Does Jon Snow ever react to the Red Wedding?

[Winterfellian]

I'm with you on this one Ice Turtle. :agree:

While it's certainly true that Jon waited for a GOOD excuse to kill Slynt, I also think that he was pretty sure that Slynt was going to give him that excuse. As to the method of execution, it not only follows 'the northern way' but does so in a way that pays homage to Eddard Stark and invokes the memory of Slynt's involvement in Eddard's execution.

Nicely done GRRM to capture all those points in one simple act.

I disagree with the bolded part. Jon wasn't looking for excuses to kill Slynt. He never taunted or provoked him and was even meaning to make use of him to the best of Slynt's abilities. Jon was too pragmatic to waste a man for mere revenge. And even after Slynt disobeyed Jon's order is clear that Jon had contemplated other punishments for him before settling for the death sentence.

[Tagganaro]

I disagree with the bolded part. Jon wasn't looking for excuses to kill Slynt. He never taunted or provoked him and was even meaning to make use of him to the best of Slynt's abilities. Jon was too pragmatic to waste a man for mere revenge. And even after Slynt disobeyed Jon's order is clear that Jon had contemplated other punishments for him before settling for the death sentence.

Yes. Jon is definitely not looking for an excuse to kill Slynt. Jon gave him several chances to obey his orders, and even thinks at one point "He has to have some skill right because he was head of the Gold Cloaks" (paraphrasing). The final time is the final nail in the coffin, and Jon really has no choice when Janos laughs at his order and makes fun of him in front of his men. Slynt was asking Jon to kill him essentially.

[Ser Duncan of Flea Bottom]

I don't think Jon was as affected by The Red Wedding as some people think he should be. There are a few reasons for why, two of which I'll name.

1) He's in the Night's Watch. He forsakes his family, all claims to titles and lands, etc. In effect, Robb isn't his half-brother anymore. I think mentally, Jon blocked himself off from all memories of his past life and committed himself to a life on the Wall.

2) Robb was fighting in a war. Jon understood that Robb was going to be fighting, and there was a very real chance that he would die. Catelyn prepared herself for the eventuality that her eldest son might die, and in the end her fears proved correct. I think Jon did the same thing.

Further, I don't think Jon ever really considered Robb his "closest friend". Robb and Theon were always much closer, and from what I remember Theon and Jon had an extremely cold relationship. Jon's only close confidants in the Stark family seem to have been Arya and his "father" (*cough cough*), Ned.

He had a good relationshionship with Robb, they were rivals and friends at the same time, and Bran and Rickon liked him very much

just Sansa was cold towards him, and of course Cat who hated him

Also Theon didn't like him, but, I think it was because Robb was very close to both of them, he was a bit jealous

[Gendels Children]

its interesting that several times through Jons story, various things happen to him, and we are given very little insight into how he feels about it, the first thing coming to mind is when Cat tell Jon it should have been him who fell, instead of Bran. Jon just walks out of the room like "meh" we all know that's a pretty messed up thing for a person to hear, yet nothing in mentioned about how that made him feel. another thing was when Jon and Mel were talking, clearly Ygrites death was fresh for him and Mel said "you know nothing Jon Snow" (I know there is some dispute as to wether or not it was a simple statement she said with out knowing what it meant to him) and the chapter cuts off before we find out Jons reaction. and when Jon mistakes Mel for Ygritte also, we have no inclination as to what that made him feel he just says "Ygritte" the only hint we get it the fact that realising it was Mel made him flinch away from her. im sure if I tried to dig up some more situation like that I could but these where the first to come to mind. I think GRRM cuts us off from Jons feeling purposely, IMO it helps us to understand that Jon himself tries to hind/ignore his feelings when hurt or sad, he never cries (not that I remember but correct me if im wrong, I think he cried from pain at one point but that's different) I think the impression of his inner strength would be compromised if GRRM let us/him feel every time something painful happens to him.. but that's just my impression on why we don't get Jons reaction to things like the RW

[Darryk]

I don't recall there being a reaction either, and I feel there should have been.

[Archangel of Winterfell]

Eventually, I think it would be interesting if Jon Snow crossed paths with Roose Bolton and/or Walder Frey. It would be interesting to see what he would do in the presence of two of the men who orchestrated Robb's death.

[Gendels Children]

Eventually, I think it would be interesting if Jon Snow crossed paths with Roose Bolton and/or Walder Frey. It would be interesting to see what he would do in the presence of two of the men who orchestrated Robb's death.

hehe Ghost would feed well that night ;)

[SeanF]

I too thought it curious that Jon didn't react more strongly to the news of the Red Wedding, although I think Dan M's explanation is probably correct.

I doubt if Catelyn's death would have affected him very much **, but Robb's death must have hurt him very badly. I think he's been trying to hold back his fury at what happened to the Starks, until he reaches snapping point, when he receives the Pink Letter.

** Jon would obviously regard Catelyn's murder as an atrocity, but neither of them liked the other.

[Timothy Quentin Cray]

I agree with Landed Knight that we are largely cut off from Jon's feelings or rather he tries not to acknowledge them (at least in the later books), but certainly in GoT he did give a bit more away. His loneliness when he first arrives at castle black, his tantrum when he wasn't made a ranger, Benjen's refusal to take him on the ranging, his conflicting emotions were all too evident when war broke out, I could go on.

