The Flowering of Arya - Impact on Her character development

[Buckwheat]

I got the sense the the life of a Braavosi courtesan is 60% intrigue, 39% awesome, 1% turning tricks. That's to say, I think it's an interesting twist because there's so much about being a courtesan that I think doesn't pertain to sex directly, but still uses femininity for power. Plus, the KM did say that she'd need a pretty face for her next task...a pretty face just like hers.

I took that to mean that Arya will not be wearing anybody else's face on her next mission, she will be showing herself whereever it is they are sending her.

[BaseBornBastard]

I doubt that Arya's "flowering" will ever be an issue in the books. I think either the series will end or she'll be dead (hopefully not) before this arises.

[butterbumps!]

I took that to mean that Arya will not be wearing anybody else's face on her next mission, she will be showing herself whereever it is they are sending her.

I think I got the same idea you did-- that she'd be using her own face. I was only pointing out that he specified that beauty was required.

[Buckwheat]

I think I got the same idea you did-- that she'd be using her own face. I was only pointing out that he specified that beauty was required.

Yep, same idea.

Honestly, I cannot see how Arya would work as a courtesan and I expect (read: hope) that she leaves the FM as soon as possible, but I cannot predict she will not become one either.

[Dornish Whine]

Firstly - this topic is not creepy. I think the people who are getting squicked are focusing on the wrong aspects of what "flowering" entails. Adolescence affects everyone, boys and girls.

I don't know how much Arya knows about a woman's ...cycle. It is possible she is completely ignorant of the physical manifestation. This could prove very frightening to a girl that has lost her mother, her older sister, her septa - basically all the people she may have turned to in that situation. Maybe these feelings will make her yearn for home. I suppose someone at the FM could advise her... they may even have a potion to cease the process.

But beyond that, the onset of adolescence can only complicate things for her. It may cause feelings to stir for Gendry - if we accept that she had a crush on him to begin with - causing an identity shift towards Arya and away from 'no-one'.

She may also begin to act even more rashly, striking out, rebelling to a greater extent than she has already. She has a lot of pain and anger twisted up inside of her that 'raging' hormones would only make more difficult to deal with. Perhaps she will challenge a Bravos and start on a path towards becoming a Water Dancer (or should that be resume her path .. ?).

Or... maybe GRRM will not go there. Maybe it will be glossed over completely or dealt with glibly. Who knows. :)

[Winter's Knight]

IMO, Arya will accept the physical fact of menstruation matter-of-factly. But she will have to deal with others, especially boys and men starting to look at and treat her differently, not at the instant of her "flowering", but over time, as she grows.

She's already been through that though: the men in KL's stewpots made her feel as though they could see through her clothes, she's been subjected to rape threats and didn't s Bravoosi offer to teach her how to kiss?

[Buckwheat]

She's already been through that though: the men in KL's stewpots made her feel as though they could see through her clothes, she's been subjected to rape threats and didn't s Bravoosi offer to teach her how to kiss?

Yes, one pickpocket offered it to her, I think. Or maybe a mummer and the other one made an end to it. We do not learn what Arya thought of it, which I always found puzzling.

[TyrionsFlagon]

First of all, half the world menstrates, or will. So this topic isn't creepy, some of you need to redefine what is 'taboo' to you.

Secondly, I think this is a great question. Flowering is more significant in Westeros than it is here in our first world countries (which I assume most of us are in because we have internet and a device that allows us to access it). Obviously Sansa was devastated and scared when she flowered, although it was because she was betrothed to a monster.

It's interesting that Arya is compared to a young Lyanna. Emphasis on young. We know that eventually Lyanna grew out of it because she romantically ran off with Rhaegar and his instruments and had an affair. The point is, somewhere along the line Lyanna grew out of it.

To answer the OP, and this is my opinion and not fact, I don't think her flowering will play a large role in the story. GRRM has spent 5 books developing this Tom Boy into an assassin. I can't imagine he tears it down in one paragraph when she flowers.

If she flowers, and says, "Hey! I want to be a lady and rule by my lord and provide him with many sons," it completely ruins what GRRM has worked Arya up to being.

[Ser Duncan of Flea Bottom]

Ah, common, I can't believe people are bothering because of puberty

this is normal, this happens in real life

Some can say that this is dirty material, but Martin's book is not for children, let's face it, he expects adults to read it, teeagers too, it's not a child book, a child tale, or anything like that

[Alia of the knife]

Disclaimer: This opinion is about an adult Arya.

I agree that Arya will define her own way, but I would also say that her being a warrior does not necessarily have to conflict with her femininity, or even if shes beautiful; beautiful enough for the Kindly Man to have offered her the choice of staying with them, or going to the Daughter of the Dusk, or the Black Pearl.

In Amazon mythology, there are many examples of these women not eschewing love, passion, or beauty. And though it's been said they burned off a breast to better throw a javelin, or use a bow, in much of the art, they are depicted with both, with one covered.

- Queen Penthesilea ordered her male servants crippled "as the lame best perform the acts of love." (Okay, a little over the top).

- Gryne, an Amazon was courted by Apollo and was loved by him.

In the Heroditus Histories, intermarriage with men from other tribes often explained the origins of certain peoples, like the Amazons settling with the Scythians.

And the goddess Athena was the patron of war, justice, mathematics, (which I believe Arya is quite good at), and Arts and Crafts. (see the lethal contest between Arachne and Athena). :ack:

Also in the Iliad, they were merely referred to as Antiancirai, "those who fight like men," which is different from being as men, or masculine.

Mentioned in the Iliad as well is the Tomb of Queen of Myrine, who led her Amazons to victory against Libya and much of the Gorgon.

