Becoming No One: Re-reading Arya

[1234567]

Sorry for the delay folks.

Arya: Game of Throne Overview

Well that’s us already at the end of AGOT. So what have we learnt about Arya?

Character Development

Martin works hard here to establish her as an outsider in the world and familial setting she occupies, thereby ensuring that she's an "insider" when it comes to the modern values of readers who do not share the same preoccupations and prejudices at work in this medieval setting. The dynamics in this chapter revolve around sibling rivalry (with Sansa) and sibling harmony (with Jon), and it's via those two relationships that Arya's personality is presented to readers at this initial point.

As put by Brashcandy, Arya is the outsider in more respects than just within her family, her views are also outside societal norms and more in keeping with modern thought. She does not feel at ease with herself. We see that she is not finding her circumstances easy and yet she loves Winterfell, her half-brother Jon and does not particularly want to go to King’s Landing. She and her wolf are happy in the North. Travelling south we see the disaster on the Kingsroad that leads to Arya’s first experience of dealing with death and the societal differences in Westeros. Her grief and the realisation that life is not always fair. Then we see her father help her understand about their position and provide her with Syrio to teach her sword fighting. Syrio is far more than just a sword teacher: he helps Arya’s self confidence grow and encourages her to feel comfortable in her own skin, vastly improving her sense of self-worth.. As we also know the skills he is teaching her, will ultimately help her escape and save her life. We see her cope with the loss of her position, the destruction of her household and having to live not just as a commoner but at the very lowest side of society and not so much on the poverty line but the survival line. Importantly we see her adapting and overcoming these obstacles.

In her first chapter we see the bond between her and her direwolf and the warg nature reflected in Arya and in Nymeria. When they are separated we feel the loss and the betrayal Arya feels Nymeria must feel because Arya has sent her away. As pointed out in the re-read the first mention of Arya relates to her Direwolf

“Arya is already in love.”

Their connection is the first thing we learn about her.

We see her closest bond is with her brother Jon, who like her is also an outsider in a much more socially damaging way. He is truly is not quite part of the family. It is also highlighted that they are the only two who look like Starks, yet it is clear that Jon and Arya’s relationship is not merely based on looks and a feeling of a dissent. They are in many ways kindred spirits. When Arya recalls the memory of the tomb, it is Jon and Arya we see interact: neither one are afraid and both are spirited. Jon respects her for who she is and Arya loves him as a whole brother (without going off topic I would also say Jon was to some extent jealous of his brothers position and despite their affection for him, Robb reminded him that he would never be Lord of Winterfell, Sansa very much referred to him as her half-brother, so Arya was for him very much a true sister: with her, he didn’t feel as much of an outsider and nor did Arya with him.) Funnily enough alternate name names for feeling or being an outsider are “lone wolf” and “Fish out of Water” both symbols of Starks and Tullys.

Blisscraft made some excellent observations on Arya and Jon:

Arya and Jon - Something that stuck out in this chapter is the idea that Jon is Arya's teacher (nods to Lummel). After he gives her the sword, he tells her (famously): "First lesson. . . Stick them with the pointy end." Also, Jon is her confidente. The sword "Needle" is a secret between them. She cannot tell anyone about it, especially Sansa. Sansa is already associated with a very special type of bird, "a stool pigeon." Finally, we discussed previously Jon's possible prediction as to Arya's fate, "in the spring thaw with a needle still tight between your frozen fingers." It may be what happens, however, in this Jon chapter I prefer to think his response Arya's wish that he was coming with them, he says, "Different roads sometimes lead to the same castle." I'm crossing my fingers for this outcome.

Jon and Arya understand one another and Jon’s gifting of Needle to Arya, is not only a touching moment but a demonstration that like her father, who will eventually help her pursue some of her desires, Jon already supports and encourages her to be who she is and not someone she is not. Needle is a tangible link to Jon and it becomes part of Arya: it is Winterfell, and home, and family, and self worth and love.

Lyanna noted the connection between Ayra and Cat and it will be interesting to compare their similarities as they appear to be more similar than is at once apparent.

It's also interesting with regards to her feelings wrt Cat that she defends Joffrey's decision to display his mother's arms along with his father's. Arya also stands up for that the woman, in this case a person's mother, is important too. Perhaps this reflects her deeper feelings for her own mother, that despite having a bit of a troubled relationship, there is a deep and meaningful connection between Arya and Cat, and Arya stands up here not only for herself or for women in general, but for Cat's importance.

It may be something to keep in mind and explore later since I believe we concluded, perhaps somewhat surprisingly, that Sansa seems to take after Ned more, and even as early as Arya I there are some hints that Arya may, despite it all, take after Cat more in some ways. Or at least that she is "tied" to Cat in a similar way that Sansa is tied to Ned, when it comes to emotional response and interaction with people.

