelyn Stark. She undergoes some profound moments in this POV, but if the readers look at her “change” in a clinical sense, Catelyn seems to vacillate back then forth in her convictions:

Catelyn cannot and will not leave Bran’s side. After four days of sleep, she announces her plans to go to King’s Landing, resolved to leave Bran because Maester Luwin says there is naught more that she can do. She also points out that she has other children who need her attention, which she directs at Robb.
Catelyn urges Ned to take the office of Hand of the King, then begs him not to go after Bran falls.
Catelyn refuses to allow a window opened in Bran’s sick room because of the howling direwolves whom she distrusts; after Bran’s wolf saves his life and hers, Catelyn thanks the wolf and allows him to stay in Bran’s room.
Catelyn transforms from a hysterical mental case into a strong, driven, and decisive woman, one of whom Ned Stark will be proud.

Catelyn’s collapse indicates a “burn out” of sorts, and her decreased empathy can be seen in how Catelyn initially responds to Robb’s plea that her other children need her. Until the direwolf moment, Catelyn seems to be Bran-obsessed, unwilling to leave his side for fear that he will die in her absence.

Catelyn is set off by the howling of the direwolves.

After Catelyn is rested, she thinks back on her irrational behavior prior to her deep sleep, and by her own admission, her behavior was “shameful”. The quote of self-reflection follows:

**“Catelyn remembered the way she had been before, and she was ashamed. She had let them all down, her children, her husband, her House. It would not happen again. She would show these northerners how strong a Tully of Riverrun could be.”

Thus, Catelyn “realizes” her failings and vows to show those she let down just how strong a Tully can be. This indicates a “mood change” of sorts; that is, while Catelyn is suffering with sleep deprivation, she behaves unlike her normal self: strong, cool, collected. In the scene that follows her resolve, Catelyn displays her strength of purpose by making deliberate decisions that will ultimately change the lives of many in the room forever.

DISCUSSION

Outside the tower, a wolf began to howl. Catelyn trembled, just for a second.

"Bran's." Robb opened the window and let the night air into the stuffy tower room. The howling grew louder. It was a cold and lonely sound, full of melancholy and despair.

"Don't," she told him. "Bran needs to stay warm."

"He needs to hear them sing," Robb said. Somewhere out in Winterfell, a second wolf began to howl in chorus with the first. Then a third, closer. "Shaggydog and Grey Wind," Robb said as their voices rose and fell together. "You can tell them apart if you listen close."

Catelyn was shaking. It was the grief, the cold, the howling of the direwolves. Night after night, the howling and the cold wind and the grey empty castle, on and on they went, never changing, and her boy lying there broken, the sweetest of her children, the gentlest, Bran who loved to laugh and climb and dreamt of knighthood, all gone now, she would never hear him laugh again. Sobbing, she pulled her hand free of his and covered her ears against those terrible howls. "Make them stop!" she cried. "I can't stand it, make them stop, make them stop, kill them all if you must, just make them stop!"

She didn't remember falling to the floor, but there she was, and Robb was lifting her, holding her in strong arms. "Don't be afraid, Mother. They would never hurt him." He helped her to her narrow bed in the corner of the sickroom. "Close your eyes," he said gently. "Rest. Maester Luwin tells me you've hardly slept since Bran's fall."

"I can't," she wept. "Gods forgive me, Robb, I can't, what if he dies while I'm asleep, what if he dies, what if he dies . . . " The wolves were still howling. She screamed and held her ears again. "Oh, gods, close the window!"

"If you swear to me you'll sleep." Robb went to the window, but as he reached for the shutters another sound was added to the mournful howling of the direwolves. "Dogs," he said, listening. "All the dogs are barking. They've never done that before . . . " Catelyn heard his breath catch in his throat. When she looked up, his face was pale in the lamplight. "Fire," he whispered.

I understand that Catelyn is sleep-deprived, which is why I went through the trouble of researching the symptoms by today’s standards and applying them to Catelyn’s actions in this point of view, for this is the POV where I initially feel a strong dislike for Catelyn’s character, which I will do my best to explain as I delve into analyzing her behavior and possible motivations for her conduct.

I initially feel sympathy for Cat’s despair over Bran’s condition, yet when I study the contradictions in her manners, I start to question the sincerity behind what she does. She has not left Bran’s side since his fall, nor has she slept, so devastated is she by the demise of the son she had begged Ned to let stay behind at Winterfell instead of joining him and his party in King’s Landing. Even though she is sick with grief, her motivations are suspect after her revelation to Jon Snow that she prayed to the seven gods in the sept seven times for Ned to change his mind. Now that her wish is fulfilled, instead of Catelyn taking care of her own health so that she can be a better care-giver to her son, she allows her feelings of guilt to keep her awake, which ultimately weakens her abilities to parent not only Bran but her other children as well.

Catelyn does not even leave the sick room to see her daughters and husband off to King’s Landing; she watches from the window. She allows Rickon to run wild and cling to Robb, and she does not attend to Robb, her eldest, whom Ned was the most concerned about learning to become a lord and leader in his absence. As a result of her selfishness, Cat allows ALL her children to suffer her absence in some regard.

Catelyn obviously ignored Maester Luwin’s observation about the importance of keeping the window OPENED, claiming that Bran will catch cold, when in actuality it is Cat who gets cold when the window is opened, as Martin makes clear in her earlier POV. Moreover, she is seemingly distressed by the direwolves’ howling, covering her ears and reacting with melodramatics.

By cutting Bran off from his wolf, she jeopardizes his healing, and her personal dislike of the cold and the noise should rank below Bran’s well-being.

Why does Catelyn comport herself in such a fashion?

I am going to speculate that Catelyn resents the direwolves for their intrinsic connection with House Stark in general and with Bran specifically, for the wolves represent the cold, the grey, the noise, and the north, and in no way do the wolves define or exemplify Catelyn’s House of Origin, the Tully’s. Furthermore, Catelyn may associate the direwolf pups with bad luck, since the litter was born to a dead mother killed by a stag antler, which adorns the helms of House Barratheon King and like retainers. The wolf killed by an antler seemingly foretells some immediate danger the Starks may face at the hands of the Barratheons and their consorts.

In addition, the direwolves are part of what Catelyn has associated with myth, legend, and/or Old Nan’s tales: they are supposedly extinct beasts that have not been seen on this side of the Wall in a hundred years, which is an ominous portent, for their appearance suggests that other like dangerous foes once thought extinct or far from the civilized world may soon follow the arrival of the direwolves.

I believe Ice Turtle and Florina Stark both pointed out Catelyn’s fear. In this POV, Martin displays her fear for the reader’s consideration, establishing that Cat views the direwolves of tales with hostility and resentment, choosing to see the danger these beasts of famed reputation might mean for her children. Catelyn acts upon her fear by doing her best to separate Bran from his wolf, which she achieves by closing the window in his sickroom so muffle the song he and his brothers howl to Bran. Even though Maester Luwin advises Catelyn to keep the window opened for Bran’s heart beats stronger through his telepathic connection with his direwolf, Catelyn selfishly disregards the maester in whose wisdom Ned ordered her to trust during his absence from Winterfell. Her decision to ignore what is best for Bran may prove detrimental to Bran’s health and recovery.

As readers we are better informed than Catelyn on the connection between each direwolf and each Stark child, so our frustration mounts with Catelyn’s inability to perceive the wolves as mythic beasts that are appointed by the old gods as guardians and guides for Ned’s progeny. Catelyn does not see the pups as living reincarnations of the ancient sigil of House Stark, a symbol held so dear to the Starks that they made them their stone companions in the crypts of Winterfell.

Because we as the readers recognize the importance of the direwolves, we are horrified when Catelyn screams, "Make them stop! . . . I can't stand it, make them stop, make them stop, kill them all if you must, just make them stop!" When Catelyn directs her hysterical orders to Robb, her words exemplify “unconscious irony” since she cannot know that by wishing the direwolves dead she is simultaneously wishing for the deaths of her own children, so linked are the children with their wolves.

I further surmise that Martin creates “dramatic irony” to build suspense, since the readers are aware of important information that Catelyn is not yet aware of. Catelyn fears the wolves and protects Bran from that which she fears is a danger, and by divulging Cat’s depths of despair through her wish to kill the direwolves emphasizes the scene later when she will suddenly realize that Bran’s wolf saves his life and hers as well. So, by establishing this distrust in Catelyn, Martin makes her epiphany later far more dramatic.

I wish to point out that immediately after she cries out to kill the direwolves, this occurs: She didn't remember falling to the floor, but there she was, and Robb was lifting her, holding her in strong arms. "Don't be afraid, Mother. They would never hurt him."

I am not sure what force knocks her to the ground, but I can’t help thinking it was more than Catelyn’s absent-mindedness. I think maybe the old gods are part of this scene. Note that The wolves were still howling. She screamed and held her ears again. "Oh, gods, close the window!"

"If you swear to me you'll sleep." Robb went to the window, but as he reached for the shutters another sound was added to the mournful howling of the direwolves. "Dogs," he said, listening. "All the dogs are barking. They've never done that before . . . "

A force greater than Catelyn’s pleas prompted him to open the window in the first place, and now move to “close” it; consequently, Robb fortuitously sees the fire in the library and rushes to the rescue, which leaves Catelyn with Bran, a condition the would-be-assassin was not planning on meeting with when he enters the room.

