Post by voice on May 5, 2016 20:40:16 GMT
Well, I might have used the phrase ("larger than life") wrongly, since that is not related to achievement in my mind, in my mind it has to do with desires and exercise of will.
Also, I am not sure how that deters from Rheagar (or Ned or Arthur, everyone we know the name of is an overachiever). He was also very accomplished for his age.
Robert's desires and exercise of will.... That's Ygritte! LOL
But yes, in the end they are all rather overachiever-ish anyway.
Why is that related to openbook-ness or blind loyalty? He is not an open book because we still do not know what he discussed with Tormund for few hours (neither do you!) not did anyone else on the wall knew about his dealdings with bank of braavos or his experiments on wights. We (as readers) do not know some, people on the wall know much less.
Because he was at once both too open and loyal to his treacherous brothers about his plans.
I agree, we don't know the full story, but Jon did not keep the Pink Letter a secret. Nor did he keep his loan from the Iron Bank a secret.
Two things:
- I am not sure why having a thought is mutually exclusive with being an extrovert. I am not sure we are using the terms the same. But yes, I think even if I did not have access to his mind, his discussion with Aemon, with Sam, with Mormontt, with Mance, and ..., would all show he has thoughts in his head. (I am not sure how serious this point was for you, but I answered anyways )
LOL, it's all good.
Having thought is certainly does not exclude someone from being an introvert/extrovert. I'm just saying that we tend to think of Jon as a contemplative youth because we actually witness him contemplating things first hand. If we had Robert Baratheon povs throughout AGOT, we would have the same for him.
- Never in the whole story has Jon tried to solve something in public. He is almost always the listener, even in WF banquet where you had got all your quotes (and all of them were good catches), he is not the one who is talking. The whole night he is the listener. On the wall, he is the listener. Whenever possible he sits far from the hearth to be at the border of activity. He is not shy, he is an introvert!
A Dance with Dragons - Jon XIII
"The Night's Watch takes no part in the wars of the Seven Kingdoms," Jon reminded them when some semblance of quiet had returned. "It is not for us to oppose the Bastard of Bolton, to avenge Stannis Baratheon, to defend his widow and his daughter. This creature who makes cloaks from the skins of women has sworn to cut my heart out, and I mean to make him answer for those words … but I will not ask my brothers to forswear their vows.
"The Night's Watch will make for Hardhome. I ride to Winterfell alone, unless …" Jon paused. "… is there any man here who will come stand with me?"
The roar was all he could have hoped for, the tumult so loud that the two old shields tumbled from the walls. Soren Shieldbreaker was on his feet, the Wanderer as well. Toregg the Tall, Brogg, Harle the Huntsman and Harle the Handsome both, Ygon Oldfather, Blind Doss, even the Great Walrus. I have my swords, thought Jon Snow, and we are coming for you, Bastard.
- He wasn't elected as the class president because everyone can have a good time with him (exactly like Ned and Rheagar and so unlike Robert) but because he can handle things far better than others. He is competent, that can be like any of his parents/guardians.
Robert didn't want his damnable iron chair, his damnable wife, nor his damnable wheelhouse...
That doesn't remind you of Jon's reluctant campaign to become Lord Commander?
And Robert was not universally loved either. Like Jon, his friends had a good time with him. And like Jon, he made some enemies into friends. But, like Jon, his enemies secretly wished him ill.
He did not care about honor or his men, he cared about winning wars and having good times. He was great and this greatness inspired people. Duty would have been sitting in those halls caring about governance or making sure his marriage worked. MAking sure his son(s) where groomed for rule. Which one did he do? Seriously?
Just so you know, I really like Robert, but definitely not because he is dutifull or honorable.
Jon cares about winning wars and having good times too.
And Robert tried with his sons, but they weren't his sons... and one was a monster in spite of his efforts. Jon sent a Monster to Oldtown, rather than groom him for rule.
I should point out that I really like Rhaegar, because is was both dutiful and honorable. He never would have cheated on Elia.
Jon is 16 and he thinks about Val plenty. He always notices how attractive she is and it is personal. It is not adoration of beauty, it is feeling of it.
Sure. Robert thinks about Cersei plenty as well, and he notices how attractive she is. And neither adores the other. Neither loves the other. Each only loved their dead echoes of Arya.
I do not agree Jon balks at Val. He is very obviously attracted. But he is a brother of the night's watch and he caused Ygritt to die for the watch. That is just dignity.
Robert was attracted to Cersei too. You can be attracted to a woman and still balk at the idea of marrying her. Which, both do.
Well, I plainly disagree
LOL! That's okay. I would absolutely LOVE for Rhaegar to be Jon's father. Seriously. I would L.O.V.E. it!
The brothel chapter disproves the possibility in my mind, but I would still love for it to be true. Truly.
Well, I said what I could above, maybe we have different understanding of introverts and extroverts. As for Rheagar, he was still quit solitary. People who knew him never fail to name his closest friends, and almost everyone else has minimal understanding of the guy: He was great, he was intellectual, he was super dutiful. Maybe he was politically active, no one knows what was happening in his marriage.
