A Game of Thrones, Chapter 48, Jon
Summary
The boys are officially accepted into the ranks of the Night’s Watch. Each one gets an assignment that fits their skills. Jon is sent to the Stewards, not to Rangers like everyone expected. Samwell and Jon go out beyond the Wall to say their words in front of the Old Gods, at the heart tree. Before they go back to the Wall Ghost brings them hand of a fallen Ranger.
Quotes
“A man of the Night’s Watch lives his life for the realm. Not for a king, nor a lord, nor the honor of this house or that house, neither for gold nor glory nor a woman’s love, but for the realm, and all the people in it. A man of the Night’s Watch takes no wife and fathers no sons. Our wife is duty. Our mistress is honor. And you are the only sons we shall ever know.
I’ll wager that’s why Lord Mormont requested you, Jon. What else could it be? He wants to groom you for command!”
Jon was taken aback. It was true, Lord Eddard had often made Robb part of his councils back at Winterfell. Could Sam be right? Even a bastard could rise high in the Night’s Watch, they said. “I never asked for this,” he said stubbornly.
“None of us are here for asking,” Sam reminded him.
And suddenly Jon Snow was ashamed.
Commentary
Jon makes a mistake in thinking that the best thing that could happen to him is getting assigned to the rangers. He’s guilty of looking down on stewards. He’s not making new friends with his reaction on the news that he’s about to be one of them. Luckily Samwell manages to open his eyes and look on what is really going on, how this assignment means much more than being responsible for “washing old man’s smallclothes”.
Second part of the chapter brings us outside the Wall. Boys say their words at the heart three. Martin hints that there are powers beyond the walls that have not been introduced yet. “The gods are watching.” There is a hope that beside the Others there are more things from the old world occupying this land. For now though, it’s the white walkers that make a first move against the world protected by the Wall. The ploy with leaving the undead for the Night’s Watch to be found suggests malicious intelligence. The Others are going to be a cunning foe.
Tags: Jon