The close relationship of Catelyn’s cry for the gods [d-o-g-s] to help and Robb’s realization that the dogs [g-o-d-s] are alerting some danger are connected, and maybe through the dogs the gods are working to help Catelyn see the truth about the nature of the direwolves, for once Robb leaves, the would-be-assassin appears to kill Bran.

I also wonder about the direwolves howling a chorus when Robb opens the window, and maybe they sense the danger in the library before even the dogs alerted at the onset of the fire.

Bran’s direwolf arrives in a timely fashion, which suggests that he was already near Bran’s opened door in order to attack the hired-assassin before he can kill either Catelyn or Bran.

[somehow Catelyn closing the blinds on Bran’s window acts as a signal – or some other providential stimulus!]

The window symbolism may be relevant here, for Cat tries to keep the window closed.

“ . . . there is a separation between the viewer and the outside world. The window has glass so the person is left as a spectator, not as someone who actually has any kind of involvement with the world. . . People who are scared to look out the window are people that do not want to know what is going on in the world around them. Even though they are still protected by the glass, they are still worried that the world will be too shocking to behold”, from an article quoted earlier regarding the symbolism of windows and doors in literature. By keeping the window closed, Catelyn thinks she is protecting Bran and herself from the dangerous world outside “too shocking to behold”. The window and its limited view also represent Catelyn’s own short-sightedness in regards to the mystical healing powers of Bran’s wolf. She allows her fears to cloud her judgment and rule her decisions, all of which will lead to self-destruction if she does not realize that she is wrong in her conduct.

**Robb seems to know that Bran needs to hear the wolves sing; as a result of Robb’s perception, I don’t wonder if his bond with Grey Wind has not communicated this fact to him, and for this reason, Robb is insistent that Bran hears the wolves sing. He may also realize that Bran must wake up in order to build his bond with his wolf as well.

**It is when Catelyn closes the window’s blinds that Bran’s unnamed direwolf gets the “signal” to leave his post and go directly to Bran’s room.

**The would-be-assassin was allegedly paid 90 silver stags, which reminds me of another historic betray: Judas betrays Christ for 30 pieces of silver. Note the coinage is also marked with the Barratheon stag, which is a hint as to whom may have hired this would-be-assassin. [Or a red herring, putting the rooky detectives on the wrong course of action; this seems a likely precaution the people behind this attempt to have Bran killed may make, unless “they” were total amateurs! Compare this with the well-wheeled execution of the delivery of the lens and hidden message made earlier!]

**I will share a bit of a piece I have been working on regarding the “blades” that take down – or nearly take down – or are associated with – the Starks:

Ned and Ice: Ice slays Ned when wielded by Ser Ilyn Payne. Nedd loses his head, just as Robb and Grey Wind lose their heads. Catelyn is sliced in the neck.

Ned kills Lady with Ice.

Jon gifts Arya Needle; Commander Mormont gifts Jon Longclaw.

Jon’s hand is burned while fighting the wight to protect LC Mormont.

Halfhand is killed with Longclaw.

A hired captspaw attempts to slay Bran.

Catelyn is cut on the hand by the Valyrian steel dagger with the dragonbone hilt.

Catelyn cuts Jinglebell’s neck.

Catelyn is killed with a blade to her neck.

Robb is killed by the blade to his chest delivered by Roose Bolton.

Grey Wind is beheaded.

Jon may be dead, or badly wounded as a result of his black brothers stabbing him.

The fleeing Starks and company remove swords from the Winterfell crypts.

That’s my evidence. I have not found a thesis to marry it to as of yet! It just seems interesting that the blades are a deadly foe against the Starks and their direwolves.

**I have been pondering the significance of Bran’s direwolf cleaning Catelyn’s wounds. Here are some of my thoughts: My goldens will lick one anothers’ coats clean, or they will “worry” a hot spot on a pack mate, so I wonder if by licking Cat’s blood from her wound, Bran’s direwolf is communicating to Catelyn that she is one of the pack now too.

**Rob “in tune” with the wolves through his own Grey Wind. I am going to make a proposition that may be risky, but I also found additional information in a later chapter that speaks to the possibility of this being true: Robb is “connected” to Grey Wind, and I speculate that he may even be at the “wolf dream” stage – not the warging yet. As evidence, I wish to offer up Robb’s patient lecture to his mother about the wolves. First, he assures his mother that the wolves will not hurt Bran. This promise intimates a collective knowledge of the “pack”, for how else could Robb state a fact like this unless he is speaking kindly to comfort his mother [i do not think so!] Robb is desperately trying to convey something important to his mother, and if she had been more approachable in the last few weeks, Robb would have confided in her. This is why Robb makes such an impassioned plea to his mother, saying that he has needed her as well as Bran and Rickon. Note this quote:

“He paused a moment, chewing on his lower lip the way he'd done when he was little. "Mother, I need you too. I'm trying but I can't . . . I can't do it all by myself." His voice broke with sudden emotion, and Catelyn remembered that he was only fourteen. She wanted to get up and go to him, but Bran was still holding her hand and she could not move.”

Robb has the same habit as Arya – biting his lip. Robb confesses that he needs his mother, that he is doing his best, but that he cannot do it by himself. Robb even reveals his emotional vulnerability when his voice breaks, but Catelyn blames Bran for holding her back.

Following is the passage where Robb tries to get his mother to “listen” to the wolves.

Outside the tower, a wolf began to howl. Catelyn trembled, just for a second.

"Bran's." Robb opened the window and let the night air into the stuffy tower room. The howling grew louder. It was a cold and lonely sound, full of melancholy and despair.

"Don't," she told him. "Bran needs to stay warm."

"He needs to hear them sing," Robb said. Somewhere out in Winterfell, a second wolf began to howl in chorus with the first. Then a third, closer. "Shaggydog and Grey Wind," Robb said as their voices rose and fell together. "You can tell them apart if you listen close."

Robb distinguishes each voice by name: Bran’s wolf starts, followed by Shaggydog, then Grey Wind. Robb urges his mother to listen closely for then she will be able to tell them apart just as Robb can.

Catelyn calls it “howling” whereas Robb calls the direwolves’ chorus “song”. Catelyn thinks the howls are cold, lonely, melancholic, and filled with despair. She is projecting her own feelings of guilt, hopelessness, and despair on the wolves. Her misplaced blame is ironic for the wolves are a force compelled to preserve their master’s longevity.

The wolves joining together in song, even though separated by location in Winterfell, seemingly foretells that the wolves will remain “connected” in a similar way when and if they are separated, just as the Stark children will remain intrinsically bonded to their pack through blood and ancestry. The fact that Robb is as perceptive as he is in his words to his mother makes me speculate if he has already been enlightened through his dreams. Sadly, his father is gone and his mother has not been emotionally available. Moreover, Robb has been through some emotionally jarring events recently, which no doubt would have heightened Grey Wind’s connection to Robb through Robb’s feelings, just as Summer demonstrates Bran’s feelings of anger when Jojen presses him to discuss his wolf dreams. Summer chases the Reeds up a tree. Now, we have Robb who has to say good bye to his buddy Jon and his sisters, brothers, and father; Robb has to face the reality of Bran’s injuries even after almost losing him.

Then Robb must deal with the pressures of his role as first-born son, even advancing to wearing real steel and minding his three-year-old brother while his mother has a breakdown. I think Robb has dealt with enough “emotional drama” to bring on a direwolf bonding event.

But Robb’s words are not as effective with his mother who needs to SEE for herself that the direwolves do not mean her children any harm.

**When Bran’s direwolf rips out the throat of the intruder, the blood sprays in Catelyn’s face. She is symbolically baptized in blood, a visual symbol and color associated with the heart tree, the godswood, and the old gods of the north.

**The door is closed on several occasions in this POV, twice in order to share secrets in private; Catelyn also closes the window blinds.

**Irony: These words spoken by Theon are laughable: "Lord Eddard is a second father to me," said Theon Greyjoy. "I do so swear."

CATELYN’S DECISIONS AFTER HER BIG SLEEP

Catelyn decides to redeem herself by acting strong instead of weak in the presence of those she most let-down earlier.
Catelyn decides to tell those gathered for a conference in her room in the Red Keep that she knows the would-be-assassin was deliberately sent to kill Bran.
Catelyn decides to use this opportunity for an educational moment for Robb:

“Catelyn gave her firstborn a challenging look. "If you are to rule in the north, you must think these things through, Robb. Answer your own question. Why would anyone want to kill a sleeping child?"

Catelyn challenges Robb to look for answers on his own by employing common sense and deductive reasoning. By doing this in front of an audience, Catelyn knows she adds pressure to his response, and that her son will rise to the occasion and not disappoint her, for she finally sees Ned in him.

Catelyn decides to tell the others of her suspicions regarding the Lannisters as revealed in a communication she received from her sister Lysa.
Catelyn decides to have her son Robb voice the conclusion that someone wants Bran dead because he/she fears that Bran will implicate someone if he survives his coma and wakes up.
Catelyn decides that her husband and daughters are sent into a situation that will place their lives in grave danger – definitely foreshadowing.
Catelyn decides that she is the best person to travel to King’s Landing to learn of the origins of the dagger.
Catelyn decides that Robb must stay home and assume the duties of a lord, for there must always be a Stark in Winterfell. She announces: "So long as Lord Eddard is away, my son is the master of Winterfell," she told him.
Catelyn even decides the course their journey will take so that she and Rodrik Cassel will arrive in King’s Landing before Robert’s van.

