A few words about Catelyn Stark

[dolorosa_12]

She is my favourite character in the A Song of Ice and Fire series, and while I don't imagine I'm likely to change any minds, I feel the need to rant a bit.


The majority of the Catelyn-bashers dislike her because she supposedly made stupid tactical decisions. But the opposite is true! The people around Catelyn make stupid tactical decisions and she's left to pick up the pieces. Her husband puts honour before reason, and he is killed for it, leaving Catelyn and their sons vulnerable and with no other option but to fight. She manages to capture both Tyrion and Jaime Lannister, but Tyrion is lost due to her sister Lysa's incompetence, and Jaime due to forces beyond Catelyn's control. Capturing both men with the intention to use them as hostages and bargaining chips was a smart move and could've seen the release of her own daughters from Lannister hands.

She gets the Freys on side - an enormous tactical advantage - only to lose their support due to stupidity on the part of her son Robb, stupidity which costs him his life and irreparably damages the Stark cause. Do you see where I'm going with this? Every 'tactical blunder' that ASoIaF fans use as a stick with which to beat Catelyn is actually someone else's fault. Catelyn herself has the misfortune of being more sensible and more pragmatic than the people around her, but lacks the power in her own right to enforce her decisions. She has to go along with what Ned, Robb and her Tully relatives want.

She can be justifiably criticised for her treatment of Jon Snow, but then everyone hates Jon Snow. Even Jon Snow hates Jon Snow.

Also, I skipped most of the Daenerys chapters because I find her tediously boring. Which, considering where I think the series is heading, could be a problem.

Comments

[isigfethera.livejournal.com]

I liked Jon Snow. Although I'm behind on both the books and the series. But I also found Daenerys pretty boring. I was amazed to read an article someone wrote about how she was their favourite character. I much preferred Arya.

[pink-dragon22.livejournal.com]

Kind of late here, but which book are you up to? I started A Feast for Crows yesterday, after giving myself a few days to get over ALL THE EMOTIONS I felt after A Storm of Swords.

And interesting what you say about Daenerys. I found myself sighing whenever I'd see her name at the beginning of a chapter, as I found them mostly boring... but once I'd get near the end of each chapter, I'd find myself interested in her story again. But then it was like I forgot I was interested in it when it came time for her next chapter? It was a very strange experience, and I think for me it was partially because I'd get so caught up in the goings on of everyone in Westeros, and she is kind of detached from it all, at this stage anyway. Plus I don't know if I even like her. Although Barristan omg.

I can't even talk about Catelyn right now because the Red Wedding still makes my heart hurt and I am in a glass case of emotion. I did find it fantastic/heartbreaking at how foreshadowed it all was though. Hello Dany seeing it in the House of Undying, or whatever it was called.

And then the epilogue and I can't even.

GRRM is destroying me, basically.