Indeed the parenting skills of Ned were highly discussed and there were arguments on both sides about there or not he was a good parent. It was generally agreed that he was loving, but also argued that he indulged Arya in her disobedience. This relate a lot to the journey on the Kingsroad.

Sadly the Mycah incident should have been one of the worst experiences in life, had events not transpired as they did. Although it is still awful, what she will go through with her father’s death etc. is much worse. It will be interesting to chart her reactions to events over the course of the books to see what changes there are. Even within AGOT we see her response to Mycah’s death, and then her entire households and of course the Stableboy she kills herself. The reactions are different but still highlight a change in acceptance of death being just a part of life.

Looking again at Arya as an outsider, we have to look at medieval society on which Westeros is based.

“Although gender differentiation had some place in childhood roles and identities, the distinction of sexes was far less important than later in life. This can be glimpsed through the educational practice for elite groups, where boys were separated from girls around seven.” from Medieval Maidens, Kim Phillips.

At ten Arya has reached an age where she has begun to be pushed into feminine pursuits and it is apparent that they do not suit her character or tastes. The age break between her and her sister is a particularly important one as Sansa is now more interested in womanly pursuits and romance, which also luckily fit into her character and the other is still to more of a child, taking delight in the gender free past times that all the children used to engage in. Arya has just entered the traditional age by a couple of years when boys and girls are separated, so too critically has Bran. She remembers Bran and her playing hoops together when she sees the children in Flea Bottom. But both had reached an age when they are being segregated to enjoy different pursuits.

We also see despite the perception of difference, both sisters trying to engage the other in their interests. Arya wants Sansa to go with her and Mycah to find Rheagar’s Rubies while Sansa wants Arya to enjoy spending time in the company of the Queen and Myrcella. Little Wing commented that

Arya's indeed a dichotomy: she wants to know what the girls are talking about, but then dismisses it... she envies Sansa but actually doesn't want the things Sansa wants...

Also, is part of the sibling resentment toward Sansa the fact that Sansa is not a "partner in crime" of sorts in Arya's views and status in the family like Jon is?Arya would like Sansa to be her comrade mayhaps?

When we see Arya reflecting on her childhood, Sansa is as involved in the communal games as she is. It is only as they have got older that they begin to play different games and Arya feels she’s playing the wrong game. This is not helped by her major role model outside her family, Septa Mordane.

Count me in!

So here's a little thing I've noticed, which would make Arya feel even more sad:

"Sansa's work is as pretty as she is," Septa Mordane told their lady mother once. "She has such fine, delicate hands." When Lady Catelyn had asked about Arya, the septa had sniffed. "Arya has the hands of a blacksmith."

This really is a painful thing to say, because it indirectly suggests that where Sansa's needlework is as pretty as she is, Arya's needlework is as ugly as she is..

Arya is being treated unfairly by a bad teacher, one whom her parents side with. The woman is not directly malicious but does play favourites and we see the effect this has had on Arya’s self-worth. We see Arya’s response to this is to lash out and run. During discussion it varied in opinion if Arya’s aggression levels were over the top or justified and she was unusually disobeidient. While some felt she acted as anyone else did, others felt her levels of aggression to be worrisome. However the differences in perception may also be a product of cultural difference within our own modern interpretations of what is acceptable and what is not and may also revolve around author bias and a certain amount of sentimentality in the portrayal of Arya’s character by the Author. It was felt that extreme lengths were went to by the author to make sure that Arya is immediately loved and any possible grey actions are overlooked, which is puzzling as even after stripping away these author techniques, Arya is an engaging and relatable character. Both Lummel and Just an Other made excellent points about the use of subjectivity and plot device by the author.

Foreshadowing and Symbolism

Arya’s chapters are packed with both symbolism and foreshadowing. Some has already come to pass in the novels, and the rest seem often to stick out like a sore thumb.

Symbolism

Covered Bridges

The significance of covered bridges was discussed and it was noted that Jon and Arya’s interactions on a covered bridge above everyone else, Bran cross a covered bridge to the tower from which he will be thrown and Arya chooses not to go over the covered bridge when the Tower of the Hand is attacked.

Cats

Cats become significant to Arya as she learns skills chasing them that help her attain Cat like skills, including that of evasion when she herself follows the cat’s escape route from the Red Keep. We also see her catch Balerion, the “King of the Castle” and known as the black bastard, again giving hope to Jon/Arya fans that the two cousins may one day marry. Equally, she is told by her father that she will marry a King and Sansa is told she will marry a High Lord, which she was forced to do.

Horses

Arya is also associated with Horses and we see that she is cruelly nicknamed as “horseface” but that she also can easily ride horses.

Blacksmiths

Arya is also associated with blacksmith’s: Septa Mordane tells her she has the hands of a blacksmith and it is noted that horses are also held in common with blacksmiths and her favourite possession is Needle, which is the craftsmanship of a Blacksmith. It also foreshadows her friendship with Gendry.