This concludes my discussion of Chapter 15 Cat III POV. I will be posting my usual follow-up regarding the CAT symbol in literature because within Catelyn’s name is CAT and it is part of our topic heading.

I am still working on my piece comparing the color symbology of the dragon eggs and the direwolves of House Stark. [That is turning into a monster post, I fear!]

Little Wing · December 13, 2012

<great analysis snipped for length>

The auditory aspect of the chapter is a nice catch here - Robert doesn't want to be heard by anyone except Ned but then doesn't listen to him - it's pretty much my way or the highway with Robert... It's also interesting how he's willing to overlook both Jorah's and Jaime's committing treason because it works to his advantage (killing/spying on Targs) while Ned stands his ground when it comes to justice over their transgressions. There are opportunities to make friends out of enemies, and Robert has done that, but took it too far with the Lannisters. It seems Robert does not forgive, as it were, but overlooks transgressions, even the murder of children, if they bring him what he wants - revenge on the Targs. Their stance on Jaime particularly is interesting. Ned would behead Jaime then and there if it was up to him, but we know why Jaime did it... There would be no KL to save if Jaime didn't act... I wonder what Ned would think/do if he knew the whole story... he'd probably still think it was too much to go ahead and kill someone you swore to protect instead of just, I dunno, wounding him or punching him unconscious and tying him up? I guess knowing the whole story on Aerys/Jaime/wildfire would only make Ned send Jaime to the Wall instead of beheading him, lol. No matter how much I appreciate an authoritative figure that can forgive, Robert took it way too far and in turn became a part of the problem. Ned may be cold and stern in his justice, but he has the compassion needed and is only seen as unyielding to those who do not look beyond the surface.

Anyway, the animal imagery of Robert - we see him as a roaring lion and a bear. He supports both Jorah and Jaime here, so there's that, as Evita already pointed out. I'm not sure about this, but isn't a bear really tenacious if you in any way trouble him and it starts going after you/chasing you? If it is so, then it's pretty close to his clinging hate for the Targs (although he's part Targ himself... :dunno: ) The lion in Robert is, imo, besides the fact he's king, his furious nature, the way he's quick to lash out in rage but also quick to forget it, as we've seen him in this chapter. I think lions are kinda like that, but I could be wrong, lol :laugh:

evita mgfs · December 18, 2012

ANNOUNCEMENT

A PLEA FOR HELP

I just received news that The Pack Survives has left Westeros.org and will not be returning in the near future. Please be advised that no one in this thread has caused her to leave the Forum. If you wish for further details, you may PM me, and I will share what I do know about her reasons.

Because of this, I have lost my partner in crime in maintaining this Reread Thread. I solicit any willing poster to help out my cause to keep this thread alive. I have every other POV, but for the immediate future, we need the following POV’s covered.

OPEN– 16 Sansa – Post December 11 **This will have to be posted late! I posted an introduction below.

OPEN – 17 Eddard – Post December 20

EVITA – 18 Bran – Post December 21

ALIA OF THE KNIFE – 19 Cat – Post December 29

EVITA – 20 Jon – Post December 30

OPEN– 21 Eddard – Post January 3

OPEN– 22 Tyrion – Post January 4

EVITA – 23 Arya – Post January 8

OPEN– 24 Dany – Post January 9

Please PM me – or let me know via another way if you are interested in saving this thread by offering to introduce POV’s.

If I do not here from any willing volunteers, I will do my best to try to recruit people, but any help is appreciated. I do not think I could introduce all the POV’ without some help!

Thanks so much,

Evita

Edit: update schedule

evita mgfs · December 18, 2012

AN: With the loss of my partner for this Re-Read Thread, I will stumble forth and offer up an introduction to the SANSA POV I, Chapter 16 overall. Since I do not have the time to make this a thorough close-reading of the chapter, please forgive me. I know I will leave a lot of important information unsaid, so maybe you following this thread can help me to fill in the gaps.

SANSA POV I / AGOT / CHAPTER 16 OVERALL

SHORT SUMMARY

In Sansa’s first point-of-view chapter, the readers meet a refined young lady eager to please those in authority, idealistic in her dreams of true love and chivalric knights, and plagued by a strong-willed younger sister who she frets over mortifying her in public. Martin demonstrates through Sansa’s perspective the marked differences between the two Stark sisters and also how the direwolves of each mirror their owner’s natures, mannerisms, and even appearances. After Arya refuses to join Sansa on her visit to the Queen and Princess for lemon cakes, Sansa meets members of the Kingsguard, including the fabled Ser Barristan Selmy, as well as others, notably Renly, the Hound, and Ser Ilyn Payne, who frightens her more than the Hound.

As a result of the arrival of an advance escort to the King, the Queen cancels her plans, disinvites Sansa, and allows Prince Joffrey to entertain his betrothed instead, which thrills Sansa immensely. Unfortunately, tragic events ensue that result in dire consequences for many.

FIRST SENTENCES OF POV

Eddard Stark had left before dawn, Septa Mordane informed Sansa as they broke their fast. "The king sent for him. Another hunt, I do believe. There are still wild aurochs in these lands, I am told."

The first thing we learn from this sentence is that Lord Eddard Stark left before dawn, and with Father not close-by, sometimes siblings take advantage of a parentless situation by misbehaving.
We also learn that Septa and Sansa are breaking their fast together, and that Arya is absent.
We learn that the king sent for Ned to join another hunt since “wild aurochs” are about; however, the real “beasts” are those nearby, not the aurochs wandering the lands.
We learn Septa Mordane makes a point to know Lord Eddard Stark’s business, and subsequently the King’s.

DIREWOLF THEME

The direwolf theme in Sansa’s POV can be summed up by the following quote:

Sansa couldn't help but smile a little. The kennelmaster once told her that an animal takes after its master. She gave Lady a quick little hug. Lady licked her cheek. Sansa giggled.

We will see just how each of the female direwolves mirror their new owners, Sansa and Arya. The kennel master speaks truly that an animal will take after her master, and I hear Judge Judy or Judge Joe Brown say weekly to irresponsible pet owners that a dog [usually a pit bull] is only as well-behaved as his master has trained him to be. A negligent owner who does not leash his pet and make sure he is safely contained in a yard only brings grief upon himself, and others, unfortunately.

THE BRADY BUNCH SYNDROME

The relationship between Sansa and Arya brings to mind the 1970’s sitcom The Brady Bunch and the relationship between older sister Marcia [sansa] and middle child Jan [Arya].

Marcia is the perfect daughter who brushes her hair a 100 strokes a day, wears stylish miniskirts, is captain of the cheerleaders, and dates the most popular boys in school, when she is not pining over Davy Jones. Likewise, Sansa brushes her hair to a high gloss, is a master with a needle and thread, and is betrothed to the future king of the Seven Kingdoms, a version of the most popular boy in school with all the glitz and glam of a teen idol like Davy Jones.

Arya is the middle child just like Jan, who musters onward in her older sister’s shadow, often resenting that the family is “all about” Marcia, which leads her to the famous whine: “Marcia, Marcia, Marcia!” However, while Sansa is a strong candidate for Marcia, Arya is not a whiner, and she does not try to emulate her sister Sansa’s lady-like ways, as does Jan Brady. Arya has more confidence and a stronger sense of self than the character in the show, but I would still love to hear her whine, “Sansa, Sansa, Sansa!”

DEAR SISTER, HOW DO I DISLIKE THEE? LET ME COUNT THE WAYS!

Perhaps I am mistaken, but as I read Sansa’s first POV, I get the feeling that she views her younger sister Arya scornfully, resenting that Arya is not the perfect sister, a model of Princess Myrcella, resenting that Arya does not follow the rules, and resenting that their father Ned does not curb her wildness. Sansa’s attitude of superiority is fed by her Septa who draws comparisons unfairly between the two.

For these reasons, I thought I would compress the major differences or compelling distances between Sansa and Arya, two sisters who share the same blood yet do not share a strong sisterly bond. After all, Sansa does think: “Sansa could never understand how two sisters, born only two years apart, could be so different.”

