A Game of Thrones, Chapter 55, Catelyn
Summary
Catelyn joins the host Robb commands. She and Robb discuss recent news and battle plans. The war is coming.
Quotes
“Mother, what are we going to do? I brought this whole army together, eighteen thousand men, but I don’t… I’m not certain…” He looked to her, his eyes shining, the proud young lord melted away in an instant, and quick as that he was a child again, a fifteen-year-old boy looking to his mother for answers.
It would not do.
“Be certain,” Catelyn told her son, “or go home and take up that wooden sword again. You cannot afford to seem indecisive in front of men like Roose Bolton and Rickard Karstark. Make no mistake, Robb-these are your bannermen, not your friends. You named yourself battle commander. Command.”
Commentary
This is the first peak into another side of Song of Ice and Fire. The Great Houses are going to war, each one trying to outsmart the other. The amount of detail Martin includes in the strategy discussion is massive, however he still manages to keep it interesting.
This chapter is a true feast for imagination. Robb is going to face Tywin Lannister, a careful, seasoned commander. Knowing that he doesn’t have any experience on the battlefield Robb has to rely on the advice of his liege lords. The boy is not certain what he should do, each scenario described plays in the mind of the reader, presents hundreds of possible outcomes. Each decision is thought through and explained. It’s a great lesson in medieval warfare.
This chapter also shows how Robb struggles assuming the place of his father. He’s still a boy of sixteen, he’s uncertain, doesn’t want to rush into something he’s not prepared for and yet he needs to show that he’s a capable commander. The boy is going to grow in next few chapters.
Tags: Catelyn
May 12th, 2009 at 9:28 am
[...] Re-reading Song of Ice and Fire