The Old Gods and Dragons his girls surrounded and protected by Dragon’s Fire in the Godswood. We also see Sansa sleeping under a Moon while Arya like a night wolf stays awake under it.

Braavos and the FM

Our first introduction to Nymeria describes her eyes as being like coins, evoking the idea of the coins placed on the eyes of the dead for the Ferryman on the river Styx and also the FM and their coins of death. Syrio being from Braavos also immediately links Arya to Braavos and it is possible the FM are watching her as early as this point in the series.

We see Ned thinking of both

Foreshadowing

“Perhaps you should do the same thing, little sister. Wed Tully to Stark in your arms.”

“A wolf with a fish in its mouth?” It made her laugh. “That would look silly.

This of course came to pass when Nymeria dragged Cat out of the River.

The longer you hide, the sterner the penance. You’ll be sewing all through winter. When the spring thaw comes, they will find your body with a needle still locked tight between your frozen fingers.”

This seems to foreshadow Arya’s hiding of her identity and given Needle and possibly her death.

We have a whole scene where Arya and Ned discuss Needle and then link it in to Lyanna and the Wolf Blood. This seems to again link Jon, who gave Arya Needle, to Lyanna, his possible mother.

There are also several references to Arya not stabbing Sansa and trying to get along with her sister. It will be interesting if this foreshadows discord when / if they meet again.

[Lyanna Stark]

Fabulous summary Rapsie. :)

Arya is being treated unfairly by a bad teacher, one whom her parents side with. The woman is not directly malicious but does play favourites and we see the effect this has had on Arya’s self-worth. We see Arya’s response to this is to lash out and run.

The more I read of Arya's chapters in AGOT, the more convinced I got that Septa Mordane really was one of the absolute main reasons for Arya being unhappy in her role. Apart from Brienne's Septa, I think we're hard pressed to find a worse or more negative teacher, perhaps with the exception of Ser Alliser Thorne. Septa Mordane and Sansa may have got along and she taught Sansa some useful, but even there it's obvious the Septa is trying actively to suppress any attempts at critical thinking or behaviour that does not exactly fit society's standards. For poor Arya this really has severe consequences in that it further inflames her already crumbling relationship with Sansa and it even adds to Arya's feeling of being unwanted by her mother, which we know for a fact from Cat herself isn't the case.

Since we see Arya argue Cat's case with Jon in the dialogue where she tells him the woman is important too, it's even sadder that Septa Mordane in essence makes Arya doubt Cat's love for her.

[1234567]

@ Lyanna

Sadly I don't have the book with me (about Medieval marriage and families) and will have to look up the relevant parts later, but there is a passage about the education of girls by St Jerome where it is dated that they should be encouraged and not chastised for being slow to pick up skills. Although Westeros is not medieval earth, it is closely based on it and it appears that Septa Mordane's style of teaching may not have been a standard and that there would have been more encouraging and compassionate Septas.

[Blisscraft]

Wonderful summary, Rapsie! Well worth the wait. :)

[Fire Eater]

We also see her catch Balerion, the “King of the Castle” and known as the black bastard, again giving hope to Jon/Arya fans that the two cousins may one day marry.

:ack:

Nice job Rapsie.

Arya later becomes connected with cats in Braavos. The ancient Celts regarded cats as the guardians of the Underworld who keep the secrets of the Underworld eternally to themselves; this describes Arya well as she holds secrets in her heart and becomes associated with death. Arya associated with common folk and even named their children; cats were thought of by Norsemen to be a blessing on newborns.

[brashcandy]

ACOK – Arya I

Summary

This chapter details the beginning of Arya’s journey after she leaves KL, posing as a boy headed to the wall with Yoren. The cliffhanger of the last chapter in AGOT is resolved in the knowledge that what Yoren was attacking was her hair, a rough cut that has earned her a nickname Arya finds rather objectionable:

At Winterfell they had called her “Arya Horseface” and she’d thought nothing could be worse, but that was before the orphan boy Lommy Greenhands had named her “Lumpyhead.”

She recalls the moment in the alley when Yoren cut her matted locks, the image of her hair blowing across the stones toward the sept where her father was killed. It’s all part of ensuring that Arya will be able to pass as a boy in order to escape the city and avoid recapture along the way. Yoren tells her that she will be “Arry” the orphan boy and gives her some frank warnings:

“… You got a long way to go in bad company. I got thirty this time, men and boys all bound for the wall, and don’t be thinking they’re like that bastard brother o’ yours… Lord Eddard gave me pick o’ the dungeons and I didn’t find no little lordlings down there. This lot, half o’ them would turn you over to the queen quick as spit for a pardon and maybe a few silvers. The other half’d do the same, only they’d rape you first. So you keep to yourself and make your water in the woods, alone. That’ll be the hardest part, the pissing, so don’t drink more’n you need.”