Number One: Sansa breaks her fast dutifully at table with her Septa unlike Sarya who steals into the kitchen and coaxes breakfast from a kitchen boy.
Number Two: Lady sits demurely at Sansa’s side, pristine, proper, groomed, and obedient, unlike Nymeria, who is as willful as her master Arya, trying to escape grooming, her fur matted and tangled, fighting her young mistress who tries to brush the mud from her coat.
Number Three: Sansa looks her best in the morning, choosing her attire carefully and brushing her hair until it shines, unlike Arya who is wearing the same leathers she has worn the past two days.
Number Four: Sansa fears Arya ruining the day by doing something to embarrass her, especially in the presence of her beloved Prince Joffrey. And if thinking a thing makes it true, then Sansa’s fears come to pass when she and the prince spot Arya and Mycah fencing as they are in the midst of a dreamy date together.
Number Five: Sansa is easily impressed by pomp, circumstance, and courtly glamor whereas Arya could care less about primping, preening, and trying to impress others.
Number Six: Sansa is shocked out of social decorum when Arya announces, “I don’t like the queen” and “Myrcella is a little baby”, and that she has no intention of joining the Septa, Queen, and Princess in the wheelhouse for lemon cakes and tea because the wheelhouse has no windows.
Number Seven: Sansa, with her “narrow” view represented by her lack of need for windows, is dismayed by Arya’s assertion that there is much to see from windows. Sansa sees only fields, and farms and holdfasts, while Arya sees the promise of , like a haunted tower, identifying 36 new flowers, and spying a lizard-lion. Sansa, on the other hand, hated every minute of their twelve day trek through the Neck, and endless black bog, damp and clammy.
Number Eight: Sansa is obedient, like her direwolf Lady at her side, whereas Arya leaves the column against her father’s orders to explore and pick him poison flowers.
Number Nine: Sansa tells Arya that she hates horseback riding while Arya loves it. Sansa says, "Why would you want to ride a smelly old horse and get all sore and sweaty when you could recline on feather pillows and eat cakes with the queen?" But Sansa proves a hypocrite when Joffrey invites her horseback riding, her view of such does a complete turn around: Joffrey reflected a moment. "We could go riding." / "Oh, I love riding," Sansa said.
Number Ten: Sansa prefers cleanliness, but Arya has no qualms about “getting her hands dirty”, for she cakes mud on her body to prevent the itching caused by a rash she contacted from the poison flowers: “she rubbed mud all over her arms like some ignorant bog woman just because her friend Mycah told her it would stop the itching”.
Number Eleven: Sansa maintains the demeanor of a highborn lady, conversing politely with the members of the escort from King’s Landing, all nobles and knights of repute; on the contrary, Arya prefers talking with all type of unpretentious folk: “Sansa knew all about the sorts of people Arya liked to talk to: squires and grooms and serving girls, old men and naked children, rough-spoken freeriders of uncertain birth. Arya would make friends with anybody.”
Number Twelve: Sansa prefers the company of royalty unlike Arya who favors the butcher’s boy for companionship rather than her own sister Sansa, to Sansa’s horror, who thinks: “This Mycah was the worst; a butcher's boy, thirteen and wild, he slept in the meat wagon and smelled of the slaughtering block. Just the sight of him was enough to make Sansa feel sick, but Arya seemed to prefer his company to hers.”
Number Thirteen: Sansa feigns adult-like behavior and pretense, “all adult and reasonable” who admonishes her sister, "Gods be true, Arya, sometimes you act like such a child," Sansa said. "I'll go by myself then. It will be ever so much nicer that way. Lady and I will eat all the lemon cakes and just have the best time without you." This is ironic for Arya is technically a “child”.
Number Fourteen: Sansa’s snobbish attitude is revealed when she assesses that Arya is more Stark, like their bastard brother Jon Snow. “It would have been easier if Arya had been a bastard, like their half brother Jon. She even looked like Jon, with the long face and brown hair of the Starks, and nothing of their lady mother in her face or her coloring. And Jon's mother had been common, or so people whispered.” Sansa counts her own looks superior to Arya’s for she has the long face and brown hair of the Starks and none of her mother’s coloring. Besides, Jon’s mother was rumored to be “common”, so Sansa obviously sees Arya’s looks as common and often refers to her “horsey face”.
Number Fifteen: So convinced is Sansa about Arya’s paternity that she even broaches the subject with her mother in all earnest: “Once, when she was littler, Sansa had even asked Mother if perhaps there hadn't been some mistake. Perhaps the grumkins had stolen her real sister. But Mother had only laughed and said no, Arya was her daughter and Sansa's trueborn sister, blood of their blood. Sansa could not think why Mother would want to lie about it, so she supposed it had to be true.”

SANSA MEETS NEW PEOPLE OF IMPORTANCE

Through Sansa’s perspective, we are introduced to new characters freshly arrived from King’s Landing who appear as a welcoming escort for the King’s party.

SER BARRISTAN SELMY, THE LORD COMMANDER OF THE KINGSGUARD, COUNCILLOR TO KING ROBERT AND TO AERYS TARGARYEN, AKA BARRISTAN THE BOLD

The honor is mine, good knight. Even in the far north, the singers praise the deeds of Barristan the Bold."

“When she got closer, she saw two knights kneeling before the queen, in armor so fine and gorgeous that it made her blink.

One knight wore an intricate suit of white enameled scales, brilliant as a field of new-fallen snow, with silver chasings and clasps that glittered in the sun. When he removed his helm, Sansa saw that he was an old man with hair as pale as his armor, yet he seemed strong and graceful for all that. From his shoulders hung the pure white cloak of the Kingsguard.”

Sansa gushes over Ser Barristan: “The honor is mine, good knight. Even in the far north, the singers praise the deeds of Barristan the Bold."

SER RENLY BARATHEON, BROTHER OF KING ROBERT, LORD OF STORM’S END, COUNCILLOR TO THE KING

“His companion was a man near twenty whose armor was steel plate of a deep forest-green. He was the handsomest man Sansa had ever set eyes upon; tall and powerfully made, with jet-black hair that fell to his shoulders and framed a clean-shaven face, and laughing green eyes to match his armor. Cradled under one arm was an antlered helm, its magnificent rack shimmering in gold.”

Sansa uses deduction to guess Renly’s identity, and she is duly impressed with the handsome Baratheon.

SER ILYN PAYNE, THE KING’S JUSTICE

At first Sansa did not notice the third stranger. He did not kneel with the others. He stood to one side, beside their horses, a gaunt grim man who watched the proceedings in silence. His face was pockmarked and beardless, with deepset eyes and hollow cheeks. Though he was not an old man, only a few wisps of hair remained to him, sprouting above his ears, but those he had grown long as a woman's. His armor was iron-grey chainmail over layers of boiled leather, plain and unadorned, and it spoke of age and hard use. Above his right shoulder the stained leather hilt of the blade strapped to his back was visible; a two-handed greatsword, too long to be worn at his side.”

Sansa has a deep-rooted fear that sets in immediately upon first seeing Ser Ilyn Payne, and her fears will prove justified as the novel progresses.

AND THEY CALL IT PUPPY LOVE . . .

Martin establishes his versatility by depicting accurately the waves of emotion that define a young girl in the throes of first love. He describes Sansa as the gushing, blushing, adoring maiden blinded by Prince Joffrey’s status, appearance, manners, and feigned chivalry.

Joffrey gallantly tells his mother that "It would be my pleasure” to amuse Sansa since the Queen had to cancel their plans for the day.
Sansa acts the love-sick school girl evident in Martin’s description, where the author shows just how idealistic and romantic Sansa really is: “He [Joffrey] took her by the arm and led her away from the wheelhouse, and Sansa's spirits took flight. A whole day with her prince! She gazed at Joffrey worshipfully. He was so gallant, she thought. The way he had rescued her from Ser Ilyn and the Hound, why, it was almost like the songs, like the time Serwyn of the Mirror Shield saved the Princess Daeryssa from the giants, or Prince Aemon the Dragonknight championing Queen Naerys's honor against evil Ser Morgil's slanders.
Even the Prince’s touch arouses Sansa: “The touch of Joffrey's hand on her sleeve made her heart beat faster. "What would you like to do?"
Sansa gives up her own opinions of what she wants, which she so eagerly demands of her sister Arya, bubbling to the Prince: “Be with you, Sansa thought, but she said, "Whatever you'd like to do, my prince."
Sansa does not wish to sound stupid for she only wishes to impress the Prince with her brilliance and refined sensibilities: "You mean the Hound," she said. She wanted to hit herself for being so slow. Her prince would never love her if she seemed stupid. "Is it safe to leave him behind?"
Even though the Prince mocks her own brothers who fight in the yard with wooden swords, Sansa responds admiringly when Prince Joffrey shows off his longsword: "Have no fear, lady. I am almost a man grown, and I don't fight with wood like your brothers. All I need is this." He drew his sword and showed it to her; a longsword adroitly shrunken to suit a boy of twelve, gleaming blue steel, castle-forged and double-edged, with a leather grip and a lion's-head pommel in gold. Sansa exclaimed over it admiringly, and Joffrey looked pleased. "I call it Lion's Tooth," he said.
How the weather cooperates when aligned with “true love”: “It was a glorious day, a magical day. The air was warm and heavy with the scent of flowers, and the woods here had a gentle beauty that Sansa had never seen in the north.”
Even though Sansa hates horseback riding, with the love of her young life at her side, it becomes a romantic adventure: “Prince Joffrey's mount was a blood bay courser, swift as the wind, and he rode it with reckless abandon, so fast that Sansa was hard-pressed to keep up on her mare. It was a day for adventures.”
Before, with Arya, Sansa held in disdain the holdfasts, now she has done an about face, adoring the romantic setting of a holdfast to dine by: “They explored the caves by the riverbank, and tracked a shadowcat to its lair, and when they grew hungry, Joffrey found a holdfast by its smoke and told them to fetch food and wine for their prince and his lady. They dined on trout fresh from the river.”
Such a gentleman as Prince Joffrey usurps Sansa’s father’s authority and invites the innocent maiden to drink as much wine as she wishes, for a drunken maiden is easier to ply with his wily ways: “Sansa drank more wine than she had ever drunk before. "My father only lets us have one cup, and only at feasts," she confessed to her prince.

"My betrothed can drink as much as she wants," Joffrey said, refilling her cup. Sansa was a little dizzy from the wine.