My point is that Aryas "flowering," potential beauty, or other feminine attributes and the impact it will have on her current path, (which I think was the point of this topic), does not have to compromise her desire or pursuit of justice, and taking for herself the ideal of honor, rather than being the extention of others Honor, (i.e., her House, or the men of her House), which would have been revolutionary in a time period when only men could claim the ideal of honor, nor does it mean she won't love or won't want passion.

[Lion of Judah]

I doubt that it changes her much, I believe that she still has a lot of emotional maturing ahead of her as well as physical. However I do believe her when she says she doesn't want to be a lady in the sense of playing a part give to her. I hope as she matures and doesn't view being woman like or lady like as a personal obstacle and continues to rebel against the role and path that is seemingly laid out for all noble women in Westeros. That being said I wouldn't mind seeing her in a bit of a love story.

[Buckwheat]

It's interesting that Arya is compared to a young Lyanna. Emphasis on young. We know that eventually Lyanna grew out of it because she romantically ran off with Rhaegar and his instruments and had an affair. The point is, somewhere along the line Lyanna grew out of it.

Lyanna grew out of what? She still had her "wolf's blood" in her, that is not something to grow out of. Her decision to run away with Rhaegar was impulsive and brave and I do not think these two exclude being romantic in any way.

mathematics, (which I believe Arya is quite good at),

Was she? I thought she was only better than Sansa.

[TheZone]

It appears that there is enough time passing for Arya to pass into her coming of age. When she flowers, how do you all think that will impact her character development and also her overall arc?

It wont change much really, however what I am wondering how in hell will she actually be able to "flower" if she is excerising so much and not eating way enough. THe FM will probably teach her how to go around it, and learn to deal with it.

[Onarjyo Khsatriya]

Yes, one pickpocket offered it to her, I think. Or maybe a mummer and the other one made an end to it. We do not learn what Arya thought of it, which I always found puzzling.

we never learn what Arya thinks of it.there are other examples also where she had faced those things,the sailor in saltpan,a pentoshi oarsman asked sexual favor from her..and she had seen sex very directly,Pia in harrenhal,when she got her eyesight back the flame of the candle seemed a whore swaying back and forth to her.and she is certainly not that child that she doesn,t know what is happening.and as a human being she surely thinks about those things(may be for very small time as we know how her life went).but we dont know or learn what she thinks about sex as nothing written in her POV.well she can distinguish between a face full of greed and a face full of lust

[TheZone]

I doubt that it changes her much, I believe that she still has a lot of emotional maturing ahead of her as well as physical. However I do believe her when she says she doesn't want to be a lady in the sense of playing a part give to her. I hope as she matures and doesn't view being woman like or lady like as a personal obstacle and continues to rebel against the role and path that is seemingly laid out for all noble women in Westeros. That being said I wouldn't mind seeing her in a bit of a love story.

The whole not being a Lady thing is more about not being able to do things like fighting and being forced to do things like sewing . Its a rebellion thing, been there done that , just not as extreme.

[TyrionsFlagon]

Lyanna grew out of what? She still had her "wolf's blood" in her, that is not something to grow out of. Her decision to run away with Rhaegar was impulsive and brave and I do not think these two exclude being romantic in any way.

She was a wild child, which is different from Wolf's Blood. Robb had wolf's blood, but he wasn't wild. Sansa has wolf's blood, but she wasn't wild.

The books refer to young Lyanna as wild, but it never refers to grown up Lyanna as being that way.

One of the things we know about her was that she didn't want Robert Baratheon because of his infidelities. This is a very mature thing to say, and tells me that she was a little more mature as an adult. Definitely still has Wolf's Blood, but not wild.

[I do not sew]

I imagine she'll be a lot more dangerous when it's that time of the month.

[Ser Duncan of Flea Bottom]

She was a wild child, which is different from Wolf's Blood. Robb had wolf's blood, but he wasn't wild. Sansa has wolf's blood, but she wasn't wild.

The books refer to young Lyanna as wild, but it never refers to grown up Lyanna as being that way.

One of the things we know about her was that she didn't want Robert Baratheon because of his infidelities. This is a very mature thing to say, and tells me that she was a little more mature as an adult. Definitely still has Wolf's Blood, but not wild.

Yes, everyone in Westeros knows about Robert infidelities. Lyanna didn't want to be a wife of a wormanizer, this is a mature thing to say.

Arya is wild as child Lyanna, and phisically similar, but I think Lyanna in the end turned out to be a Lady, and Arya will never be a Lady, she's an assassin now, she'll mature in a different way

[Where Boars Glow]

The only flowers Arya is interested in are the ones that bloom on shirts of her victims!

These flowers are bright red.

[Buckwheat]

She was a wild child, which is different from Wolf's Blood. Robb had wolf's blood, but he wasn't wild. Sansa has wolf's blood, but she wasn't wild.

The books refer to young Lyanna as wild, but it never refers to grown up Lyanna as being that way.

One of the things we know about her was that she didn't want Robert Baratheon because of his infidelities. This is a very mature thing to say, and tells me that she was a little more mature as an adult. Definitely still has Wolf's Blood, but not wild.

Wolf's blood is what Eddard's father called Lyanna's and Brandon's rashness and impulsiveness. Arya has it too, Eddard said.

She was always wild, her running off with Rhaegar clearly proves it.

I do not think saying not wanting to be married to Robert is a mature thing to say at all.

The only flowers Arya is interested in are the ones that bloom on shirts of her victims!

These flowers are bright red.

Wrong. She also picked some flowers for her father in AGOT. ;)