He was quite solitary. Jon, however, is surrounded by friends and brothers.
And Jon is certainly not an intellectual.
Rhaegar was musical and loved to read. Does that sound like Jon?
Rhaegar read something that made him decide to learn swordplay. Does that sound like Jon?
Jon was born to fight, like Robert.
Robert on the other hand is the exact opposite, other than Ned, everyone is a friend like everyone else. He hates Cersei, he does not care for his kids, he does not care for the realm. He hates all the Targaryans ....
Sure, but we've only met Robert after being forced to marry a woman he did not want, and raising children that are not his.
But even so, he did care for them...
- A Game of Thrones - Eddard XIII
“This is the will and word of Robert of House Baratheon, the First of his Name, King of the Andals and all the rest—put in the damn titles, you know how it goes. I do hereby command Eddard of House Stark, Lord of Winterfell and Hand of the King, to serve as Lord Regent and Protector of the Realm upon my... upon my death... to rule in my... in my stead, until my son Joffrey does come of age...”
“Robert...” Joffrey is not your son, he wanted to say, but the words would not come. The agony was written too plainly across Robert’s face; he could not hurt him more. So Ned bent his head and wrote, but where the king had said “my son Joffrey,” he scrawled “my heir” instead. The deceit made him feel soiled. The lies we tell for love, he thought. May the gods forgive me. “What else would you have me say?”
“Say... whatever you need to. Protect and defend, gods old and new, you have the words. Write. I’ll sign it. You give it to the council when I’m dead.”
“Robert,” Ned said in a voice thick with grief, “you must not do this. Don’t die on me. The realm needs you.”
Robert took his hand, fingers squeezing hard. “You are... such a bad liar, Ned Stark,” he said through his pain. “The realm... the realm knows... what a wretched king I’ve been. Bad as Aerys, the gods spare me.”
“No,” Ned told his dying friend, “not so bad as Aerys, Your Grace. Not near so bad as Aerys.”
Robert managed a weak red smile. “At the least, they will say... this last thing... this I did right. You won’t fail me. You’ll rule now. You’ll hate it, worse than I did... but you’ll do well. Are you done with the scribbling?”
“Yes, Your Grace.” Ned offered Robert the paper. The king scrawled his signature blindly, leaving a smear of blood across the letter. “The seal should be witnessed.”
“Serve the boar at my funeral feast,” Robert rasped. “Apple in its mouth, skin seared crisp. Eat the bastard. Don’t care if you choke on him. Promise me, Ned.”
“I promise.” Promise me, Ned, Lyanna’s voice echoed.
“The girl,” the king said. “Daenerys. Let her live. If you can, if it... not too late... talk to them... Varys, Littlefinger... don’t let them kill her. And help my son, Ned. Make him be... better than me.” He winced. “Gods have mercy.”
Which one of these two Jon is more alike? I am not saying Rheagar is Jon's father, I am saying based on temperaments alone Robert has a very little chance.
Here is your solitary, introverted, intellectual boy the first time we see his mind:
- A Game of Thrones - Jon I
It was the fourth hour of the welcoming feast laid for the king. Jon's brothers and sisters had been seated with the royal children, beneath the raised platform where Lord and Lady Stark hosted the king and queen. In honor of the occasion, his lord father would doubtless permit each child a glass of wine, but no more than that. Down here on the benches, there was no one to stop Jon drinking as much as he had a thirst for.
And he was finding that he had a man's thirst, to the raucous delight of the youths around him, who urged him on every time he drained a glass. They were fine company, and Jon relished the stories they were telling, tales of battle and bedding and the hunt. He was certain that his companions were more entertaining than the king's offspring. He had sated his curiosity about the visitors when they made their entrance. The procession had passed not a foot from the place he had been given on the bench, and Jon had gotten a good long look at them all.
Did Rhaegar like tales of bedding and the hunt? Or did Robert?
Which was more likely to be surrounded by delighted guys as he drained another glass of wine?
I'm not saying this rules out Rhaegar (that comes in Eddard IX, LOL), I'm just pointing out we have plenty of character traits that are similar for Jon to be Robert's son.
You are write to point out that Yggritt thought Jon was "pretty" but he was also very put together, observant, and a good fighter but kind and considerate at the same time. Ygritte liked the fact that he could be both at the same time!
Sure, but all that appreciation came later. At first, she just wanted to fuck. LOL
It's not raising him, it is hiding him from Robert, never acknowledging the fact that his love with Lyanna had resulted in a kid, and memorizing that fact that ruined his Love. When he lost Lyanna, he lost all of Lyanna, there is nothing that connects him to her anymore. Apparently that affected him very negatively.
Growing Jon after the acknowledgement is definitely a service.
Well, Ned might have been saving Robert from even more pain. Think about it. You're Robert Baratheon and have finally come to accept that Lyanna is gone. You agree to marry Cersei like Jon Arryn wants, for the good of the realm. Then along comes Ned with your kid from Lyanna.
Nevermind the fact that this totally undermines your reason to go to war in the first place, and nevermind that your rebellion helped push Lyanna into her early grave....
How would you feel if you were Robert? Would you be filled with joy every time you looked at that child?