Though his chapters were rarely anything special before (aside from, well, the one kissed by fire being extinguished), Jon's chapters are quickly becoming my favourite. I'm still very keen to see what becomes of Bran, but right now that plot arc is all about the journey rather than the destination. Though, reading of him so shortly before this week's episode really hit home how succinctly the HBO show is able to portray things.
What did it for me in the most recent Jon chapter, though, was a witty kind of device that underlines the continuing relevance of written stories. In said chapter, Jon approaches Janos Slynt with the order to take command of the wall castle Greyguard. Slynt refuses, since he doesn't regard Jon as a proper Lord Commander.
The conflict escalates until Jon and Slynt cross paths in the mess hall. It's here that we're given Jon's internal debate regarding what he should do with Slynt. But rather than making it a straight monologue, Martin shows Jon going through two options in his head, by listing each and then narrating the consequences that Jon perceives.
This method paces the moment perfectly, and holds the illusion of watching events from Jon's perspective. Plus, he allows the suspense of what Jon's third and penultimate decision is to linger for the space of a thought, which is just long enough to make the pay off all the more shocking and riveting.
Add to this the allusion to Ned's own philosophy regarding judgement and who should swing the executioner's sword. It's this reference that slams home the fact that Jon is transformed as a character. As Maester Aemon advised him, he has killed the boy within.
No comments:
Post a Comment