Post by shymaid on Jan 11, 2018 10:56:26 GMT
Rereading this chapter carefullt, I suspect as much as 90% consists of parallells and echoes from the past! This most certainly relates to our mystery babies, or at least one, but imo that could be more a later result of what is indirectly pictured here. To give the chapter it's full due, I'd have to do a full breakdown with possible parallells and echoes, and I think a parentage thread is not the place for that. And I need more time to do the research I think is relevant...
Instead I give you our favorite grumkin girl!
Firstly, I have to say Sansa has a point with finding a plausable reason for Catelyn to lie about this. This has come up a few times already in our reread, and we all know a certain member who holds a piece of tinfoil dear here! Personally I don't know what to think about this, but I do have the kneejerk reaction in thinking Sansa is wrong here. But then again, I tend to think Sansa is wrong in most things!
Breaking down what she says here more, she starts with how two sisters can be so different, and while that is huge with these two I also find it a bit odd. Does she think that the same blood would make two (or more) people very much alike? Or does she really react to Arya being a tomboy and naturally differ from her and her little girlfriends in interests and abilities? I honestly think she hasn't even considered this possibility, but instead just jumps to the argument about being of the same blood. I want to put this down to being sheltered and inexperienced for now.
The same could be said of her thinking it would be easier if Arya was a bastard, like Jon. I won't dwell on this.
The more interesting part for me is "and nothing of their lady mother in her face or her coloring", as I just wondered about this in Cat III. There I pointed out that we only hear about the coloring (and stdaga pointed out height as well) when mentionings of 3 of the 5 trueborn siblings taking after the Tullys, with the two girls being the exceptions - Sansa is said to have Cat's cheekbones, and Arya takes after Ned (and Lyanna). So, does this mean that their full brothers also have some features of Ned's as well? Or is it just that she never doubts Ned the father of them all, and so never wonders why they only look like their mother?
Another notable thing here, is that there still is some whisperers of Jon's mother at Winterfell! But probably so obscure that most will miss it. Could her close relationship with Jeyne be the source of this? In any case, while the whisperers continue, Ned's command of never mentioning Ashara again is indeed followed. It would be interesting if Jon's common mother was accompanied with a whispered name!
This is what I managed to get of direct parentage in this chapter! The rest will have to wait for the moment.
Instead I give you our favorite grumkin girl!
Sansa could never understand how two sisters, born only two years apart, could be so different. 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. 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.
Firstly, I have to say Sansa has a point with finding a plausable reason for Catelyn to lie about this. This has come up a few times already in our reread, and we all know a certain member who holds a piece of tinfoil dear here! Personally I don't know what to think about this, but I do have the kneejerk reaction in thinking Sansa is wrong here. But then again, I tend to think Sansa is wrong in most things!
Breaking down what she says here more, she starts with how two sisters can be so different, and while that is huge with these two I also find it a bit odd. Does she think that the same blood would make two (or more) people very much alike? Or does she really react to Arya being a tomboy and naturally differ from her and her little girlfriends in interests and abilities? I honestly think she hasn't even considered this possibility, but instead just jumps to the argument about being of the same blood. I want to put this down to being sheltered and inexperienced for now.
The same could be said of her thinking it would be easier if Arya was a bastard, like Jon. I won't dwell on this.
The more interesting part for me is "and nothing of their lady mother in her face or her coloring", as I just wondered about this in Cat III. There I pointed out that we only hear about the coloring (and stdaga pointed out height as well) when mentionings of 3 of the 5 trueborn siblings taking after the Tullys, with the two girls being the exceptions - Sansa is said to have Cat's cheekbones, and Arya takes after Ned (and Lyanna). So, does this mean that their full brothers also have some features of Ned's as well? Or is it just that she never doubts Ned the father of them all, and so never wonders why they only look like their mother?
Another notable thing here, is that there still is some whisperers of Jon's mother at Winterfell! But probably so obscure that most will miss it. Could her close relationship with Jeyne be the source of this? In any case, while the whisperers continue, Ned's command of never mentioning Ashara again is indeed followed. It would be interesting if Jon's common mother was accompanied with a whispered name!
This is what I managed to get of direct parentage in this chapter! The rest will have to wait for the moment.