They leave the city with no fuss and Arya never looks back. She wishes that the Blackwater rush would wash the entire city away, along with Joffrey and his mother, but when she thinks that Sansa would die as well, decides to wish instead for Winterfell. Yoren’s group consists of men and boys – criminals from the dungeons and orphans, along with three frightening men who are chained in the back of a wagon. Two of the orphan boys, Lommy Greenhands and Hot Pie, decide that Arya is an easy target, and begin to tease her about where she got her sword, threatening to take it away. Gendry (referred to as “The Bull” in this chapter) tells them to leave her alone, but the boys still persist. Hot Pie tells her that she doesn’t know how to use a sword like Needle, but Arya thinks:

Yes I do… I killed a boy, a fat boy like you. I stabbed him in the belly and he died, and I’ll kill you too if you don’t leave me alone.

Lommy declares that she’s going to cry but she spent the previous night crying in her sleep while dreaming of Ned, and doesn’t think she could shed a another tear if her life depended on it. As Hotpie tries to make a grab for the sword, Arya launches into attack, first lashing the donkey on its legs with her wooden stick, then leaping for Hotpie and smashing him in the face.

When Hot Pie began to wail, Arya whirled toward Lommy Greenhands, who was sitting on his donkey openmouthed. “You want some sword?” she yelled, but he didn’t. He raised dyed green hands in front of his face and squealed at her to get away.

The Bull shouted, “Behind you,” and Arya spun. Hot Pie was on his knees, his fist closing around a big jagged rock. She let him throw it, ducking her head as it sailed past. Then she flew at him. He raised a hand and she hit his cheek, and then his knee. He grabbed for her and she danced aside and bounced the wood off the back of his head. He fell down and got up and stumbled after her, his face all smeared with dirt and blood. Arya slid into a water dancer’s stance and waited…

Yoren finally has to pull Arya away from beating Hot Pie mercilessly with her stick. Making her pull her pants down, he proceeds to give her a lashing as punishment.

“Next time you take that stick to one of your brothers, you’ll get twice what you give, you hear me?”

Arya thinks sullenly that these are not her brothers, and Yoren tells her that hitting them won’t bring her father back. He then reveals he had been given a message that Ned would have been sent to the Wall, but something went wrong. Arya immediately thinks of Joffrey, and states that someone should kill him. Yoren says it will happen, but it won’t be at either of their hands.

Later that night, she watches the red comet in the sky.

The comet was splendid and scary all at once. “The Red Sword,” the Bull named it; he claimed it looked like a sword, the blade still red-hot from the forge. When Arya squinted the right way she could see the sword too, only it wasn’t a new sword, it was Ice, her father’s greatsword, all ripply Valyrian steel, and the red was Lord Eddard’s blood on the blade after Ser Ilyn the King’s Justice had cut off his head. Yoren had made her look away when it happened, yet it seemed to her that the comet looked like Ice must have, after.

The chapter ends with Arya’s dreams of home. She longs to see her mother again and her brothers, but it is Jon Snow she misses the most.

Analysis

Character Development:

Arya’s treatment of Hot Pie and the subsequent admonition from Yoren is reminiscent of Jon’s and Donal Noye’s conversation in AGOT, after Jon fights with some of his Night’s Watch brothers and Noye accuses him of being a bully. Even the description of Jon’s fight is similar to Arya's:

Jon twisted like an eel and slammed a heel down across the instep of the boy holding him. There was a sudden cry of pain, and he was free. He flew at Toad, knocked him backward over a bench, and landed on his chest with both hands on his throat, slamming his head against the packed earth.

The inner rage she feels is revealed in the violent beating of Hot Pie, something which Yoren calls attention to when he tells her that the boys are not responsible for her father’s death. For the most part though, Arya manages to keep her emotions in check for this chapter, and even the beating of Hot Pie had a kind of “cold” approach to it given her level of expertise. She cries in her sleep when the others can't hear, and after receiving the punishment from Yoren, only admits that it hurts “some”. The guilt she felt in AGOT when she killed the stable hand has now been replaced by an appreciation that she could do it again and arguably for very little provocation.

There’s a hardening of Arya’s heart underway, very much to do with the ones who hurt her family and caused her pain. She thinks that someone should kill Joffrey, but Yoren as the adult is there to give the hard truth that justice doesn’t always come when we want it, neither are we likely to deliver it ourselves.

Despite her somewhat bewildered response to seeing Sansa in the last chapter, Arya’s essential love for her sister is evident when she stops wishing for KL to be washed away and concentrates on home instead. It symbolizes in my view the role that Winterfell plays in creating a bond between them despite their differences and the time spent apart. She wants to see her mother and brothers again as well, but it Jon Snow who has her deepest affection and love, so much that she wishes they would come to the Wall first before Winterfell. It really highlights the profound relationship they were able to form – one that usurps every other connection in Arya’s life. This bond is still playing out in dramatic fashion up to ADWD. It also shows that despite Arya’s outward projection of toughness and the increasing familiarity with violence, she remains at heart a person who is capable of deep love and affection.

