asoiaf web weaving - jon and sansa + decapitation

METAMORPHOSIS AS SURVIVAL

“Her father’s decision still bewildered her. When the Knight of Flowers had spoken up, she’d been sure she was about to see one of Old Nan’s stories come to life. Ser Gregor was the monster and Ser Loras the true hero who would slay him. He even looked a true hero, so slim and beautiful, with golden roses around his slender waist and his rich brown hair tumbling down into his eyes. And then Father had refused him! It had upset her more than she could tell. She had said as much to Septa Mordane as they descended the stairs from the gallery, but the septa had only told her it was not her place to question her lord father’s decisions.” - Sansa, A Game of Thrones.

Interesting how we get this insight to what Sansa thinks a “true hero,” would look like, “slim” and “slender” with “brown hair”.

“Jon was slender where Robb was muscular, dark where Robb was fair, graceful and quick where his half brother was strong and fast.” - Jon, A Game of Thrones.

and of course(keeping in mind Jon’s has been said to have dark, brown hair and grey eyes), curiously linking Jon’s appearance to that of Waymar Royce’s, the brother of the Night’s Watch who Sansa coincidentally fell wildly in love with(and who also served as a foil to Jon’s death):

“Ser Waymar Royce was the youngest son of an ancient house with too many heirs. He was a handsome youth of eighteen, grey-eyed and graceful and slender as a knife” - Prologue, A Game of Thrones.

It seems oddly fitting then that Jon becomes her hero, by beheading Janos Slynt.

“Sansa stared hard at his ugly face, remembering how he had thrown down her father for Ser Ilyn to behead, wishing she could hurt him, wishing that some hero would throw him down and cut off his head. But a voice inside her whispered, There are no heroes…” - Sansa, A Game of Thrones.

“The smile that Lord Janos Slynt smiled then had all the sweetness of rancid butter. Until Jon said, “Edd, fetch me a block,” and unsheathed Longclaw.” - Jon, A Dance with Dragons.

They definitely have things to both learn and simply share with each other.

Jon so single-mindedly pursues a solution to the bigger issues that he fails to take the considerations of individual people around himself into account. Much like Ned, and much like Robb. (A surprise each time: traitors!!) Sansa has become very attuned to individual feelings around herself, trying to steer the mood of a situation toward the desired outcome through addressing underlying feelings, but she still lacks the drive to identify the bigger picture and work toward her own goals.

“Sansa looked radiant, BUT Jon did not LIKE Joffrey’s pouty lips or the bored, disdainful way he looked at Winterfell’s Great Hall.”

GRRM could’ve kept the sentence purely descriptive rather than including the element of Jon’s approval/appreciation. For example, “Sansa looked radiant while Joffrey looked bored and disdainful ...” would have still gotten across Jon’s dislike of Joffrey, and would’ve also minimized any romantic subtext. The way it’s put, though, insinuates that Jon LIKED to look upon Sansa.

You know what, you are right and you should say it.

GRRM phrasing it that way is weird and noteworthy. Sansa is also the only Stark singled out with a positive description. Ned exists. Rickon is age-appropriate. Robb is a fool. We learn that Tommen's hair is longer than beloved Arya's, that's it. But "Sansa looked radiant" as she walks besides the prince with the deep green eyes and thick tangle of blond curls that drip down to his intricate outfit, who is taller than Jon "to his vast dismay". Sansa looks radiant, but Jon doesn't like the prince's vibe. In fact, he is TOTALLY more interested in the uncles coming up behind him. (Not them. Only him. Sansa looks radiant and that is simply valid and needed to be pointed out. Neutrally.)

And Jaime, who basically looks like Joffrey and has a smile that "cuts like a knife" (probably very respectful of Winterfell!!!!) somehow manages to exude an air of "this is what a king should look like" in Jon's eyes. HUGE contrast to the crown prince, I am sure.