I felt that Jon gets a lot harder as the books progress, and at some point during the great ranging / his time with the wildlings the self-pitying (for want of a better word) voice begins to fade away, and is almost silenced by the time he receives command of the NW and is instructed by Aemon to 'kill the boy'.

That said, no character of GRRM is going to be flawless enough to control the rage of 3 (so far as he is concerned) murdered brothers, betrayed family, executed father and destroyed 'home', so sooner or later he will probably go absolutely mental.

[~DarkHorse~]

I really disagree, besides Arya Robb is the sibling Jon thinks about most and when he's yearning for Winterfell Robb is most always in thoes memories. And Jon doesn't think of Robb as his "closest friend" he thinks of him as his brother, the one he was always with and getting into trouble with. Yeah Robb and Theon were close but there relationship was much different than Jon and Robb's. Jon is and always will Robb's brother that relationship transcends any relationship Robb had with Theon

:agree: Jon also wanted to leave the Wall when his father was beheaded to be with his 'brother' as that's where he belonged. Also, I think Jon was close to all his sibling with the exception of Sansa.

[~DarkHorse~]

I don't recall there being a reaction either, and I feel there should have been.

Hopefully, we'll see one in the show.

[Gendels Children]

Hopefully, we'll see one in the show.

hah! I keep forgetting stuff like that..... yeah sometimes the showrunners can really mess things up (compared to the way we imagined them when reading) but I love it when we get a little for info and a little most taste of things we didn't get so much in the books. hopefully they do a good job with it!

[Lord Damian]

:agree: Jon also wanted to leave the Wall when his father was beheaded to be with his 'brother' as that's where he belonged. Also, I think Jon was close to all his sibling with the exception of Sansa.

Robb and Jon were brothers and Theon was just a friend of your brother that he just did not like/trust. that is all. Jon grew up as a brother to the kids. Sansa and Cat were the only ones he really had a cold relationship with.

[Prince of the Green]

Robb and Jon were brothers and Theon was just a friend of your brother that he just did not like/trust. that is all. Jon grew up as a brother to the kids. Sansa and Cat were the only ones he really had a cold relationship with.

I really don't think that is the case. I think Sansa and Jon were so very different that they didn't have much room to build a long-lasting relationship, the way he did with all of his other siblings, even Baby Rickon.

That is not to say, however, that they don't care for one another. Jon mentions, after waking up at Craster's to a world covered in frost, that Arya would hoot and holler and run around elated at the scene, while Sansa would say it was something out of a fairytale (paraphrasing here). I don't think a cold relationship between the two of them would lead him to reflect on how both of his sisters would react to the change in scenery.

Also, on the journey down from the Eyrie, Sansa overhears Myranda Royce talking about the Black Bastard on the Wall, of how her brother Jon is the new Lord Commander, and thinks how lovely it would be to see him again.

Cat and Jon, on the other hand...Well, the distance between them, as well as new duties, has kept them as far away in their minds as possible.

[icecold]

its interesting that several times through Jons story, various things happen to him, and we are given very little insight into how he feels about it, the first thing coming to mind is when Cat tell Jon it should have been him who fell, instead of Bran. Jon just walks out of the room like "meh" we all know that's a pretty messed up thing for a person to hear, yet nothing in mentioned about how that made him feel. another thing was when Jon and Mel were talking, clearly Ygrites death was fresh for him and Mel said "you know nothing Jon Snow" (I know there is some dispute as to wether or not it was a simple statement she said with out knowing what it meant to him) and the chapter cuts off before we find out Jons reaction. and when Jon mistakes Mel for Ygritte also, we have no inclination as to what that made him feel he just says "Ygritte" the only hint we get it the fact that realising it was Mel made him flinch away from her. im sure if I tried to dig up some more situation like that I could but these where the first to come to mind. I think GRRM cuts us off from Jons feeling purposely, IMO it helps us to understand that Jon himself tries to hind/ignore his feelings when hurt or sad, he never cries (not that I remember but correct me if im wrong, I think he cried from pain at one point but that's different) I think the impression of his inner strength would be compromised if GRRM let us/him feel every time something painful happens to him.. but that's just my impression on why we don't get Jons reaction to things like the RW

The only time i remember him crying was at the start of AGOT in the kings feast.

[Lord Elrosir]

Hopefully the show will shed light on Jon's reaction. They illustrated just how close they were in Season 1.

[WildBlood]

When the RW happened Jon was off with the Wildlings north of the wall... When he gets back to Castle Black, finally, he is wounded and there is a battle, and he finds out LC was killed by his brothers... I think it is fair to say he had his own shit to worry about.

[Aurane Velaryon]

there was no immediate reaction as far as I know but he does think about it.

"And pull your hood up. The snowflakes are melting in your hair." pretty much the saddest thing Jon has ever said.

[Qyburn0896]

Martin screwed up.

He'll admit it.

[AstronautMargaery]

Also, on the journey down from the Eyrie, Sansa overhears Myranda Royce talking about the Black Bastard on the Wall, of how her brother Jon is the new Lord Commander, and thinks how lovely it would be to see him again.

Cat and Jon, on the other hand...Well, the distance between them, as well as new duties, has kept them as far away in their minds as possible.

What I could extract was that Sansa was regarding him as the last person from Winterfell who's alive, rather than a family member or even a brother. Somebody she could seek for help or simply exchange memories while drinking tea and eating lemon cakes.