an unsolicited ramble about Jon Snow

[pocochina]

So in my Jon/Ygritte post a few days ago I said I was going to hold off on doing my whole thing about Jon and bastardry, and then in comments I started inadvertently doing my whole thing about Jon and bastardry anyway, so I thought I'd write at least some of it out.

Comments

[horatios]

Now, gods, stand up for bastards!

... :D

[pocochina]

BUT FOR REAL

[horatios]

Edmund made A+, 400% valid points throughout the entire play, tbh. A strange kind of strangled moaning sound escaped me the first time I saw him die. HE WAS BORN IN THE LUSTY STEALTH OF NATURE! PLUS HE HAD MORE COMPOSITION AND FIERCE QUALITY. Liiiiiiiiike.

[pocochina]

ha, yeah, it's been a while since I read Lear, but TOTALLY Team Edmund.

That said, I think Jon is a neat deconstruction of that literary archetype in some ways? Because I feel like the general expectation people have is "it's OKAY to be an outsider as long as you REACT RIGHT and either become our rebel iconoclast, or trip and fall into a narrative where ~~power falls to you (though you did not get above yourself by actually desiring it) and you ~~nobly but unwillingly accept." Neither of those are particularly fair expectations? And I feel like Jon's response of wanting to get some recognition but not wanting to SMASH THE SYSTEM!!! is...just a very honest conflict, you know?

[horatios]

Yeah, same. 100% same.

I largely agree with you re: Jon. I just didn't realise that people reacted negatively because he was playing his part wrong, so the speak. The most common complaints I've seen are that he's 'boring' or 'not deconstructive enough' ect. I've never thought that to be the case. He's struggling to do what the best he can in a system that he's ~internalised as Good, but he's still overflowing with resentment and he has nowhere to channel it? And that is a very real and very human reaction, Imo. He can't afford to be as laissez faire as someone like Jaime, for example.

BTW, have you read all the books? Asking for future reference spoiler reasons!

[pocochina]

I'm all caught up on the books, fire away!

He's struggling to do what the best he can in a system that he's ~internalised as Good, but he's still overflowing with resentment and he has nowhere to channel it? And that is a very real and very human reaction, Imo. He can't afford to be as laissez faire as someone like Jaime, for example.

YES, exactly. [Spoiler (click to open)]I'm actually really curious to see if we're going to see parallels develop between Jon and Jaime, having turned down their respective chances to inherit to lead the Kingsguard and the Watch.