Re-reading Song of Ice and Fire

Chapter 2, Sansa
Summary
Sansa attends the tourney held in name of Joffrey. His grace is not impressed by the contestants and wants to punish a drunken knight, Ser Dontos, with death. Sansa with unexpected help from Hound manages to convince him to make a fool of him instead. Tyrion Lannister arrives at Kings Landing.

Quotes

Arys Oakheart was courteous, and would talk to her cordially. Once he even objected when Joffrey commanded him to hit her. He did hit her in the end, but not hard as Ser Meryn or Ser Boros might have, and at least he had argued.

The king laughed. “My dog has a fierce bark. Perhaps I should command him to fight the day’s champion. To the death.” Joffrey was fond of making men fight to the death.
“You’d be one knight the poorer.” The Hound had never taken a knight’s vows. His brother was a knight, and he hated his brother.

“I am sorry for your loss as well, Joffrey,” the dwarf said.
“What loss?”
“Your royal father? A large fierce man with a black beard; you’ll recall him if you try. He was king before you.”
“Oh, him. Yes, it was very sad, a boar killed him.”

Commentary

How sad and terrifying must be the life of a girl that she likes the man who argues with his liege before he hits her. Sansa’s life is a nightmare. Her betrothed is really showing his colors. With no one to control him (where is Cersei I ask you? too busy running the kingdom?) the boy is becoming more and more cruel and ruthless. Surprisingly the mitigating element in this boiling kettle of cruelty is the Hound. He’s the one that, by lack of interest discourages Joffrey from at least part of his mad moves.

I have to say, I love the way Martin paints his characters. His world is by no means black and white. Hound seems like a cruel, cold blooded killer (anyone remember Mycah?), but this chapter brings a new level of the character. Is he mitigating Joffrey’s madness on purpose or is it just the way he is? Maybe he just doesn’t care? Either way, he’s not a clean cut villain.

What I found amusing in this chapter is how Joffrey and his supporters find the red comet a sign of his certain victory over his enemies. The red comet for crimson of the Lannister. Yeah, right… Ser Aerys comes close to the truth though. The comet, the dragon’s breath, is prophesying the comeback of the dragons. Lannisters would rather believe that it’s a good sign for them because they sit in the dragon’s lair, on dragon’s iron throne.

Chapter 67, Sansa
Summary
Sansa is summoned by Joffrey to join him in the court. When she resists, he has a knight of the Kingsguard strike her. In the court King passes series of bloody judgments. Afterward Joffrey takes Sansa to show her heads of her father and his people. When she defies him he has her beaten again.

Quotes

He can make me look at the heads, she told herself, but he can’t make me see them.
“This one is your father,” he said. “This one here. Dog, turn it around so she can see him.”
Sandor Clegane took the head by the hair and turned it. The severed head had been dipped in tar to preserve it longer. Sansa looked at it calmly, not seeing it at all. It did not really look like Lord Eddard, she thought; it did not even look reaL “How long do I have to look?”
Joffrey seemed disappointed.

“After my name day feast, I’m going to raise a host and kill your brother myself. That’s what I’ll give you, Lady Sansa. Your brother’s head.”
A kind of madness took over her then, and she heard herself say, “Maybe my brother will give me your head.”

Commentary

Sansa’s horror has just begun.

Unfortunately for the girl Ned’s death was only the start of her misery. Not only is she left alone in the lair of the lion, but she has to suffer “the prince she really, trully loves”. Now she hates him and can’t bear to look at him. Joffrey though does not suffer insolence from anyone and least of all from his betrothed, which he treats more like a property than a living, breathing person.

King is also fascinated with his power to make people suffer. That he definitely did not learn from Robert. This smells more like a twisted observation of his mother’s behavior. Joffrey takes it a step further. He’s becoming a monster no better than Mad Aerys. He also doesn’t seem to comprehand how bad the situation is looking for him right now. Instead he offers to bring Sansa Robb’s head.

The brutal and complete change of Sansa’s life takes her to the brink of sanity. In her darkest hour she contemplates suicide. The moment passes though and the soft, well behaved child changes into completely closed off, half-dead-inside person. This is what trauma does to children and again Martin delivers the description with frightening detail and accuracy.

Chapter 57, Sansa
Summary
Sansa joins the court session of the new King. Joffrey names the long list of traitors, Starks among them. Ser Barristan is relieved of his duty, replaced by Jame Lannister as Lord Commander of Kingsguard. Sandor Clegane takes the white. Sansa begs for mercy for her father and Joffrey promises mercy if Ned confesses his crimes.

Quotes

The tall, white-haired knight seemed to shrink as he stood there, scarcely breathing. “Your Grace,” he said at last. “The Kingsguard is a Sworn Brotherhood. Our vows are taken for life. Only death may relieve the Lord Commander of his sacred trust.”
“Whose death, Ser Barristan?” The queen’s voice was soft as silk, but her words carried the whole length of the hall. “Yours, or your king’s?”

