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Re: Doesn't quite add up... Werthead Send a noteboard - 30/03/2014 02:49:00 PM

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The chapter makes it clear Arya still isn't a maiden. She's clearly depicted as a scrawny kid yet, not a woman of 16 or 17.

Yeah, that's from the rewrites which George did to reflect the fact that the five-year gap never happened. The question is whether he will further 'tone down' the chapter to remove the more disturbing moments or he will leave them in for impact. It's certainly got more people talking about the chapter than normal.

I get the feeling thar Arya's whole arc is meant to evoke child soldiers, PTSD issues and children losing their sense of morality in a world of warfare, killing and abuse (a subversion, I think, for those who started off expecting Arya to become the traditional tomboy girl hero who comes good despite the crushing sexism of society).

On that basis, this chapter is pretty mild compared to what happens to real child soldiers. Mary Gentle's excellent-but-stomach-churning novel ASH: A SECRET HISTORY also delves into that sort of thing more candidly.

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Doesn't quite add up... - 29/03/2014 07:31:25 PM 778 Views
Re: Doesn't quite add up... - 30/03/2014 02:49:00 PM 747 Views

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