The Direwolves

[I, Brian]

Any thoughts on the Direwolves?

Obviously, they present a rich symbolic motif, and remain an engaging element of the story because of it.

However, is there an actual relationship to the children aside from the symbolism? How about with regards to Bran and Jon's experience of theirs?





**SPOILERS!!**

In Book 1 Sansa lost her wolf due to Ned and Cersei. Is this the symbolic severence of her from the Starks to the Lannisters, or does it bode a deeper symbolism?

I haven't read Book 3, but I know Robb is murdered there. What happened to his wolf, though?

[LadyFel]

OK, those of you who've read book 3, DON'T tell Brian what happens...

Sorry, mate, you just really HAVE to read it for yourself...it's pretty much one of the most shocking events so far in the books...

I haven't really thought about Sansa losing her wolf so much in terms of being cut off from her family, but yes, it does make sense...From the first, the direwolves and the fact that there is an exact number for all the children plus the baseborn is made much of...And it does seem that there is something more than just symbolism in the whole affair...

[Lacedaemonian]

Brian, you really want to know what happens to Robb's direwolf? Ah it brings a tear to my eye just thinking about it...

[I, Brian]

Okay, maybe I'll forgive GRRM for forgetting the plot, just to reach that one section of story.

I figure the issue of Robb's is squarely addressed, then.

Okay - Sansa, then - what does it mean that:

1. She has no wolf
2. Her dad killed it
3. The queen ordered it
4. That's Sansa's was the softest

??

And the direwolves in general...

[LadyFel]

1. She has no wolf and is therefore cut off from her siblings in both worlds, the real and the Warg sense...It means she will have to fend for herself or find someone else to protect her...
2. Her dad lilling Lady I think had nothing to do with symbolism in the sense that he cut her off from her family, if anyone did that it was Arya indirectly...The fact that Eddard is the one to do the deed is just meant to show that he is true to his principles of 'if you're going to take a life, look that person in the eye'... It's just hiim proving a point to the king and the Lannisters...
3. I don't think that was meant to have any other meaning than just to open our eyes a little more to the fact that Cersei Lannister is a spiteful bi*** who doesn't really care WHO gets hurt as long as she gets her way and proves some point of hers. Arya's wolf's gone, so what, kill Sansa's, even though she's completely innocent and her wolf wasn't even there...
4. I have no idea, think that's baiscally a case of each child choosing instinctively the wolf most like them in character.

[tejturtle]

my impression was that the wolves took on the personality of the children and not the children picking the ones like them. i think the wolves are sort of true images of the people sort of like their own living personal sigil.

[red_temple]

I have a more sinister intrepretation of the loss of Sansa's wolf:

SPOILER BELOW:

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Her wolf is dead, therefore her connection to the wolves (read: Starks) is dead as well. She is slowly being pulled away from her family, and eventually will become an adversary to the remaining Starks, possibly even more evil and conniving than Cersi.

[hodor]

Perhaps, however, what in regards to Arya?

[red_temple]

I haven't fully thought the Arya thing through yet, but, on the surface, both her and her wolf are "wandering." Will they eventually reunite? I think so, or else GRRM wouldn't have left that thread open. So, the question is: what will happen when they reunite, and what will it mean? And, on the off chance they never hook up again, what will that mean?

Sorry - I answered your question with more questions.

[hodor]

I am in the belief that the wolf and Arya will reunite. It has been obvious that each Stark (and Jon of course) has developed a bond with their animal and I am reluctant to blow off Arya's wolf just yet.

[shaggydog]

I cannot think of Arya and Nymeria not reuniting again!!what of her brothers and sisters?I still think these wolves will have an important paper in some wars yet to come, and it is Nymeria who feels the smell in the river, takes that corpse off the river and flies out to the sound of men, so Arya is not, as Sansa, thrown apart of the remaining starks. And Arya will learn soon or later how to control her warg thing, so she must find her direwolf...
i like that notion of Sansa becoming even more evil than Cersei, but still I think she is not clever enough

[hodor]

I agree shaggy about the Sansa and lack of "street smarts or court smarts". However, if you go to the Martin website you can read how in upcoming books Sansa will be tutored by Littlefinger... right in Cersei's class he is. I can picture Sansa gaining some insight in this regards based on the wake up calls she has recently had. I don't picture myself actually liking her character but, who knows what Martin will do with her.

[shaggydog]

whatever he does, I hope it will be as good as what he has done till the moment... And, despite i dont like Sansa either, it will be pretty interesting viewing how she evolutes with Littlefinger, who is, in my opinion, the Master of the Game of Thrones... he is the cleverest one, isn't he?

[Winters_Sorrow]

I agree with tejturtle in that I think the direwolves have evolved as their owners have.
To start with Nymeria was just playful, friendly and curious like Ayra was. As Ayra began to change into the little bloodthirsty darling we all love, so the direwolf began to change too (even though physically they were apart).
I think this is to do with the Wolf Dream (warg) ability that I think ALL the Starks share, just that Bran because of the disability he has, is forced to explore it more than the others.

The truly interesting character for me is Jon's direwolf - true the reason he is so different could just be GRRM's dramatic license, but I wonder if Jon's bond with Ghost will get deeper. He has shown signs of being able to "warg" a bit - perhaps the return of magic to the world (through the dragons) is causing all their innate abilities to manifest themselves?

[AryaUnderfoot]

Just a thought here... Arya and her wolf are separated and wandering, and obviously not likely to come into contact with one another.

Likewise...



SPOILER!!!!!!

I read a bit on one of Sansa's POV from FFC, and it is repeatedly mentioned how little she considers Arya when considering her family and how much she misses them all. She is cut off from Arya, who is pack.


Maybe, just maybe, Sansa will come into contact with Nymeria before Arya does, and the wolf will serve to make Sansa remember that she is of the North, a wolf herself, and that Arya is pack...?

I know, it's a shot in the dark, but it's all speculation anyway, right?