Foreshadowing:

The red comet/The Red Sword: Gendry says it looks like a sword, newly forged, and Arya thinks it’s not just any sword but Ice smeared with her father’s blood. Is this possible foreshadowing that Gendry will have a hand in reforging Ice? It does underscore how people often see what they want to see, based on their own experiences and emotional involvement.

Gender:

Arya is now firmly in performance mode as a boy, with even an official name to cement her disguise. One interesting point I wanted to highlight for discussion is when Yoren tells her that the hardest part will be when she has to take bathroom breaks; however, Arya quickly learns that this is not so, as she comes into conflict with the other boys who want to pick on her because of her size and perceived weakness. Again, as we’ve noted in the past, gender identity is not reducible to sex. Power does not flow from the phallus; there is no direct correlation between masculinity and authority. Being a man/boy (or a woman) involves a complex negotiation with self and other, learning as both Arya and Jon do, to temper their responses and be more considerate to their companions.

[Fire Eater]

Later that night, she watches the red comet in the sky.

Foreshadowing:

The red comet/The Red Sword: Gendry says it looks like a sword, newly forged, and Arya thinks it’s not just any sword but Ice smeared with her father’s blood. Is this possible foreshadowing that Gendry will have a hand in reforging Ice? It does underscore how people often see what they want to see, based on their own experiences and emotional involvement.

I think it foreshadows Ice being re-forged into the two blades with Oathkeeper having the red coloring in it. Two of the swords' owners die violently like Ned (Tywin and Joffrey), and the other two are disfigured (Jaime and Brienne).

Nice post BTW.

[Lummel]

...Power does not flow from the phallus...

Speak for yourself! ;)

Something interesting about the comet is that it is mentioned in quite a few of the POVs and is always interpreted differently starting from the Prologue including Arya here, Daenerys and towns people in King's landing. Everybody can see it and lots of people are trying to interpret what it means.

Personally after rereading the prologue I'm inclined just to see it as a harbinger of change, maybe that is really just the pathetic fallacy. I didn't think that Halley's comet foreshadow anything, maybe in Martinworld the comet is just a visible astronomical occurrence. I certainly would be wary of linking it to anyone character - we end up doing as readers exactly what GRRM has characters doing in the novel in that case.

Maybe somebody is aware of what astrology has to say about comets? I had a look on the parent of all lies and misinformation but could only find this quote attributed to some guy called Bill Shakespeare "When beggars die there are no comets seen; The heavens themselves blaze forth the death of princes."

[1234567]

Brilliant Brash.

One thing this chapter highlights is the lack of personal safety to grieve. Her father has been murdered, her whole world turned upside down and she cannot even truly express her grief or even talk about it. The immediate threat is survival and Arya can not be a scared and heartbroken little girl: she has to hide she hurt and grief. We saw after Mycah's death that she keeps her feelings and despair close to her chest as it is, but now it is a matter of necessity. Her sorrow must remain buried.

[Ragnorak]

Speak for yourself! ;)

Something interesting about the comet is that it is mentioned in quite a few of the POVs and is always interpreted differently starting from the Prologue including Arya here, Daenerys and towns people in King's landing. Everybody can see it and lots of people are trying to interpret what it means.

Personally after rereading the prologue I'm inclined just to see it as a harbinger of change, maybe that is really just the pathetic fallacy. I didn't think that Halley's comet foreshadow anything, maybe in Martinworld the comet is just a visible astronomical occurrence. I certainly would be wary of linking it to anyone character - we end up doing as readers exactly what GRRM has characters doing in the novel in that case.

Maybe somebody is aware of what astrology has to say about comets? I had a look on the parent of all lies and misinformation but could only find this quote attributed to some guy called Bill Shakespeare "When beggars die there are no comets seen; The heavens themselves blaze forth the death of princes."

While I love how everyone from kings to smallfolk sees what they want in the comet, I thought it was supposed to be a sign of the return of the dragons.

Then there was nothing to be done but watch the sun and look for the first star.

When a horselord dies, his horse is slain with him, so he might ride proud into the night lands. The bodies are burned beneath the open sky, and the khal rises on his fiery steed to take his place among the stars. The more fiercely the man burned in life, the brighter his star will shine in the darkness.

Jhogo spied it first. “There,” he said in a hushed voice. Dany looked and saw it, low in the east. The first star was a comet, burning red. Bloodred; fire red; the dragon’s tail. She could not have asked for a stronger sign.

The three from Qarth follow it believing it is a sign of the return of dragons and they actually find dragons (unlike a certain sign reader named Mel...) It could be a coincidence, but I always read that as the comet and dragons being tied together.

