Thursday, October 31, 2013

Stefan's Theory Hour, part 49

Thursday is Theory Day! Since it's issue 49, I have to do something special for 50. Ideas and suggestions in the comments!
This is the fourty-ninth article of the series. Since there are a lot of theories floating out there and I'm asked often enough what I think of them, I thought I write it down. You can then laugh about me when I am totally proven wrong by "The Winds of Winter" or something like that. Rules are as follows: you put a question about any theory or plot element (really, let's stress "theory" a bit for the sake of interesting questions) either in the comments of any theory post or by mail (stefan_sasse@gmx.de) and I will answer them in an upcoming post. And if you now ask "Stefan, isn't this a shameless rip-off of Sean T. Collin's "Ask me anything"?", I would tell you to shut up, because you are right.
Prepare for part 49. Spoilers for "A Song of Ice and Fire", obviously. 

Who is your bet to be Cersei's valonqar: Jaime, Sansa, Sandor?
Jaime. For a while, I was in the Sandor-camp, but my beloved co-host of "Boiled Leather Audio Hour", Sean T. Collins, talked me out of it.  Sansa, on the other hand, was never on my radar. Volonqar means "little brother", so why would she be in the mix all of a sudden? Of course, it's possible that like with Azor Ahai and the dragons the gender was mixed up in the translation, but Sansa doesn't make any sense, especially thematically. She has her hands full with Petyr. But back to the Sandor-Jaime-question. I think we all agree that we rule out Tyrion, because where would be the fun in that? While it's true that Sandor would be a "little brother" and pair up nicely in trial by combat against Ungregor, it doesn't make sense for the inner working of prophecy. When every one's little brother could technically fulfill the prophecy, it becomes meaningless. Therefore, it has to be Jaime. He's her little brother after all, clutching her ankle at birth. He also is her twin, her "second her", the other half. For Cersei's as well as for Jaime's arc, there can be nothing emotionally that replaces one of them killing the other, wrapping the hands about her throat. Why would Sandor do that? No, it's Jaime. While the Sandor-Ungregor-Trialbycombat-thing has some merits to it, it doesn't make sense, and Martin would forego real drama for a simple show-effect. And that is not really his style.

What about Shireen's Greyscale?
That's tricky, isn't it? I already spoke about it, though.

How was Tywin planning on keeping Tyrion from inheriting Casterly Rock after his death?
Simple - dissolve Jaime from his duties as a kingsguard. Remember what happens after the war is won. Tywin takes up his duty as hand. When he gets word that Jaime is alive and more or less well (from Jaime's lips) he instantly goes on about how that makes it impossible for Jaime to serve. A precedent! Huzzah! There's something to gain in everything for Tywin Lannister. He also cites the precedent that Cersei created by dismissing Barristan Selmy. For Tywin, it's clear that this will happen. Besides, Tyrion is already half on the way to the Wall in his state of mind. The whole plan only crashes down when Jaime, for some reason, refuses. The old Jaime probably wouldn't have. It's also possible that he planned for this when he sacked King's Landing, hoping that Robert would simply pardon Jaime and dismiss him from the Kingsguard. But Jaime and Cersei both wouldn't have had an interest in that, and so, Tywin could only bide his time until he was in a position of power that allowed him to demand the king to dismiss Jaime somehow. But one thing he surely didn't plan - for Tyrion to inherit. 

What do you think is the ultimate purpose/ role of the direvolwes in the series?
Narrative wise or for the characters in their world? The wolves are mirrors of the souls of the Stark children and their constant companions (until they aren't, at which point these characters come off the rails). They often help them, and Bran and Jon also forge the deep bonds of wargs with the animals. For both of them, they serve as the prime vessels for opening the door to their abilities; for Robb, it was just a cool accessoire, and Rickon only becomes a much more dangerous half-feral three-year-old. In the narrative, the wolves clearly indicate a special fate for the Starks from the beginning, a trope that Martin subverts cleverly by slaying Lady, driving off Nymeria and killing Grey Wind along with Robb. But it's a giant red herring, because those that need the wolves - Bran and Jon - keep them, and they become important for the story. Jon is even chosen by the Halfhand simply because of Ghost! The Halfhand knew more than we do, obviously.

29 comments:

  1. How would be Stefan's Theory hour after reading just AGOT ? or after ACOK ?
    Example of question after reading book 1 :
    Will succeed Robb to revenge his father ?
    Questions after reading ACOK : Would you bet on Wall's conquest by Mance and his wildlings ? Would you have anticipated Jaime's transformation from the bad guy into the almost good guy ? Would you have put your money on Robb's betrayal by Roose taking into account WF sack by his son Ramsay ?
    Question after ASOS : Would you have anticipated the failure between Lannister- Tyrrell and Cersei's fall in AFFC ?

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    1. Yeahhhhh...that's kind of confusing.

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    2. I like the idea, but I couldn't do it with intellectual honesty. My first read was so long ago that I don't have a clue of what I thought back then. I will think about doing an essay on these questions, provided I find an interesting hook.

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  2. Which is the best moment in all ASOIAF ?

    Which is the biggest surprise in all ASOIAF ?

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    1. Maybe the best moment for Stefan. There are so many that it is hard to choose.

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    2. Best moment is really hard. I can't point to one specific.

      But the biggest surprise is the Red Wedding, hands down.

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  3. Concerning the Direwolves. Jon said that the Stark children were "meant to have them". Does that mean that the old Gods exist? (And have special plans for the Starks?)