What a show off is this Joffrey, even singing to Sansa as they ride, which makes me think of Will Rogers as well as Marcia Brady and her beloved Davy Jones: “They went more slowly after they had eaten. Joffrey sang for her as they rode, his voice high and sweet and pure. “

HOW DO I LOVE THEE? LET ME COUNT THE WAYS!

The chivalric Prince Joffrey displays his monstrous side as his time with Sansa progresses, although she is not informed of his unflattering character traits since she is “in love”.

Let us review some of the more monstrous aspects of Prince Charming incarnate:

NUMBER ONE: CONDESCENDING. Joffrey calls Lady Sansa’s “pet”. Moreover, Joffrey makes sure to ask Sansa the identity of the girl:

“Joffrey glanced from Arya to Sansa and back again. "Your sister?" She nodded, blushing.”

And Arya’s appearance certainly embarrasses her sister Sansa: “The girl, a scrawny thing in soiled leathers, was dodging and managing to get her stick in the way of most of the boy's blows, but not all.”

NUMBER TWO: BOASTFUL. Joffrey boasts of his father’s victory at the Trident and his uncle Jaime’s feat as a kingslayer: "The battleground is right up ahead, where the river bends. That was where my father killed Rhaegar Targaryen, you know. He smashed in his chest, crunch, right through the armor." Joffrey swung an imaginary warhammer to show her how it was done. "Then my uncle Jaime killed old Aerys, and my father was king.”
NUMBER THREE: STUBBORN: When they hear a clicking sound, Joffrey ignores Sansa’s pleas to go back:

"Soon," Joffrey said. What's that sound?"

Sansa heard it too, floating through the woods, a kind of wooden clattering, snack snack snack. "I don't know," she said. It made her nervous, though. "Joffrey, let's go back."

NUMBER FOUR: CONFRONTATIONAL: Prince Joffrey bravely takes on the butcher’s boy with his greatsword Lion’s Tooth even though Mycah only has wood with which to fight back: "Pick up your sword, butcher's boy," he said, his eyes bright with amusement. "Let us see how good you are."

Joffrey walked toward him. "Go on, pick it up. Or do you only fight little girls?"

NUMBER FIVE: MOCKING. Prince Joffrey mocks the boy with the suggestion that he aspires to be a knight, a hopeless desire in one so worthless as a servant. "A butcher's boy who wants to be a knight, is it?" Joffrey swung down from his mount, sword in hand.
NUMBER SIX: CRUEL. Joffrey shows his cruel nature by drawing blood with his greatsword against a weaker boy:

"And you're only a butcher's boy, and no knight." Joffrey lifted Lion's Tooth and laid its point on Mycah's cheek below the eye, as the butcher's boy stood trembling. "That was my lady's sister you were hitting, do you know that?" A bright bud of blood blossomed where his sword pressed into Mycah's flesh, and a slow red line trickled down the boy's cheek.”

NUMBER SEVEN: COWARDLY. Joffrey shows his own cowardice when he engages a girl in combat, even though he had mocked Mycah for doing the same in a play game of fencing:

“Arya swung with both hands. There was a loud crack as the wood split against the back of the prince's head, and then everything happened at once before Sansa's horrified eyes. Joffrey staggered and whirled around, roaring curses. Mycah ran for the trees as fast as his legs would take him. Arya swung at the prince again, but this time Joffrey caught the blow on Lion's Tooth and sent her broken stick flying from her hands.”

NUMBER EIGHT: CONTEMPTUOUS. When Sansa moves to comfort her fallen prince, he treats her with the vilest contempt: “His eyes snapped open and looked at her, and there was nothing but loathing there, nothing but the vilest contempt. "Then go," he spit at her. "And don't touch me."

NUMBER NINE: A MOMMY’S BOY: When Arya’s direwolf attacks, Joffrey falls in defeat, humiliating himself when he threatens to tell his mother: “Joffrey made a scared whimpery sound as he looked up at her. "No," he said, "don't hurt me. I'll tell my mother."
NUMBER TEN: DEAF TO REASON. Joffrey ignores Sansa’s please to cease the conflict: “Sansa was shrieking, "No, no, stop it, stop it, both of you, you're spoiling it," but no one was listening.”
NUMBER ELEVEN: A CRY BABY: Whipped, Joffrey whimpers as Arya mocks him: “The prince lay in the grass, whimpering, cradling his mangled arm. His shirt was soaked in blood. Arya said, "She didn't hurt you . . . much."
NUMBER TWELVE: SWEARS IN FRONT OF LADIES: Joffrey discloses his true nature in a litany of offensive words: “Joffrey slashed at Arya with his sword, screaming obscenities, terrible words, filthy words.”

DANCING WITH DIREWOLVES

I made a few additional observations concerning Lady and Nymeria, the female direwolves from the litter of Grey Wind, Shaggydog, Ghost, and Bran’s as yet unnamed direwolf.

Lady is the mirror image of Sansa, perfectly behaved, eating bacon from her hand beneath the table despite the Septa’s disapproval. Sansa affectionately defends her wolf’s station at her side.
When Sansa cries from humiliation after her meeting with Arya, Lady pads silently at her side, a loyal, quiet companion sharing her mistress’s mood.
Lady shows her protective instincts when she senses Sansa’s fear of the Hound: “Sansa wrenched away from him, and the Hound laughed, and Lady moved between them, rumbling a warning.”
On the other hand, Nymeria is as willful as her mistress Arya, behaving in a most uncooperative fashion during her grooming, even slipping away from Arya in the hopes of avoiding the brush.
Nymeria runs at Arya’s side as they follow the Trident. She also joins Arya when she leaves the column for adventure, offering a sure-fire protection for her young charge.
Nymeria attacks Joffrey in defense of Arya, which foreshadows another direwolf attack in the near future, one that proves fatal for the recipient of the wolf’s rage.
The direwolves arouse fear in others, such as Princess Myrcella, and they gain a healthy respect from others they meet as well. But it is not the direwolves that need to be feared in this novel, not by a long shot.

Little Wing · December 18, 2012

Okay, it seems we've skipped Tyrion's chapter, so here's a quick summery and analysis.

Tyrion II summary: On their way to the Wall, Benjen, Tyrion and Jon meet up with Yoren and his two future members of the Watch. Jon and Tyrion have a "bonding moment" and we get a significant history/dragons info dump.

The first sentence: I agree with Evita in giving some thought to first sentences, so here it is:

"The North went on forever."

Throughout the chapters in AGoT we get to "meet" the North. We have come to know it's ancient, cold and mysterious; we've seen Winterfell is not just a castle, that it almost breathes with its Stark family that must always be there... The Starks are deeply connected to the North and to Winterfell - it is known. In this sentence we witness the vastness and starkness (heh) of the North. I got the feeling that it also says - the North endures, people come and go, but the North goes on forever. Also, Tyrion notes how the maps and the lands are not the same - the North is more than it seems, it is not what the maps say it is (or the histories maybe?) No map or historic account can really flesh it out - it is harsh, cold and hard but at the same time an evanescent mystery.

The chapter:

Tyrion's chapters are always a treat as he is very perceptive, so we get to see the North, how the farther they go up the road the wilder their surroundings become, with the mountains looming ever higher to the west as they go and the winds rise and cut like knives. Tyrion also notes Jon's dismay at seeing Yoren's prisoners - rapers who are to be his brothers. The road to disillusion begins...

"No doubt the boy had made the mistake of thinking that the Night’s Watch was made up of men like his uncle. If so, Yoren and his companions were a rude awakening. Tyrion felt sorry for the boy. He had chosen a hard life … or perhaps he should say that a hard life had been chosen for him." This is Tyrion being more perceptive than he knows, Cat chose this for him but Jon also chose it.

Tyrion feels unnerved by Ghost:"There was something very unsettling about that animal, Tyrion thought" Is it because Ghost is silent?

Tyrion trundles off to read and we find out among other things the fate of those in the famed field of Fire, the properties of dragonbone (fireproof par excellence bows - who knew!) and Tyrion's morbid fascination with dragons. He feels the skulls watching him, just like Ned and later Arya. We've also seen Cat feeling watched by the heart tree... now, is this important? Is there something stirring in the black bones as in the white trunks (hard and white like bones) of weirwoods? The bones remember - can the remembrance stirring in both dragonbones/skulls and weirwoods be the latent magic in the world activated by the presence of direwolves+wargs and dragons+dragon riders? Just a thought...

Anyway, the most interesting part in this chapter is the interaction between Jon and Tyrion. Jon is intrigued by Tyrion and how much he reads. Tyrion is rather cynical throughout, but also bluntly honest about Jon's bane that is the Watch. The only time Tyrion takes it too far (he even feels as he himself says, "absurdly guilty") is when he takes Jon to feel the same hate for his family as Tyrion does for his, namely his father and sister:

“I used to start fires in the bowels of Casterly Rock and stare at the flames for hours, pretending they were dragonfire. Sometimes I’d imagine my father burning. At other times, my sister.”

The difference between the Starks and the Lannisters here is how much the Starks stick together, while the Lannisters are very much concerned to keep up appearances and so Tyrion is unloved and his family dysfunctional as he is seen as a stain on their reputation or whatever. The North and the Starks are not that into gossip and intrigue or keeping up with the Johnson's (though everyone seems to want to be like them, so maybe they are the Johnson's?) and they look to each other more than what people will say about them... so, Tyrion goes too far when thinking Jon hates his family like Tyrion does. Tyrion may have reason, but Jon is loved and loves his family, Cat and all.