What struck me most here was lessons. We're told about who Lummy and Hotpie are, why they're here and what their pasts are. Arya is listening and learning like Syrio taught her and as she'll do later in Braavos. She knows about the contents of the wagons and that the three chained up men came from the black cells. She's also learned to stomach a little bit of injustice. She offers the wooden sword to avoid a fight. When the fight does come we again that her lessons have paid off. I like that she had the presence of mind to whack the donkey to make it dump Hot Pie-- more seeing.

Even Yoren is also a continuing lesson. These future Nights Watch members are not your uncle or brother. Pretend to be boy.

Yoren was looking at her. “You hurt?”

Calm as still water, she told herself, the way Syrio Forel had taught her. “Some.”

He spat. “That pie boy’s hurting worse. It wasn’t him as killed your father, girl, nor that thieving Lommy neither. Hitting them won’t bring him back.”

The "thieving" tells me that he is like the teacher with eyes in the back of his head. He misses nothing. He is probably paying especially close attention to Arya. He may have had different plans for the three from the black cells but might be keeping them chained because he has Arya-- or maybe he just wants to sleep before he gets to the Wall. He only addresses Arya's behavior though. Part of that is that she already taught the other two their lesson. I suspect he also wants her to behave well enough to live and remain hidden and her punishment was at least as much about that as it was about the out of control Hot Pie beating. It also serves to temper her behavior. She starts off thinking that she could kill Hot Pie and ends up remorseful for beating him. Without knowing it, Yoren's punishment also addresses her post killing the stableboy behavior and helps keep her sense of right and wrong in line despite the horrors she's seen.

[Lummel]

About the comet - it depends on what type of universe this is. Is it a universe largely like ours in which comets obey definable physical laws, in which case everybody who offers an opinion in the book is reading a false meaning into it (no Jhogo! Bad Dothraki - correlation is not necessarily a sign of causation! :dunce: ), or is there some mystical connection between the comet and something? Has fate been written on the undying stars there for the wise to read? Take your pick. I'm fairly certain that GRRM won't say one way or the other ! :)

/off topic

[Winter's Knight]

"When beggars die, there are no comets seen;The heavens themselves blaze forth the death of princes."_Calipurnia, from Julius Caesar, By William Shakespeare.

[linesofblaschko]

Don't have time to read all 18 pages so I apologize if this has been mentioned but I was just rereading ACOK and this part jumped out at me-

"Who will the swordsman obey? It's a riddle without an answer, or rather, too many answers. All depends on the man with the sword."

"And yet he is no one," Varys said. "He has neither crown nor gold nor favor of the gods, only a piece of painted steel."

"That piece of steel is the power of life and death."

Don't expect this amounts to much, but it seems to hint either at Arya directly (with the sword references) or to Varys being tied in with the FM? Maybe this belongs in a Varys thread but initially I took it as hinting at Arya.

[Lummel]

rereading the chapter I like that moment moment when Arya watches her cut hair blow down the street. Poignant.

I think she goes under false names now until she meets up with Harwin in ASOS. Names are about identity, but it's often been believed that knowing someone's true name can give power over them, think of God being coy in the Bible 'I am who I am' or Rumpelstiltskin from Grimm's fairy tales. More of a theme for later chapters but there is something about the power to be gained from hiding behind a false identity.

And the fight beating of Hot Pie. Is there a parallel with Jon's early training sessions with the other Night's Watch trainees in AGOT when he fought as though to kill them?

[Errant Bard]

And the fight beating of Hot Pie. Is there a parallel with Jon's early training sessions with the other Night's Watch trainees in AGOT when he fought as though to kill them?

I don't think so. Jon beating his fellow trainees comes and is indeed presented as a display of arrogance and spite. Arya beating Hot Pie is hysteria. Jon's violence is cerebral, constant, and controlled, Arya's violence, in this case as in the Tickler's, is a violent emotional burst* however controlled she thinks she is. If not stopped, Arya would kill, Jon would only show how superior he is.

A better comparison, probably, would be Jon beating Iron Emmet, as it's also a sublimation of other feelings into literally mindless violence. Can probably also be likened to her beating Sansa at Darry.

*I'm not playing into "females are emotional creatures", most of Arya's future and past displays of violence until the Tickler and Dareon were cold, controlled actions. Of course, Arya channeling her feelings into violence is something she does share with men in general (despite her jealousy of Sansa's feminine skills, everything she does realtes to traditionally masculine values).

[The Sleeper]

Her going on the road is contrasted with Winterfell, two environments where Arya feels like an outsider. As the comparison of the two respective nicknames indicates, this is decidedly worse. It is also a reality check between an environment she felt like an outsider and an environment where she actually is one. Arya is the smallest, keeps to herself carries a sword. All, things that make her the odd one out. More importantly she is more of an outsider due to her circumstances. Though she is cast out of a life as a noble and has lost her father, she has a home to go to and people are looking for her for good or illl. All these are things that the other boys never had to begin with and they have no cares besides their immediate surroundings. Hot Pie tries to establish his place in the pecking order by boasting of how dangerous he is. Arya because she has other concerns has to stay quiet. Yoren has set the stakes of drawing attention to who she really is to capture and potential rape.