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    1. That sound to me more like the work of Blood Raven, who wanted the Stark boys to have the wolves as protection if they were to lead the battle against the Others. He probably knew that the direwolf was pregnant with the same amount of puppies as the Stark children, warged into her, made her cross the wall (maybe through the Black Gate) and got her killed by the reindeer to make sure the Starks found her and knew that the Baratheon House would end up causing trouble for them.

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    2. Yeah, BR was most likely behind it, he HAS been watching over the Starks after all (he said it himself in Bran's chapter). But you could argue that he is one of the Old Gods...even though we know he is a Greenseer.

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  4. Hello Stefan, I have this theory (you don't need to review it, I just want to know if it is likely) about the Pink Letter: Ramsay sent the letter and he didn't lie about anything...as far as he knows. He is just operating on false information.

    Here is the long explanation:
    Stannis is "seemingly" at the disadvantage, he has less men than Bolton; his troops are in poor conditions; he has no food supplies; Bolton holds Winterfell and it would be suicidal to try and take it by force at this point; Karstark is ready to turn his coat at any second. Stannis' death and Bolton victory is inevitable...but the truth is that everything that could go wrong for Bolton has been neatly set up in the story. So this is how the battle plays out in my mind with what we know.

    1) Bolton is concerned about the conflicts between Manderly and Frey since it could escalate into open battle inside Winterfell, so he sends both armies separately to take on Stannis. He is suspicious but unaware that Manderly is ready to declare for Stannis the moment Davos shows up with Rickon.
    2) Mance's plan succeeds and Theon escapes with Fake Arya, taking away an important part of Bolton's hold on the Northmen. They will probably try to keep it from people knowing but word will get out. The spearwives are killed and Mance captured and tortured.
    3) Stannis now has Jeyne and Theon, finds out about Karstark betrayal and manages to capture him and stop his troops from attacking. Later he will probably make them fight for him since Alys is now in control of Karhold. (Confirmed Theon WoW chapter)
    4) Stannis plans to use the "Terrain" as an advantage once Bolton troops get there. Some people think he will use the frozen lake. (Theon WoW chapter)
    (The Next is Speculation)
    5) Davos has had about 2 months (give or take) to find Rickon in Skaggos and currently be making his way to Stannis or at the very least have made Manderly know by some means.
    6) Manderly and Frey troops make it to Stannis separately. Ramsay might have stayed in Winterfell or away from the main fight since he was looking for Theon or torturing Mance. At this point Manderly might have contacted Stannis to let him know about Davos (or Davos might show up with Rickon) and started plotting how to take Winterfell.
    7) The battle happens, Manderly and Baratheon troops slaughter the Freys and make it seem like Stannis lost the fight to get Bolton to lower their guard. The seven days might have been the time it took for Davos to get to Stannis, plan the taking of Winterfell and make it back to the Boltons.
    8) Manderly returns victorious with Stannis' sword and some heads (maybe from allies of Stannis who died in battle?) and Ramsay writes the Pink Letter to Jon right away for the reasons he states in the letter, but mostly to gloat thinking that Stannis is truly dead.
    9) Winterfell is now full of angry Northmen, Boltons and Manderly who is allied with Stannis. It is dark (and maybe just before the sunrise if you like it fancy), some Manderly men slip unnoticed to kill the sentries and open the gates. Outside is Stannis and his army, inside Manderly. What follows is the slaughter of Bolton forces. Rickon enters WF and the Starks have returned to power. Stannis! Stannis! STANNIS!!!

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    1. That would be soooooooo awesome!

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    2. Yep, but I would leave out the Rickon part for the moment. Seems to me that won't be a happy ending.

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  5. too nice to be true

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  6. idea for issue 50 : Theory Hour about a hypothetic ASOIAF (Robb Stark wins the war and the Lannistes are slaughtered at Purple Wedding)

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    1. I more or less did that in the "War of the Five Kings" series.

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  7. suggestion for issue 50 : Theory Hour about a ASOIAF without magic (Renly is not killed by the dark magic shadow, the Others are just people with a superior technology like the europeans in Africa in 19th century)

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    1. Hm, what would that change on the plot level? The narrative would be affected, though.

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  8. who from the Faith will fight against Ungregor ? which will be the outcome of Cersei's trial ?

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    1. It's hard to tell. Honestly? It could be anybody, be it someone we met already or someone entirely new. I would like it to be Grevedigger Sandor, now a Warrior's Son but it could be some talented knight who just joined the WS and sworn his sword to the faith.

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  9. IDEA FOR ISSUE 50:
    You make in entirely about theories you personally support or some of the ones you have come up with.

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  10. Ungregor opponent : Bonnifer Hasty or Lancel . Hasty would fit as the man who loved Raella, the grandma of the children killed by Gregor, but I bet on Lancel because is Cersei's relative, a dramatic situation.

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    1. Lancel is gravely wounded. The Faith wants to win that thing, so they'll send their best man. The High Sparrow doesn't care for "dramatic".

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  11. idea for issue 50 , something special : let's say that GRRM loses his interest in TWOW and dedicates itself to Wild Cards and Jets and abandone the book ; how somebody like Tarantino, Coen or BSG author or a writer like Asimov would finish ASOIAF ?

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    1. Very interesting, but I have to admit that I have almost no knowledge about these authors. I'm not such a novel person myself, ASOIAF is more the exception to the rule. So I couldn't tell how other writers would do it.

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  12. SUGGEST FOR ISSUE 50 : we all know that GRRM likes to be impredictible, so we expect surprises in ASOIAF ; a top with the most "likely" twists in TWOW would be cool

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  13. How do you think Tommen will die?

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    1. His head smashed against a wall, when the Dornish have anything to say about it.

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  14. Regarding Sansa: Old Valyrian, as has been explained, has no grammatical gender, so the "little brother" can also be a little sister.

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