One of the great things about books is you can afford to do anything.
George R. R. MartinRead
Does he think to scare me? Arya kissed him where his nose should be and plucked the grave worm from his eye to eat it, but it melted like a shadow in her hand. The yellow skull was melting too, and the kindliest old man that she had ever seen was smiling down on her. "No one has ever tried to eat my worm before," he said. "Are you hungry, child?" Yes, she thought, but not for food.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote illustrates the complexity of fear and the innocence of youth, where unexpected actions can reveal deeper truths about existence.
In this thought-provoking passage, Arya encounters a grotesque scene that juxtaposes fear with a childlike innocence. The melting skull and the grave worm serve as metaphors for the fleeting nature of life and the inevitability of death. Arya's bold actions challenge the typical response to fear, highlighting a sense of curiosity and courage. The old man's gentle demeanor suggests a kind of wisdom that contrasts with the horror surrounding them, illustrating that even in moments of fear, there can be kindness and a call for understanding beyond the surface.
Themes
FearInnocenceWisdomDeathCourage
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a discussion about overcoming fear and embracing challenges.
More from George R. R. Martin
All quotes →I hate outlines. I have a broad sense of where the story is going; I know the end, I know the end of the principal characters, and I know the major turning points and events from the books, the climaxes for each book, but I don't necessarily know each twist and turn along the way. That's something I discover in the course of writing and that's what makes writing enjoyable. I think if I outlined comprehensively and stuck to the outline the actual writing would be boring.
George R. R. MartinRead
There is only one god and his name is Death. And there is only one thing we say to Death: “Not today.
George R. R. MartinRead
I did not do it. Yet now I wish I had.’ He turned to face the hall, that sea of pale faces. ‘I wish I had enough poison for you all. You make me sorry that I am not the monster you would have me be, yet there it is. I am innocent, but I will get no justice here.
George R. R. MartinRead
But a voice inside her whispered, There are no heroes, and she remembered what Lord Petyr had said to her, here in this very hall. 'Life is not a song, sweetling,' he'd told her, 'You may learn that one day to your sorrow.' In life, the monsters win, she told herself.
George R. R. MartinRead
I write from this tight third-person viewpoint, where each chapter is seen through the eyes of one individual character. When I'm writing that character, I become that character and identify with that character.
George R. R. MartinRead
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