“Only… that as you love me, you do me this kindness, my prince,” Sansa said.
King Joffrey looked her up and down. “Your sweet words have moved me,” he said gallantly, nodding, as if to say all would be well. “I shall do as you ask… but first your father has to confess. He has to confess and say that I’m the king, or there will be mercy for him.”

Commentary

It’s clear what kind of king the young Joffrey is going to be. His mother doesn’t show any regard for rules or honor. Stripping Barristan The Bold of the white cloak was one of the biggest mistakes she made. Loyalty doesn’t go far with Lannisters. They prefer to buy it with gold instead of earning it with honor.

It’s interesting to notice also that Cersei doesn’t have the control over her son. He’s taken the worst out of the only character model he had: Robert. The boy doesn’t listen to counsel and expects only blind obedience. He orders guards after Barristan and Cersei didn’t stop him. It’s the first sign of the things to come. Joffrey is going to cause huge amounts of trouble to his enemies as well as his own family.

I was torn when I’ve read this chapter. On one hand I was hoping that Sansa would get what she deserved, that Lannisters would put her in her place, but on the other hand, she was still Ned’s daughter. Ned wouldn’t want his daughter to be hurt even if he knew the role she played in the trap Cersei planned for him.

Chapter 51, Sansa
Summary
Sansa is locked with Jeyne for three days after King’s death. Finally she’s brought in front of the queen and the small council. They announce her father a traitor and talk her into sending letters to her family asking them to bend the knee for the new king.

Quotes

“Sweet Sansa,” Queen Cersei said, laying a soft hand on her wrist. “Such a beautiful child. I do hope you know how much Joffrey and I love you.”
“You do?” Sansa said, breathless. Littlefinger was forgotten. Her prince loved her. Nothing else mattered.

“Sansa, sweetling, you must see what a dreadful position this has left us in. You are innocent of any wrong, we all know that, and yet you are the daughter of a traitor. How can I allow you to marry my son?”
“But I love him,” Sansa wailed, confused and frightened.

It was not until later that night, as she was drifting off to sleep, that Sansa realized she had forgotten to ask about her sister.

Commentary

After all the tragic things of the previous chapters watching Sansa act stupid again gets on my nerves more than usual. The girl heard the fighting, yet she still believes that everything is all right, that no one would hurt her family and this all has to be a misunderstanding. I know that kids are naive, but in light of the Stark tragedy her behavior is more than annoying.

The ease with which queen and members of the small council manipulate her into sending the letters to her “traitor family” is disgusting. The smallest mention about how much Joffrey loves her sends her on whatever quest they want.

Chapter 44, Sansa
Summary
Lord Beric’s party leaves King’s Landing. Arya and Sansa argue again. They are brought in front of Ned, who tells them that they are going back to Winterfell. In the girl quarrel Ned sees the truth Jon Arryn died for.

Quotes

“You have juice on your face, Your Grace,” Arya said.
It was running down her nose and stinging her eyes. Sansa wiped it away with a napkin. When she saw what the fruit in her lap had done to her beautiful ivory silk dress, she shrieked again. “You’re horrible,” she screamed at her sister. “They should have killed you instead of Lady!”

“Who cares about your stupid dancing master?” Sansa flared. “Father, I only just now remembered, I can’t go away, I’m to marry Prince Joffrey.” She tried to smile bravely for him. “I love him, Father, I truly truly do, I love him as much as Queen Naerys loved Prince Aemon the Dragonknight, as much as Jonquil loved Ser Florian. I want to be his queen and have his babies.”

Sansa felt tears in her eyes. “He is not! He’s not the least bit like that old drunken king,” she screamed at her sister, forgetting herself in her grief.
Father looked at her strangely. “Gods, ” he swore softly, “out of the mouth of babes…”

Commentary

I’m not going to repeat myself. Sansa is a spoiled brat and this chapter only confirms it.

Ned understands how dangerous things are going to be now. The girls have to be sent away for their own protection. If Ned wants to go after Lannisters he needs to be certain that his family will not suffer the consequences. Arya is unhappy with the decision, but lightens up when she hears that Syrio is going with them. Sansa on the other hand is destroyed, all her dreams taken away from her. The knights, tourneys, lemon pies and most of all, her glorious future as the queen.

This is quite a long chapter and again, the key element is easy to miss for someone storming through the book. I think I missed the first time I’ve read it. When girls argue about Joffrey, Sansa says that her prince is nothing like the king, to which Ned comments “Gods, out of the mouth of babes…” . The girl noticed what adults failed to see. This is what Jon Arryn found out, this is what he died for.