As she passes through the gates, there is another play on the them that people see what they expect to see. She looks nothing like the image the guards had of a lord's daughter. Though her identity is safe, there is a downside. She becomes a target for pair of older boys to be picked on.

It is intersting how the fight goes down. They pick on her for her appearance, for her lack of reaction which they mistake for fear. We see from her thoughts that each touches on a recent event that has left a mark. What prompts Arya's reaction eventually is perceived insults to Needle and Jon. Indeed, Needle is her only tangible link to her identity. Even then she tries to placate Hot Pie by offering her practice sword. However, Hot Pie makes a grab for Needle. This is where the line is drawn. Syrio's lessons have taken root. She puts down Hot Pie in two moves and turns to threaten Lommy, making her stand.

Up to now, Hot Pie had only tried to intimidate her. Now he is angy and hurt and tries to physically assault her. Undeterred, Arya makes use of her skills and gives into midless rage, after she put him down for good. At this point she just wanted to hit something. Her composure has been gradually ground down to nothing.

Yoren intervenes and puts things back into perspective.

Some other observations. Like Jon, Arya initially thinks these are not her brothers. Later she will come to see them (those that are left anyway) as her pack.

She does not involve Yoren, wanting to resolve the situation on her own.

Jaqen is watching the whole time. He sees a skinny little boy that has a bravo's blade and that has received training in using it. He also sees Yoren taking said boy away to discipline him out of sight.

[Errant Bard]

Highlights of the chapters for me are:

1. Arya wishing for everyone in the city to die, then remembering Sansa is there so deciding to switch her wish to reaching Winterfell.
   Two important things there:
   First is the point that Arya's first reaction is mass murder. A prelude to her future development.
   Second is that it's the thought of Sansa that makes her balk. She actually loves her sister, all things considered. It might also prepare for something in the future: she can kill, she can want to kill random people... but not if it includes her sister (and by extension, her family)
   
   
2. She considers herself a killer ("Arya was pretty sure that some of the other men were killers too[...]"). Her only concern is what Yoren would do if he found out: Death is already cheap for her, what she's worried about is how people's reaction to it would affect her. It's already a bit disturbing.
   
   
3. "a man comes with a boy for me, and a purse of coin, and a message, never mind who it's from. Lord Eddard's to take the black, he says to me, wait, he'll be going with you."
   Varys giving Gendry to Yoren, just before Ned's execution, just after he coerced Ned into lying. Would Gendry have been given to Yoren if Ned had not accepted to declare himself traitor?
   
   
4. She yearns to see her mother. First person mentioned. Like with Sansa, the "hate" and estrangement are usually overblown by the fandom. She loves her mother.

Jaqen is watching the whole time. He sees a skinny little boy that has a bravo's blade and that has received training in using it. He also sees Yoren taking said boy away to discipline him out of sight.

A skinny boy that has a bravo sword he says is castle forged: clearly a custom order. Jaqen can guess, right there, that this Arry boy is a noble, from the preferential treatment, the water dancing, the sword, to the fact Yoren picked Arya after even Gendry (who came with a purse of gold) when by right he had no more access to prisoners; that last point could make a man suspicious about how important that kid might be to be smuggled out like this. Of course, like all FM he knows when something is a lie: he knows the name "Arry" is a lie, and he likely knows something is queer in the way Yoren calls Arya "boy".

So right here, guesses from a FM would be: "Arry" comes a rich or important noble family, is under an alias, is probably a girl, and she has ties to the Watch. He would keep in mind that her appearance in the group coincides with Ned's Stark execution too, so that noble family is likely to be on the Stark side in the recent coup attempt.

[The Sleeper]

Another thing that struck me as a palpable change with AGOT is Arya censoring herself with a view to other people's reaction and the situation at hand, in contrast to saying and doing pretty much what came into her mind. She also tries to maintain an appearnce of strength, keeping what she thinks hidden, as storming off when she is upset is no longer an option. Of note is her reaction to Gendry. Though he appears to take her side (telling Lommy to leave her alone, warning her that Hot Pie was about ot throw a rock at her) she views him suspiciously when he tries to make conversation. Arya has developed serious trust issues. She is also plays the role of the tough little boy.

Highlights of the chapters for me are:

Arya wishing for everyone in the city to die, then remembering Sansa is there so deciding to switch her wish to reaching Winterfell.

