Both of these characters, via their "rebirth" are now released from the ties that previously bound them. Jon Snow hands over the position of Lord Commander of The Night's Watch to Eddison Tollett, walking away professing that his "watch has ended." Because Jon technically died and was subsequently resurrected, his death will have released him from his vows to the watch.


Although the title of this episode seems to imply that this might be the breaking of an oath on the part of the reliably honorable Jon Snow, I would argue that he has effectively fulfilled his vow, and now upon rebirth, is free to move on from his position at the wall. The interesting thing to watch here is going to be if Jon remains the honorable man he has tended to be up until his death. Several of his Night's Watch brethren seem to question whether it is really still the "Jon" that they know and respect taking up residence in that body. Has the combination of death and magic fundamentally changed who Jon will be as a character?

Arya on the other hand appears to have finally accepted her position as "No One" and, one can assume, is released from the unrelenting inner urge for revenge that drove her former self. Perhaps on Arya's part she has come to betray a key tenet of her former philosophy, which dictates that she kill those who have wronged her or he family. However, there is a piece of me that wonders if Arya's hitlist will not be fulfilled (albeit potentially not by her) as a payment for her service to the Many-Faced God. After all, the training montage in this episodes suggests that The Waif is particularly interested in learning everything about Arya's former life, particularly the complete contents of her hitlist.

Clearly two of the main players from House Stark are being washed of their former baggage and can now move forward largely unimpeded by their former commitments. Here I must reiterate my opening question, how will this new beginning - this re-birth - affect these characters and the story moving forward? Each of them was so bound and defined by the pieces of themselves that they gave up in this episode, it will be interesting to learn where each of them will find their future motivations and how these motivations might impact not only their own character arcs but the future of Westeros.

For each of these characters (and for most people), the crux of their re-birth is that each must find a new path, new motivations, and/or a new way of being, all things that require a great amount of trust in the process of change. Arya seems to be embracing her move to become "No One" but Jon's exit from the Night's Watch seems much more fueled by a crisis of faith in his own abilities to lead. Although Game of Thrones is particularly brutal about affording anyone a "happy ending," it is my hope that these characters are able to embrace their new beginnings and follow them down a path to a positive narrative end.
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Another reason I believe Jon will live is that he seems to fit the criteria of the prophecy that predicts the return of Azor Ahai, something that is only glossed over in the show. Azar Ahai is a figure that, in the past, was was able to fight off the Others/Whitewalkers using his sword "Lightbringer." I have long been convinced that Jon's sword, "Longclaw" is actually Azor Ahai's old sword, a feeling that was elevated (for the show version of Jon) after his sword was able to shatter a Whitewalker in much the same way as the dragon glass used by Samwell. If Jon is Azor Ahai reincarnated, his coming into possession of and the show's preoccupation with this sword (regardless of its long history with the Mormonts) makes quite a lot of narrative sense.

Gregor Clegane (a.k.a. The Mountain), prior to his competition with Loras Is set up to be a maleficent force through Petyr Baelish explaining the disturbing childhood events that lead to severe facial scarring of Clegane's brother, The Hound. 

Although Gregor is bested by Ser Loras in the actual jousting event, there is a hint that Loras has rigged the game (which is actually the case in the book) and also a strong suggestion of Loras' homosexuality (i.e. the look exchange with Renly Baratheon before the match and, more generally, his flashy/clean appearance, etc.). Gregor becomes unruly from anger after his loss and resorts to violence against Loras in front of the tournament crowd. In this instance of violence, Gregor proves to best Loras and poses a real threat to his life. Gregor, however is interrupted in his pursuit by his brother, Sandor Clegane (a.k.a. The Hound), who steps in to protect Loras from the attack. Gregor, the highest ranking of the masculinities in this group (hegemonic in this particular trio) is essentially attempting to reassert his dominance over Loras after it has been threatened by someone lower than him on the scales of masculinity and The Hound, seeing his brother's vulnerability, steps in to seize an opportunity to prove his own dominance over his brother. This brotherly tiff, however, is quickly put to rest by King Robert Baratheon. This disruption to the usual process of masculine hierarchizing is condemned by one of the highest masculine symbols, the king, and as a result, even the mighty Mountain becomes subordinate.



Episode 1.6

In this episode we are able to follow the plight of Tyrion (a.k.a. The Likable Lannister) while he is being held at Eyrie by Catelyn Stark. Tyrion, in an attempt to free himself from their capture, requests a trial by combat. Because of Tyrion's unique physicality, he is deemed inferior to Lysa's chosen champion and therefore unfit to fight for himself. Tyrion, as a result, must secure himself a champion to fight in his place. Although most in the room are unwilling to risk their life for the likes of a Lannister, Bronn, a rough around the edges rogue with a dirty disposition, agrees to step in for Tyrion and ultimately bests Lysa's champion. However, it is made clear that his participation on the part of Tyrion and his subsequent victory are dismissed by Lysa as lacking honor.



What this tells us:

Although each of the above episode-by-episode descriptions are similar in content, we learn that the order of masculinities is somewhat unstable and often situational. There are clearly attributes that are not favored in this hierarchy of masculinities, such as non-normative bodies**, homosexuality,  or flashy men of the non-rugged variety. Honor is held to a degree of importance in the creation of this structure but only in certain circumstances and, often, at the expense of falling subordinate to others who are less willing to live solely in an honorable fashion. Likewise, legitimacy and family relations are held to a degree of importance. Jon Snow, for example, partially by virtue of his family connections holds some sway over other men.

It is important to note that the hierarchy that is being set up by the show is not necessarily in sync with the way in which the audience is made to feel about this particular social organization. We the audience are set up to feel as though those who step in for the other men are honorable and worthy of our awe, but those who step in (i.e. Jon, The Hound, and Bronn) are, in the narrative world, viewed as a disruptive force within the system that negotiates positions on the masculinity/hegemony spectrum. Whether those who disrupt the system do so out of empathy (such as Jon Snow), a long standing family feud (such as The Hound), or personal gain (such an Brann) is largely irrelevant. The disruption itself and the ultimate reaction or ramifications upon the disruptor, is enough, in the narrative world, to position this person as one that is still not at the top of the masculinity spectrum.

TV Penis

I feel as though one cannot have a full blog post about masculinity without mentioning one of the very things that the hegemonic masculinities tend to hold dear: the penis. This week, the audience finally received a dose of full frontal male nudity from Theon Greyjoy (well...you did if you are re-watching). I do not have a lot to say about this topic, other than there were some, upon this episode's first airing who were shocked (regardless of the weeks of breasts that came before it) that a TV show would depict the male anatomy in such a manner.

Also, I did want to point out the interesting timing of the scene that immediately followed Theon's big moment. Immediately following the reveal of Greyjoy's member, was a scene with Ned Stark and our favorite Eunuch, Lord Varys. Perhaps this is all a coincidence...but I say...witty foreshadowing.



End Notes

**Some may point out that Robert Baratheon is of a non-normative body type and that I did mention him as a model of masculinity. However, I would like to point out that Robert and Ned are constantly joking about the fact that Robert has become "fat." This gain in girth can be looked at as a direct symbol of the deterioration of Robert's power (both hegemonic and authoritative).

References/Suggested Readings

Connell, R.W. Masculinities, 2nd ed. Berkeley, CA: U of California P, 2005. Print.

Connell, R.W. and James W. Messerschmidt. "Hegemonic Masculinity: Rethinking the Subject." Gender & Society. 19.6 (2005): 829-859. Web. 28 Jan. 2016.
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