Tuesday, April 25, 2017

Week 6: A Little Girl's Heroic Journey

A Song of Ice and Fire is a Celtic knot of heroic and not-so-heroic journies. The badass of all is Arya Stark.

In the first novel, Arya starts off as an innocent child. She's quickly thrown into heartbreak and confusion when her brother is thrown from one of the tower windows. I'd declare her call to adventure as the moment she watches her father die. She makes a decision to take revenge on those who want to hurt her family.

Crossing the first threshold and jumping into the belly of the beast happens almost at the same time. When Arya is captured by the Lannisters and escapes, she realizes she has no choice but to cut her hair off, act like a boy, and survive in Flea Bottom of King's Landing. Her survival in this moment is her christening into the rest of her heroic journey.

In the second book, Arya finally escapes King's Landing and the real-world elements brings her down a literal road of trials. She comes across a burning town, and meets her companions who will lead her on this series of trials to maturity. Then, she's captured by one of the Lannister's monsters, Ser Gregor Clegane. On this hard journey to uncertain safety, she creates a mantra of all those she plans to kill. It's obvious she's becoming more than just a child very fast. Finally, she gets to Harrenhal, but her hero's journey has yet to reach its climax. She faces her crucifixion when she has a spiritual awakening in Braavos (in the third novel, A Feast for Crows). As yet, she has not reached the end of her heroic journey, but hopefully, George RR Martin will share her journey through the end before he dies.

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