After Ghost knocks some sense into Tyrion, literally, we see Jon and Tyrion bonding and Jon facing the truth about the Watch and Tyrion praising him for it. Tyrion being likened to a grumkin is interesting...

There's a bit of foreshadowing, in my opinion in these last lines:

“There you are. Jon, damn it, don’t go off like that by yourself. I thought the Others had gotten you.” (...) One by one the company drifted off to their shelters and to sleep, all but Jon Snow, who had drawn the night’s first watch. Tyrion was the last to retire, as always."

I'm thinking, if we take the night here as the coming long night, that Jon is foreshadowed here to be the first to face the Others, maybe by going to the Lands of Always Winter and that Tyrion may be the one to finish the Others arc (the last to retire) like Gollum, for example...

There's many a sentence to analyze (Jon calling him Tyrion Lannister not dwarf or imp, when asked what he sees when looking at Tyrion, Tyrion remarking on Jon's Stark looks, the historical info dump...) but I've got to run right now, so feel free to go over those. :)

Edit: I lost a part when copy/pasting stuff... I hope nothing else is missing :angry2: Ah, f**k! Passages missing everywhere... I dunno if I retrieved them all....

evita mgfs · December 19, 2012

Hello All! Thanks for all the help with the POV’s and catch-up. I am posting the schedule for us with the adjustments. We still need someone for Eddard Post January 3, 2013. LITTLE WING is covering the Tyrion POV that was accidentally skipped! So we should be in good shape through January 9.

I will post the next set of POV’s so we can decide who wants what.

Also, I tend to make long, rambling posts – but that absolutely does not mean you have to model your posts like mine. Everyone should do his/her “own thing” – that is the beauty of Martin’s world: there is room for all of us to share our views, inspire one another, discuss differing perspectives, teach one another, and encourage one another in the process.

You scholars certainly motivate me to attend to details, to look at other interpretations, and to perfect my communication skills as a writer. So keep up the excellent job.

LITTLE WING -14 TYRION – POST ASAP **CATCH UP

LITTLE WING– 17 Eddard – Post December 20

EVITA – 18 Bran – Post December 21

ALIA OF THE KNIFE – 19 Cat – Post December 29

EVITA – 20 Jon – Post December 30

OPEN– 21 Eddard – Post January 3

EVITA– 22 Tyrion – Post January 4

KISS’DBYFIRE– 23 Arya – Post January 8

EVITA– 24 Dany – Post January 9

On another thread, I was asked to share The Pack Survives’ Tumblr link, which she calls The Wolves Will Come Again. It is devoted to Martin’s novels, so feel free to visit and leave her a message if you have time. http://morsmordre-x.tumblr.com/

I am sure she will appreciate hearing from anyone in our “direwolf pack”!

Please, if I screw up a date or POV #, let me know. I often make silly mistakes like that, so feel free to keep me in line! :grouphug: :love:

evita mgfs · December 19, 2012

TOWER OF THE HAND

LINKS TO CHAPTER SUMMARIES:

