Warning: Crazy level of spoilers.
This week on Game of Thrones, they will be covering one of the most notorious scenes in the books, an event known as The Red Wedding. As would be assumed, it's called this because someone gets married and a lot of blood is spilled. Many characters die and it changes the course of the novels. It was honestly one of the most emotionally horrible things I'd ever read and just to put myself in the mood, I read it again tonight.
One of the reasons I did so was because as I was reading the boards over the event, people kept arguing about the details of how things played out. I wanted to make sure everything was fresh in my memory . . . and there has always been this lingering level of offended I feel about the whole thing, and I wasn't quite sure why. Part of it, yes, was the fact that Robb's followers died over something that was his mistake, but in a war, that is to be expected. I was also offended that his wolf was killed, as I am any time an animal is killed in a book.
Having read the chapter again, however, I realize the part of the whole event that offended me the most was when Cat Stark killed Jinglebell.
Jinglebell was one of Walder Frey's grandsons. He's mentally disabled and has been given the role of jester in his grandfather's house. This is offensive in and of itself, really and it says a lot about the Freys. The thing is, Jinglebell is an innocent. He was in the hall when all the deaths occur, but he didn't have any part of it. In fact, he was terrified and trying to hide from all the violence.
Lady Stark finds a dagger on the floor and tries to get to Lord Frey, but she's too injured by this point. She can, however, make to to Jinglebell. She holds the dagger to his throat and pleads with Lord Frey to spare her son. She says he can keep her as a hostage and do whatever he wants to her, but please let Robb live and she will let Jinglebell go. If he doesn't, she will kill him.
Lord Frey looks at his grandson and dismisses him, saying he was never of much use anyway. Robb is killed and Cat slits Jinglebell's throat before anyone can stop her. She kills an innocent man who just happened to be in her way, one whose life had consisted of nothing but misfortune, just because it is the only futile revenge she can obtain before she dies.
There are many things that other people hold Lard Stark responsible for in the books. A lot of people hate her for her treatment of Jon or for arresting Tyrion or for letting Jaime to free. All of these events have at least a level of justification to them. You may not like her actions, but you can understand them. But when she killed Jinglebell, a man who was shaking and terrified in her arms, a man who had never known a day's love or respect in his life . . . this is the action that I believe caused her to transform into the monster she later became. There was no justification for killing him. It helped her in no way and caused harm to someone who had never harmed her at all.
Of course, Jinglebell's death if very on the mark for many of the the things that Martin illustrates in his novels. Even if the powerful people think they are aiming at each other and seeking to harm each other, it is usually innocent people with no power at all who get hurt in the process. And while Robb's death and the deaths of his soldiers was a horrible thing to read about, the slaughter of Jinglebell will always be the part that haunts me the most.
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