It's just a standard hero trope you see over and over again in heroic literature. The Hero's mentor or guiding light must die for the hero to fully take charge of his destiny.
And Jon has at least five of them, not three.
I wrote a little of it on this (lengthy) answer. Game of Thrones (TV series): How is it possible that Meryn Trant killed the first sword of Bravos Syrio Forel?
It sort of touches on this them, though it mostly concerns Arya Stark.
For the record, Arya Stark's mentors have been:
And Jon has at least five of them, not three.
I wrote a little of it on this (lengthy) answer. Game of Thrones (TV series): How is it possible that Meryn Trant killed the first sword of Bravos Syrio Forel?
It sort of touches on this them, though it mostly concerns Arya Stark.
For the record, Arya Stark's mentors have been:
- Ned Stark-dead
- Syrio Forel-dead(yeah, yeah, some people think he's not, whatevs)
- Jaqen H'ghar-not really dead, not really Jaqen H'ghar but really gone
- The Hound(dead--or well, the Hound is dead, Sandor Clegane is at rest, either way hee's gone)
- The Kindly Man(present)
Bran Stark's mentors/father figures are:
Sansa's Stark's mentors are:
Is it me or are their mentors getting creepier?
The Wall is Yours
As far as Jon, his 'father figures' that have died include
The last thing Donal Noye says to Jon Snow, is 'The Wall is Yours.'
art by Brittmartin
Essentially, that signifies that, among the Stark children, only Jon Snow's jouney of learning is complete. He's a man. While he continually remembers back to hsi various mentors and their various lessons, he's ready to assume command of the Wall and he holds his own, almost as an equal, even when meeting with Stannis.
He makes decisions but they are HIS decisions now and he has to own them and take responsibility for them..
This is crucial: very few of Jon's decisions (other than the brief flirtation with desertion at the end of Game of Thrones) were really his.
Jon the Oathbreaker
This is fairly important, because the oath-breaking theme is every much a part of Jon Snow's story-arc as it is Jaime Lannister's. And I expect it to remain so in future installments.
It's more than an oath-breaking theme. It's how the rigors of a vow conflict with moral reality sometimes.
It's important because, at first, this theme is very much excused by the fact that he was under orders, most of hte time.
To review Jon's shaky relationship with his vows:
art by Timmet
So, at the beginning, this them of oath-breaking or skirting the boundary of his vows is something that's basically out of control, other than the first book's rash decision.
In A Dance of Dragons, Jon's decisions violate the "The North Takes NO Part maxim" including:
Now, some people will tell me that it's all justified and I won't argue with them. Not interested. People seem to need to believe that Jon Snow is such a hero that he's above making emotional decisions.
. I'm not judging Jon for these decisions, any more than I judge Jaime for killing Aerys and thus save the people of King's Landing.
But once the Hero of a story is empowered and fledged fully, so to speak, he makes his own decisions. The Wall is his.
And these decisions have consequences whether it's the revulsion and disrespect of a kingdom in Jaime's case or a vicious fragging in the dark.
The Pupil as hero, subverting the trope.
The trope is so often used; and GRRM has emphasized it in the Stark POV kids so much that it leads me to wonder how it will play out.
Traditionally, the hero's mentor dies a heroic death, thus enabling the hero to become empowered.
How will it play out for the other Stark kids? What can we predict for Arya, Sanssa and Bran?
Will GRRM play with the hero/mentor trope with one or some of them?
For example might the pupil kill the mentor?
Or might the mentor murder the pupil?
- Ned Stark--dead
- Maester Luwin--dead
- Jojen--dead or soon-t0-be-dead
- Bloodraven
Sansa's Stark's mentors are:
- Catelyn Stark--dead
- Septa Mordane --dead
- Littlefinger
Is it me or are their mentors getting creepier?
The Wall is Yours
As far as Jon, his 'father figures' that have died include
- Rhaegar,-dead, he doesn't even know about him
- Ned Stark,-dead
- Jeor Mormont.-dead
- Qhorin Halfhand-dead by Jon's own hand
- Donal Noye-dead
The last thing Donal Noye says to Jon Snow, is 'The Wall is Yours.'
art by Brittmartin
Essentially, that signifies that, among the Stark children, only Jon Snow's jouney of learning is complete. He's a man. While he continually remembers back to hsi various mentors and their various lessons, he's ready to assume command of the Wall and he holds his own, almost as an equal, even when meeting with Stannis.
He makes decisions but they are HIS decisions now and he has to own them and take responsibility for them..
This is crucial: very few of Jon's decisions (other than the brief flirtation with desertion at the end of Game of Thrones) were really his.
Jon the Oathbreaker
This is fairly important, because the oath-breaking theme is every much a part of Jon Snow's story-arc as it is Jaime Lannister's. And I expect it to remain so in future installments.
It's more than an oath-breaking theme. It's how the rigors of a vow conflict with moral reality sometimes.
It's important because, at first, this theme is very much excused by the fact that he was under orders, most of hte time.
To review Jon's shaky relationship with his vows:
- He deserts the Night's Watch, stealing a horse to do so--brought back by his friends and the crime is forgiven
- He kills Qhorin Halfhand and joins the wildlings(under Qhorin's explicit commands)
art by Timmet
- He breaks his vows with Ygritte and by giving some light intelligence to the Wildlings--again, all under Qhorin's explicit commands who told him flat-out
If we are taken, you will go over to them, as the wildling girl you captured once urgedyou. They may demand that you cut your cloak to ribbons, that you swear them an oath on your father's grave, that you curse your brothers and your Lord Commander. You must not balk, whatever is asked of you. Do as they bid you . . . but in your heart, remember who and what you are. Ride with them, eat with them, fight with them, for as long as it takes. And watch."
So, at the beginning, this them of oath-breaking or skirting the boundary of his vows is something that's basically out of control, other than the first book's rash decision.
In A Dance of Dragons, Jon's decisions violate the "The North Takes NO Part maxim" including:
- giving valuable assistance and strategic advice to Stannis, advice that includes
- a strategy of rescuing Deepwood MOtte from the Ironborn
- adopting a diplomatic approach to the hill-tribes of the North
- lending his tacit support to Stannis' cause, which is not lost on the Stark-revering North
- sending Mance Rayder on a secret mission to Winterfell to rescue/kidnap the bride of the heir of the Warden of the North despite the maxim that 'The Night's Watch takes no part')
- meddling with Northern politics by wedding Alys Karstark to the Magnar of Thenn
- inviting an army of Wildlings to the south side of the Wall, where they outnumber the Night's Watch by a factor of several times
- proposing to lead an army of Wildlings south in an invasion of North in a pre-emptive strike on the Lord of Winterfell
Now, some people will tell me that it's all justified and I won't argue with them. Not interested. People seem to need to believe that Jon Snow is such a hero that he's above making emotional decisions.
. I'm not judging Jon for these decisions, any more than I judge Jaime for killing Aerys and thus save the people of King's Landing.
But once the Hero of a story is empowered and fledged fully, so to speak, he makes his own decisions. The Wall is his.
And these decisions have consequences whether it's the revulsion and disrespect of a kingdom in Jaime's case or a vicious fragging in the dark.
The Pupil as hero, subverting the trope.
The trope is so often used; and GRRM has emphasized it in the Stark POV kids so much that it leads me to wonder how it will play out.
Traditionally, the hero's mentor dies a heroic death, thus enabling the hero to become empowered.
How will it play out for the other Stark kids? What can we predict for Arya, Sanssa and Bran?
Will GRRM play with the hero/mentor trope with one or some of them?
For example might the pupil kill the mentor?
Or might the mentor murder the pupil?
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