Two important things there:

First is the point that Arya's first reaction is mass murder. A prelude to her future development.Second is that it's the thought of Sansa that makes her balk. She actually loves her sister, all things considered. It might also prepare for something in the future: she can kill, she can want to kill random people... but not if it includes her sister (and by extension, her family)

I don't see how a nine year old can conceptualize mass murder. Her moral views to this point and indeed till the point which the series has progressed so far are very fundamental: right vs wrong/with us or against us, which get mixed up in her head, which I think is pretty typical for a nine-year old. The difference and danger is the willingnes and gorwing ability to act along with the gradual loss of inhibition. Her first challenge to this is her time with Sandor and then the FM's refusal to make judgements (at least, as they claim)

She considers herself a killer ("Arya was pretty sure that some of the other men were killers too[...]"). Her only concern is what Yoren would do if he found out: Death is already cheap for her, what she's worried about is how people's reaction to it would affect her. It's already a bit disturbing.

She thinks of her as a killer because she is. The fact that she is concerned with the reaction and rejection of authority figures she recognizes and respects (her parents, Yoren), along with her rejection issues from Winterfell and the guilt she felt over Mycah tells me that there is an underecurrent of self-loathing that she puts down when it interferes with the need to take action and comes up as a practical consideration.

"a man comes with a boy for me, and a purse of coin, and a message, never mind who it's from. Lord Eddard's to take the black, he says to me, wait, he'll be going with you."

Varys giving Gendry to Yoren, just before Ned's execution, just after he coerced Ned into lying. Would Gendry have been given to Yoren if Ned had not accepted to declare himself traitor?

I've thought that Gendry was intended as a gesture of good faith to Ned by Varys, but I haven't seen any other evidense that it wasn't coincidental. Ceratinly, Sansa's life would have been enough for Ned.

She yearns to see her mother. First person mentioned. Like with Sansa, the "hate" and estrangement are usually overblown by the fandom. She loves her mother.

Of course she does love her mother and her older sister and looks up to them. It is self evident. Why would a bit of friction neagte that?

A skinny boy that has a bravo sword he says is castle forged: clearly a custom order. Jaqen can guess, right there, that this Arry boy is a noble, from the preferential treatment, the water dancing, the sword, to the fact Yoren picked Arya after even Gendry (who came with a purse of gold) when by right he had no more access to prisoners; that last point could make a man suspicious about how important that kid might be to be smuggled out like this. Of course, like all FM he knows when something is a lie: he knows the name "Arry" is a lie, and he likely knows something is queer in the way Yoren calls Arya "boy".

So right here, guesses from a FM would be: "Arry" comes a rich or important noble family, is under an alias, is probably a girl, and she has ties to the Watch. He would keep in mind that her appearance in the group coincides with Ned's Stark execution too, so that noble family is likely to be on the Stark side in the recent coup attempt.

Kind of my point. I don't know however how plausible it is assume constant observation of Yoren by Jaqen, when the latter was in chains. He did not only take prisoners (Hot Pie) and the ties to the watch are a bit of a stretch. Yoren could simply have been bribed. He would have been to confirm her sex by her bathroom habits. In short, it is obvious how he could have found out that she is a fugitive noble girl, but I personally need a bit more explaining as to how he identified her specifically as Arya Stark. Unless it was an educated guess and Arya confirmed it with her reaction.

[Blisscraft]

Hair - Yoren cutting Arya's hair is probably one of the most significant actions against her as we begin her story in ACoK. As noted above by BC, it was a "cliffhanger" from the first book to the second. We are relieved that its not her throat that's been cut. However, Yoren cutting her hair is a metaphor for transformation. Hair is something visible that reflects the invisible. That is, how a person's hair looks, seems to tell us something about what's going on inside his or her head. In Arya's case, her matted, lice ridden, and tangled locks moments before Yoren cuts them off, shows how disorganized her thinking has become. She is unruly, unfocused, unmanageable. Yoren, like some black and smelly Delilah shears her disordered hair and takes away what remains of her "strength," her identity. Like Samson, is transformed and blinded by grief. She will have to look elsewhere to reclaim who she is. Her external "lumpyhead" presents her internal world now as uneven and out of balance.

Initiates, like Arya, often have something done to their hair. Unsually, it is cut or covered. Syrio began Arya's initiation. Yoren is another teacher who strips away who she thinks she is in order for her to transform to her true self.

[Ragnorak]

Regarding Gendry. After thinking about this my suspicion is that Gendry is Varys way of turning Ned into a sleeper agent of sorts. Gendry is proof of Joffrey's bastard status and Varys arranges to plant that proof next to Ned at the Wall. Ned will have that proof and will also be haunted by that proof everyday. When Aegon eventually arrives and the incest is made public, Varys can offer Ned a way out given his confession was fake and equal to a vow made at swordpoint and essentially win the North to Aegon's cause or at least neutrality. After Ned is killed I don't think Gendry matters much to Varys anymore.

In addition to Arry she has also become Danny Flint, thankfully only for a short time.