CHAPTER 17 AGOT Eddard III

http://towerofthehand.com/books/101/017/index.html

CHAPTER 18 AGOT Bran III

http://towerofthehand.com/books/101/018/index.html

EDDARD – LITTLE WING / DECEMBER 20

BRAN – EVITA / DECEMBER 21

Alia of the knife · December 19, 2012

AN: With the loss of my partner for this Re-Read Thread, I will stumble forth and offer up an introduction to the SANSA POV I, Chapter 16 overall. Since I do not have the time to make this a thorough close-reading of the chapter, please forgive me. I know I will leave a lot of important information unsaid, so maybe you following this thread can help me to fill in the gaps.
SANSA POV I / AGOT / CHAPTER 16 OVERALL
SHORT SUMMARY
In Sansa’s first point-of-view chapter, the readers meet a refined young lady eager to please those in authority, idealistic in her dreams of true love and chivalric knights, and plagued by a strong-willed younger sister who she frets over mortifying her in public. Martin demonstrates through Sansa’s perspective the marked differences between the two Stark sisters and also how the direwolves of each mirror their owner’s natures, mannerisms, and even appearances. After Arya refuses to join Sansa on her visit to the Queen and Princess for lemon cakes, Sansa meets members of the Kingsguard, including the fabled Ser Barristan Selmy, as well as others, notably Renly, the Hound, and Ser Ilyn Payne, who frightens her more than the Hound.
As a result of the arrival of an advance escort to the King, the Queen cancels her plans, disinvites Sansa, and allows Prince Joffrey to entertain his betrothed instead, which thrills Sansa immensely. Unfortunately, tragic events ensue that result in dire consequences for many.
FIRST SENTENCES OF POV
Eddard Stark had left before dawn, Septa Mordane informed Sansa as they broke their fast. "The king sent for him. Another hunt, I do believe. There are still wild aurochs in these lands, I am told."
The first thing we learn from this sentence is that Lord Eddard Stark left before dawn, and with Father not close-by, sometimes siblings take advantage of a parentless situation by misbehaving.
We also learn that Septa and Sansa are breaking their fast together, and that Arya is absent.
We learn that the king sent for Ned to join another hunt since “wild aurochs” are about; however, the real “beasts” are those nearby, not the aurochs wandering the lands.
We learn Septa Mordane makes a point to know Lord Eddard Stark’s business, and subsequently the King’s.
DIREWOLF THEME
The direwolf theme in Sansa’s POV can be summed up by the following quote:
Sansa couldn't help but smile a little. The kennelmaster once told her that an animal takes after its master. She gave Lady a quick little hug. Lady licked her cheek. Sansa giggled.
We will see just how each of the female direwolves mirror their new owners, Sansa and Arya. The kennel master speaks truly that an animal will take after her master, and I hear Judge Judy or Judge Joe Brown say weekly to irresponsible pet owners that a dog [usually a pit bull] is only as well-behaved as his master has trained him to be. A negligent owner who does not leash his pet and make sure he is safely contained in a yard only brings grief upon himself, and others, unfortunately.
THE BRADY BUNCH SYNDROME
The relationship between Sansa and Arya brings to mind the 1970’s sitcom The Brady Bunch and the relationship between older sister Marcia [sansa] and middle child Jan [Arya].
Marcia is the perfect daughter who brushes her hair a 100 strokes a day, wears stylish miniskirts, is captain of the cheerleaders, and dates the most popular boys in school, when she is not pining over Davy Jones. Likewise, Sansa brushes her hair to a high gloss, is a master with a needle and thread, and is betrothed to the future king of the Seven Kingdoms, a version of the most popular boy in school with all the glitz and glam of a teen idol like Davy Jones.
Arya is the middle child just like Jan, who musters onward in her older sister’s shadow, often resenting that the family is “all about” Marcia, which leads her to the famous whine: “Marcia, Marcia, Marcia!” However, while Sansa is a strong candidate for Marcia, Arya is not a whiner, and she does not try to emulate her sister Sansa’s lady-like ways, as does Jan Brady. Arya has more confidence and a stronger sense of self than the character in the show, but I would still love to hear her whine, “Sansa, Sansa, Sansa!”
DEAR SISTER, HOW DO I DISLIKE THEE? LET ME COUNT THE WAYS!
Perhaps I am mistaken, but as I read Sansa’s first POV, I get the feeling that she views her younger sister Arya scornfully, resenting that Arya is not the perfect sister, a model of Princess Myrcella, resenting that Arya does not follow the rules, and resenting that their father Ned does not curb her wildness. Sansa’s attitude of superiority is fed by her Septa who draws comparisons unfairly between the two.
For these reasons, I thought I would compress the major differences or compelling distances between Sansa and Arya, two sisters who share the same blood yet do not share a strong sisterly bond. After all, Sansa does think: “Sansa could never understand how two sisters, born only two years apart, could be so different.”
Number One: Sansa breaks her fast dutifully at table with her Septa unlike Sarya who steals into the kitchen and coaxes breakfast from a kitchen boy.
Number Two: Lady sits demurely at Sansa’s side, pristine, proper, groomed, and obedient, unlike Nymeria, who is as willful as her master Arya, trying to escape grooming, her fur matted and tangled, fighting her young mistress who tries to brush the mud from her coat.
Number Three: Sansa looks her best in the morning, choosing her attire carefully and brushing her hair until it shines, unlike Arya who is wearing the same leathers she has worn the past two days.
Number Four: Sansa fears Arya ruining the day by doing something to embarrass her, especially in the presence of her beloved Prince Joffrey. And if thinking a thing makes it true, then Sansa’s fears come to pass when she and the prince spot Arya and Mycah fencing as they are in the midst of a dreamy date together.
Number Five: Sansa is easily impressed by pomp, circumstance, and courtly glamor whereas Arya could care less about primping, preening, and trying to impress others.
Number Six: Sansa is shocked out of social decorum when Arya announces, “I don’t like the queen” and “Myrcella is a little baby”, and that she has no intention of joining the Septa, Queen, and Princess in the wheelhouse for lemon cakes and tea because the wheelhouse has no windows.
Number Seven: Sansa, with her “narrow” view represented by her lack of need for windows, is dismayed by Arya’s assertion that there is much to see from windows. Sansa sees only fields, and farms and holdfasts, while Arya sees the promise of , like a haunted tower, identifying 36 new flowers, and spying a lizard-lion. Sansa, on the other hand, hated every minute of their twelve day trek through the Neck, and endless black bog, damp and clammy.
Number Eight: Sansa is obedient, like her direwolf Lady at her side, whereas Arya leaves the column against her father’s orders to explore and pick him poison flowers.
Number Nine: Sansa tells Arya that she hates horseback riding while Arya loves it. Sansa says, "Why would you want to ride a smelly old horse and get all sore and sweaty when you could recline on feather pillows and eat cakes with the queen?" But Sansa proves a hypocrite when Joffrey invites her horseback riding, her view of such does a complete turn around: Joffrey reflected a moment. "We could go riding." / "Oh, I love riding," Sansa said.
Number Ten: Sansa prefers cleanliness, but Arya has no qualms about “getting her hands dirty”, for she cakes mud on her body to prevent the itching caused by a rash she contacted from the poison flowers: “she rubbed mud all over her arms like some ignorant bog woman just because her friend Mycah told her it would stop the itching”.
Number Eleven: Sansa maintains the demeanor of a highborn lady, conversing politely with the members of the escort from King’s Landing, all nobles and knights of repute; on the contrary, Arya prefers talking with all type of unpretentious folk: “Sansa knew all about the sorts of people Arya liked to talk to: squires and grooms and serving girls, old men and naked children, rough-spoken freeriders of uncertain birth. Arya would make friends with anybody.”
Number Twelve: Sansa prefers the company of royalty unlike Arya who favors the butcher’s boy for companionship rather than her own sister Sansa, to Sansa’s horror, who thinks: “This Mycah was the worst; a butcher's boy, thirteen and wild, he slept in the meat wagon and smelled of the slaughtering block. Just the sight of him was enough to make Sansa feel sick, but Arya seemed to prefer his company to hers.”
Number Thirteen: Sansa feigns adult-like behavior and pretense, “all adult and reasonable” who admonishes her sister, "Gods be true, Arya, sometimes you act like such a child," Sansa said. "I'll go by myself then. It will be ever so much nicer that way. Lady and I will eat all the lemon cakes and just have the best time without you." This is ironic for Arya is technically a “child”.
Number Fourteen: Sansa’s snobbish attitude is revealed when she assesses that Arya is more Stark, like their bastard brother Jon Snow. “It would have been easier if Arya had been a bastard, like their half brother Jon. She even looked like Jon, with the long face and brown hair of the Starks, and nothing of their lady mother in her face or her coloring. And Jon's mother had been common, or so people whispered.” Sansa counts her own looks superior to Arya’s for she has the long face and brown hair of the Starks and none of her mother’s coloring. Besides, Jon’s mother was rumored to be “common”, so Sansa obviously sees Arya’s looks as common and often refers to her “horsey face”.
Number Fifteen: So convinced is Sansa about Arya’s paternity that she even broaches the subject with her mother in all earnest: “Once, when she was littler, Sansa had even asked Mother if perhaps there hadn't been some mistake. Perhaps the grumkins had stolen her real sister. But Mother had only laughed and said no, Arya was her daughter and Sansa's trueborn sister, blood of their blood. Sansa could not think why Mother would want to lie about it, so she supposed it had to be true.”
SANSA MEETS NEW PEOPLE OF IMPORTANCE
Through Sansa’s perspective, we are introduced to new characters freshly arrived from King’s Landing who appear as a welcoming escort for the King’s party.
SER BARRISTAN SELMY, THE LORD COMMANDER OF THE KINGSGUARD, COUNCILLOR TO KING ROBERT AND TO AERYS TARGARYEN, AKA BARRISTAN THE BOLD
The honor is mine, good knight. Even in the far north, the singers praise the deeds of Barristan the Bold."
“When she got closer, she saw two knights kneeling before the queen, in armor so fine and gorgeous that it made her blink.
One knight wore an intricate suit of white enameled scales, brilliant as a field of new-fallen snow, with silver chasings and clasps that glittered in the sun. When he removed his helm, Sansa saw that he was an old man with hair as pale as his armor, yet he seemed strong and graceful for all that. From his shoulders hung the pure white cloak of the Kingsguard.”
Sansa gushes over Ser Barristan: “The honor is mine, good knight. Even in the far north, the singers praise the deeds of Barristan the Bold."
SER RENLY BARATHEON, BROTHER OF KING ROBERT, LORD OF STORM’S END, COUNCILLOR TO THE KING
“His companion was a man near twenty whose armor was steel plate of a deep forest-green. He was the handsomest man Sansa had ever set eyes upon; tall and powerfully made, with jet-black hair that fell to his shoulders and framed a clean-shaven face, and laughing green eyes to match his armor. Cradled under one arm was an antlered helm, its magnificent rack shimmering in gold.”
Sansa uses deduction to guess Renly’s identity, and she is duly impressed with the handsome Baratheon.
SER ILYN PAYNE, THE KING’S JUSTICE
At first Sansa did not notice the third stranger. He did not kneel with the others. He stood to one side, beside their horses, a gaunt grim man who watched the proceedings in silence. His face was pockmarked and beardless, with deepset eyes and hollow cheeks. Though he was not an old man, only a few wisps of hair remained to him, sprouting above his ears, but those he had grown long as a woman's. His armor was iron-grey chainmail over layers of boiled leather, plain and unadorned, and it spoke of age and hard use. Above his right shoulder the stained leather hilt of the blade strapped to his back was visible; a two-handed greatsword, too long to be worn at his side.”
Sansa has a deep-rooted fear that sets in immediately upon first seeing Ser Ilyn Payne, and her fears will prove justified as the novel progresses.
AND THEY CALL IT PUPPY LOVE . . .
Martin establishes his versatility by depicting accurately the waves of emotion that define a young girl in the throes of first love. He describes Sansa as the gushing, blushing, adoring maiden blinded by Prince Joffrey’s status, appearance, manners, and feigned chivalry.
Joffrey gallantly tells his mother that "It would be my pleasure” to amuse Sansa since the Queen had to cancel their plans for the day.
Sansa acts the love-sick school girl evident in Martin’s description, where the author shows just how idealistic and romantic Sansa really is: “He [Joffrey] took her by the arm and led her away from the wheelhouse, and Sansa's spirits took flight. A whole day with her prince! She gazed at Joffrey worshipfully. He was so gallant, she thought. The way he had rescued her from Ser Ilyn and the Hound, why, it was almost like the songs, like the time Serwyn of the Mirror Shield saved the Princess Daeryssa from the giants, or Prince Aemon the Dragonknight championing Queen Naerys's honor against evil Ser Morgil's slanders.
Even the Prince’s touch arouses Sansa: “The touch of Joffrey's hand on her sleeve made her heart beat faster. "What would you like to do?"
Sansa gives up her own opinions of what she wants, which she so eagerly demands of her sister Arya, bubbling to the Prince: “Be with you, Sansa thought, but she said, "Whatever you'd like to do, my prince."
Sansa does not wish to sound stupid for she only wishes to impress the Prince with her brilliance and refined sensibilities: "You mean the Hound," she said. She wanted to hit herself for being so slow. Her prince would never love her if she seemed stupid. "Is it safe to leave him behind?"
Even though the Prince mocks her own brothers who fight in the yard with wooden swords, Sansa responds admiringly when Prince Joffrey shows off his longsword: "Have no fear, lady. I am almost a man grown, and I don't fight with wood like your brothers. All I need is this." He drew his sword and showed it to her; a longsword adroitly shrunken to suit a boy of twelve, gleaming blue steel, castle-forged and double-edged, with a leather grip and a lion's-head pommel in gold. Sansa exclaimed over it admiringly, and Joffrey looked pleased. "I call it Lion's Tooth," he said.
How the weather cooperates when aligned with “true love”: “It was a glorious day, a magical day. The air was warm and heavy with the scent of flowers, and the woods here had a gentle beauty that Sansa had never seen in the north.”
Even though Sansa hates horseback riding, with the love of her young life at her side, it becomes a romantic adventure: “Prince Joffrey's mount was a blood bay courser, swift as the wind, and he rode it with reckless abandon, so fast that Sansa was hard-pressed to keep up on her mare. It was a day for adventures.”
Before, with Arya, Sansa held in disdain the holdfasts, now she has done an about face, adoring the romantic setting of a holdfast to dine by: “They explored the caves by the riverbank, and tracked a shadowcat to its lair, and when they grew hungry, Joffrey found a holdfast by its smoke and told them to fetch food and wine for their prince and his lady. They dined on trout fresh from the river.”
Such a gentleman as Prince Joffrey usurps Sansa’s father’s authority and invites the innocent maiden to drink as much wine as she wishes, for a drunken maiden is easier to ply with his wily ways: “Sansa drank more wine than she had ever drunk before. "My father only lets us have one cup, and only at feasts," she confessed to her prince.
"My betrothed can drink as much as she wants," Joffrey said, refilling her cup. Sansa was a little dizzy from the wine.
What a show off is this Joffrey, even singing to Sansa as they ride, which makes me think of Will Rogers as well as Marcia Brady and her beloved Davy Jones: “They went more slowly after they had eaten. Joffrey sang for her as they rode, his voice high and sweet and pure. “
HOW DO I LOVE THEE? LET ME COUNT THE WAYS!
The chivalric Prince Joffrey displays his monstrous side as his time with Sansa progresses, although she is not informed of his unflattering character traits since she is “in love”.
Let us review some of the more monstrous aspects of Prince Charming incarnate:
NUMBER ONE: CONDESCENDING. Joffrey calls Lady Sansa’s “pet”. Moreover, Joffrey makes sure to ask Sansa the identity of the girl:
“Joffrey glanced from Arya to Sansa and back again. "Your sister?" She nodded, blushing.”
And Arya’s appearance certainly embarrasses her sister Sansa: “The girl, a scrawny thing in soiled leathers, was dodging and managing to get her stick in the way of most of the boy's blows, but not all.”
NUMBER TWO: BOASTFUL. Joffrey boasts of his father’s victory at the Trident and his uncle Jaime’s feat as a kingslayer: "The battleground is right up ahead, where the river bends. That was where my father killed Rhaegar Targaryen, you know. He smashed in his chest, crunch, right through the armor." Joffrey swung an imaginary warhammer to show her how it was done. "Then my uncle Jaime killed old Aerys, and my father was king.”
NUMBER THREE: STUBBORN: When they hear a clicking sound, Joffrey ignores Sansa’s pleas to go back:
"Soon," Joffrey said. What's that sound?"
Sansa heard it too, floating through the woods, a kind of wooden clattering, snack snack snack. "I don't know," she said. It made her nervous, though. "Joffrey, let's go back."
NUMBER FOUR: CONFRONTATIONAL: Prince Joffrey bravely takes on the butcher’s boy with his greatsword Lion’s Tooth even though Mycah only has wood with which to fight back: "Pick up your sword, butcher's boy," he said, his eyes bright with amusement. "Let us see how good you are."
Joffrey walked toward him. "Go on, pick it up. Or do you only fight little girls?"
NUMBER FIVE: MOCKING. Prince Joffrey mocks the boy with the suggestion that he aspires to be a knight, a hopeless desire in one so worthless as a servant. "A butcher's boy who wants to be a knight, is it?" Joffrey swung down from his mount, sword in hand.
NUMBER SIX: CRUEL. Joffrey shows his cruel nature by drawing blood with his greatsword against a weaker boy:
"And you're only a butcher's boy, and no knight." Joffrey lifted Lion's Tooth and laid its point on Mycah's cheek below the eye, as the butcher's boy stood trembling. "That was my lady's sister you were hitting, do you know that?" A bright bud of blood blossomed where his sword pressed into Mycah's flesh, and a slow red line trickled down the boy's cheek.”
NUMBER SEVEN: COWARDLY. Joffrey shows his own cowardice when he engages a girl in combat, even though he had mocked Mycah for doing the same in a play game of fencing:
“Arya swung with both hands. There was a loud crack as the wood split against the back of the prince's head, and then everything happened at once before Sansa's horrified eyes. Joffrey staggered and whirled around, roaring curses. Mycah ran for the trees as fast as his legs would take him. Arya swung at the prince again, but this time Joffrey caught the blow on Lion's Tooth and sent her broken stick flying from her hands.”
NUMBER EIGHT: CONTEMPTUOUS. When Sansa moves to comfort her fallen prince, he treats her with the vilest contempt: “His eyes snapped open and looked at her, and there was nothing but loathing there, nothing but the vilest contempt. "Then go," he spit at her. "And don't touch me."
NUMBER NINE: A MOMMY’S BOY: When Arya’s direwolf attacks, Joffrey falls in defeat, humiliating himself when he threatens to tell his mother: “Joffrey made a scared whimpery sound as he looked up at her. "No," he said, "don't hurt me. I'll tell my mother."
NUMBER TEN: DEAF TO REASON. Joffrey ignores Sansa’s please to cease the conflict: “Sansa was shrieking, "No, no, stop it, stop it, both of you, you're spoiling it," but no one was listening.”
NUMBER ELEVEN: A CRY BABY: Whipped, Joffrey whimpers as Arya mocks him: “The prince lay in the grass, whimpering, cradling his mangled arm. His shirt was soaked in blood. Arya said, "She didn't hurt you . . . much."
NUMBER TWELVE: SWEARS IN FRONT OF LADIES: Joffrey discloses his true nature in a litany of offensive words: “Joffrey slashed at Arya with his sword, screaming obscenities, terrible words, filthy words.”
DANCING WITH DIREWOLVES
I made a few additional observations concerning Lady and Nymeria, the female direwolves from the litter of Grey Wind, Shaggydog, Ghost, and Bran’s as yet unnamed direwolf.
Lady is the mirror image of Sansa, perfectly behaved, eating bacon from her hand beneath the table despite the Septa’s disapproval. Sansa affectionately defends her wolf’s station at her side.
When Sansa cries from humiliation after her meeting with Arya, Lady pads silently at her side, a loyal, quiet companion sharing her mistress’s mood.
Lady shows her protective instincts when she senses Sansa’s fear of the Hound: “Sansa wrenched away from him, and the Hound laughed, and Lady moved between them, rumbling a warning.”
On the other hand, Nymeria is as willful as her mistress Arya, behaving in a most uncooperative fashion during her grooming, even slipping away from Arya in the hopes of avoiding the brush.
Nymeria runs at Arya’s side as they follow the Trident. She also joins Arya when she leaves the column for adventure, offering a sure-fire protection for her young charge.
Nymeria attacks Joffrey in defense of Arya, which foreshadows another direwolf attack in the near future, one that proves fatal for the recipient of the wolf’s rage.
The direwolves arouse fear in others, such as Princess Myrcella, and they gain a healthy respect from others they meet as well. But it is not the direwolves that need to be feared in this novel, not by a long shot.

