No. It is completely implausible that Littlefinger is employing Penny. Full stop. And it would absolutely ruin her character and its significance to Tyrion's.
How would Littlefinger have planted her in the place where they met? At the inn in Volantis? Does he have a crystal ball? A secret network of spies in every inn in Essos?
No.
Littlefinger has no idea where Tyrion has gone. It might be reasonable to assume that he's fled to Essos; one might assume Varys was connected...but that's it.
Essos is a big place. Tyrion has been seen by almost NO ONE. He's been in Illyrios manse with a bunch of mutes; holed up in Illyrio's carriage; and on a boat going down the Rhoyne.
If you wanted to locate someone on another continent, without any modern technology, how would you do it? Hint: you couldn't. Cersei can't find him either.
And anyway it would completely shatter the beautiful thing GRRM is doing with the character of Penny.
Penny's purpose in the story
1. To show readers(and Tyrion) a dwarf who succeeds(to some extent) and survives without the benefit of being the entitled son of the richest man in Westeros.
2. To show Tyrion that misfortune and discrimination need not result in utter despair and bitter, raging cynicism. To show him that forgiveness is possible.
3. Her purity of heart and chirpy optimism shines a light on Tyrion's wounded soul; he despises her for it; and yet, it does affect him somewhat to the positive.
Penny, whose life really has been tough, is a stronger character than Tyrion.
She's a lowborn dwarf who survives the only way she can: by entertaining and playing on the fears and ableist prejudices of a larger society.
She received a certain lot in life. And she made the best of it.
And even though her own beloved brother was killed because of the price on Tyrion's head, she learns to forgive him. And even love him in a way.
Perhaps this was because of her relatively happy childhood. It was better than Tyrion's, despite not growing up with vast riches.
And the question is: will the example of Penny and Tyrion's dealings wiht her help bring about a change in him? Will it leaven his bitterness? Cool his rage? Heal his wounded soul?
Or will Tyrion strive to break these qualities in her? Will he try to drag her down into the hole that he's in?
This is the dilemma that Penny is presenting for Tyrion. The struggle in Tyrion's heart is to some extent summed up in how he treats Penny. Penny will help to decide what kind of soul Tyrion is going to have: one that uses his prodigious intelligence and wit for constructive purposes, even for a greater good, i.e, the character he was trying to be in A Clash of Kings.
. Or a twisted, bitter one filled with animosity, rage and hatred) that wants to spark a civil war in the country that spurned him, kill his brother and rape and kill his sister?
Poor Penny.
She's probaby doomed, either way.
But maybe her death will have meaning if it helps Tyrion's ravaged soul heal.
No comments:
Post a Comment