Why A Dream of Spring Needs a Happy Ending | ASOIAF Lore & Analysis

From A Game of Thrones to A Dance With Dragons, the principal players in the precipitous political landscape of Westeros altered drastically. Where before, men like Eddard Stark, Tywin Lannister, and Robb Stark jostled for authority, justice, and power, they have been thoroughly replaced by the likes of Stannis Baratheon, Roose Bolton, and Jon Snow. Yet, even as we wait with dwindling hopes for The Winds of Winter and even A Dream of Spring, it is not to the new figures, but the old ones that we may look to find answers as to why the conclusion to A Song of Ice and Fire must be a happy one. Hello everyone, and welcome back to Exploring Fiction. Eddard Stark, Tywin Lannister, and Robb Stark are all great men. Yes, they may have stood on different sides of the moral spectrum, but by definition, they were all great. One was the pinnacle of honor and sacrifice. One was a ruthless patriarch intent on greatness. One was an ambitious boy turned king almost overnight. Yet all three suffered anticlimactic and even insulting ends. There is nothing wrong with such writing, and it is even compelling and subversive all at once. However, humans are programmed to seek stories with satisfying conclusions, and the conclusions to the lives of the three men mentioned were anything but. And so, while Eddard, Tywin, and Robb are all gone, we can yet look to their living kin who remain protagonists of the story, and hope they find the missing redemption. If not, A Song of Ice and Fire as a whole risks becoming a demoralizing and unappealing tale, which would be a tragedy for all. So, how exactly do the three great Westerosi lords relate to A Dream of Spring, and why must the final novel have a happy ending? Let’s explore…

Disclaimer: The art used in this video does not belong to me, and is intended to fall under Fair Use.

0:00 Introduction
2:19 Eddard
4:06 Tywin
6:33 Robb
10:04 Analysis
12:57 Conclusion
_________________________________________________________________________

Visit my website for exclusive reviews, fiction, and more:
https://russellawellsauthor.com

Sign Up for my Mailing List for FREE Exclusive Content:
https://subscribepage.io/freeaudiobook
_________________________________________________________________________

Music:
Beyond the Horizon - Alexander Nakarada
Epic Cinematic - Liborio Conti
_________________________________________________________________________

#asoiaf #adreamofspring #analysis #gameofthrones #asongoficeandfire #georgerrmartin #eddardstark #tywinlannister #robbstark #stark #lannister #windsofwinter