Great post and anaylysis on the tension between the two sisters.

DICHOTOMIES, AND PARALLELS OF THE PRODIGAL DAUGHTER.

While this is not exactly like the story of the "Prodigal Son," there are still elements of that story that stand out to me and could explain a few of the issues that divide Arya and Sansa.

Taking away the fact that Arya is indeed my favorite character, and I've been a little indifferent to Sansa, I've had to rethink "clinically" and objecively both sisters.

Sansa does the right thing, says the right things, behaves the right way and is the epitomy of Medieval Chivalric perfection, right down to her beauty and modesty, (at least thus far).

Sansa, taught the Southron ways of her Mother and Septa, has taken the more conventioanal route to hopefully bring her what she wants.

And she does want the handsome Prince, the unicorns and lemon cakes, as well as status and wanted to get out of Winterfell, and this is not a criticism, but an observation.

Arya, ater a few tries at maidenly perfection, realizes shes not as accomplished and wanted other things anyway, like choices and options, and especially to stay in Winterfell or the North at the very least.

She wants to be a Knight, or a Maester and other things not accepted in Westerosi society, and Ned indulges her in those ideas, even knowing it's going to be harder to break her of those notions later when he will indeed have to marry her off.

Imagine how Sansa feels when she sees her Father indulging Aryas every whim, and seemingly right down to having choices when shes doing everything expected of her, asked of her, with no expectations that she may do as she pleases.

In this particular time period, and NOT speaking in the modern context of things, Aryas desires are slightly selfish. Who is she to think she can make her own choices and have her own way when not even King Aerys and Queen Rhaella had choices?

Arya is the daughter of one the most powerful Houses in the Realm, I believe that Ned, Tywin, Robert (had he not been King), and Jon would have been the Westerosi version of "Dukes," in the peerage, a title second only to the royal Princes.

(Perhaps a trade-off for their ancestors bending the knee, and giving up their own Kingships).

So, to think that Ned would not have had to make a marriage for her, to have alliances to his House may actually have been perceived as an insult unless Aryas choice was to take the veil, or join the Silent Sisters, which was not going to happen.

Taking the veil in Medival times was the only honorable way for a highborn female, or any female really to get out of doing her duty in marriage.

Arya may have run away, and most definitely from the Frey marriage set up for her by her Mother, but again, even a Lannister suffered to marry a Frey as I believe it was Tywins own sister who married a Frey.

(He apparently didn't like that either).

So, it's no wonder that Sansa might have her own resentments when as the perfect daughter who goes to the trouble of doing everything right, she still doesn't manage to hold perhaps the same place in her Fathers heart, though he does love her.

It's just that Arya fills the void left behind by a lost and beloved sister he couldn't save, so she'll always be welcomed home no matter what she does and Sansa will always have the status.

In another thread, we discussed a possible role-reversal as well as the differences beginning to fade for Sansa and Arya on their different journeys and trying to survive.

We already see now how Sansa wants desperately to back to Winterfell, (this the Prodigal Daughter), and it's possible as Arya tries to make her way home, she too takes on the idea of duty to her pack in a way she didn't in the past when she wanted her own way, again, another nod to the Prodigal daughter and a blending of the two.

(Maybe Neds lecture to her about the death of the lone wolfe has two meanings).

Ironically, one could compare and contrast the idea of Ned himself being the "Sansa" in his relationship with his Brother and Sister, but especially his brother.

He was the honorable, dutiful son, but "as his mouth twisted, everything was for Brandon........"

While Ned would be ever loyal to his Brother, and follow him, the Pack never broken, I think as their relationship is fleshed out, you will see similar tensions.

I hope I was clear in my points as I hurry to get ready for work, but my point is, not just one Sister but both have their own obstacles to overcome, but the end result if they come back together in unity could be fierce indeed.

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