145 ASOS 2 Jaime I: Better Man

Still in chains, but free at last, Jaime only has to escape Brienne. But when he learns his father's army has left the Riverlands and that Bolton holds Harrenhal, his situation seems significantly more dire. Ser Robin Ryger, in a river galley, soon closes on them and Jaime expects to die avoiding recapture until Brienne, in an astonishing feat of resourcefulness and strength, sinks their pursuers with a boulder.

Jaime's Transformation

In a slurry of rebirth imagery, Jaime is on his way back to King's Landing.

The chapter shows how Jaime was originally changed by his partnership with Cersei, his original opponent, who's tool he intends to continue being. He recalls that she was upset, when Bran survived, that--under pressure from her to do something--he'd thrown Bran out the window. But it's clear Cersei would have blamed Jaime for any outcome she didn't like. Jaime has become captive to Cersei's displeasure, yet the breeze makes him fantasize about her caress and freedom means the freedom to return to her.

Central to the chapter is Brienne factoring as a simultaneous proxy for 1) the sort of man Jaime feels misjudged by, like Ned and the White Bull, and for 2) Cersei, his twin and true captor. Jaime didn't bother trying to explain himself to Ned when found sitting the throne because something about the judgmental father figure shamed him to silence. But Jaime wants to argue with Brienne. Characteristically goading to provoke because he rests on his sword talent, Jaime expects to agitate the already angry Brienne into making a mistake that will facilitate his escape. As he angles, Jaime settles into the old habit of attacking femaleness that always served so well against Cersei, back before their dynamic settled into the one where he thinks he dominates her because she encourages that sexually, but is her tool. Comfortable in an old argument where he thinks he has his opponent dead to rights, Jaime practices his standard tactic of being willing to admit to being a monster, but will his opponent? Jaime evades his own conscience by attacking others'. Except that Brienne is focused on her mission and just wants him to shut up. Future chapters will show the two in conversation. Now, we're just introduced to the fact that Jaime, in an experience of rebirth, is reliving the beginning of his relationship with Cersei and its emphasis on dominance, but with Brienne who reminds him of men secretly on his conscience.

Determined to remain treacherous, Jaime intends to betray the vows he made to Catelyn and feel morally superior doing it. His comments at the burnt inn by the tree hung with the corpses of tavern wenches remind of his argumentation style, which is to impugn his opponents as no better than he is. Brienne thinks she serves the noble Starks, yet Stark men committed this atrocity. What Jaime doesn't know is that this crime was the work of the Bloody Mummers, a sellsword company brought over from Essos by his father, one he will soon encounter. They burned the countryside for Tywin, and now, under Bolton, return to those who aided them to accuse them of loving Lannister. Ironically, Lady Stoneheart will accuse Brienne of loving Jaime.

Rebirth

When Jaime shaves his head, leaving his beard as a disguise, it is reminiscent both of a baby and an old man. His release from dungeons to fresh air is a rebirth, reminiscent of Bran's from the crypts of Winterfell. There's another reference to his birth when he pulls Brienne into the boat by an oar, reminiscent of his entering the world clutching Cersei's heel.

Constructions

Setup, in the tree hung with corpses, for Jaime's hand to be cut off, for the Brotherhood Without Banners to reflect the Bloody Mummers and, later, for Stoneheart.

Association of Brienne with the Hound through her temper, Jaime's comparison and gravedigging.

The Mnemonic device "Better Man" refers to:

1. Jaime resists changing because he thinks he's a better man--a man of superior conscience. It's what he meant when he told Catelyn in 129 ACOK 56 Catelyn VII "There are no men like me." Jaime believes in treachery because he's seen enough to know it's the truth about power that treachery wins, and winners make the laws. It isn't might than makes right, but wrong that makes right. Jaime's childhood dyslexia seems designed as an explanation for why he can accept this despite it's being so backwards. That, and it's his father's modus operandi. While his psychology is just being introduced, it's clear Jaime feels his conscience and that the lack of someone to bicker with or attack with a sword was bringing it to the surface while he was in the dungeon.

2. But Jaime actually is a better man than he knows or intends to be. Though all his verbal offers of help are traps designed to trick Brienne into unshackling him so he can betray her and escape, he keeps actually helping her. Jaime calls to Ryger to distract him from Brienne's vulnerability to arrows on the cliffside and pulls Brienne into the boat with the oar he'd meant to brain her with.

3. Brienne is a better man than Jaime: stronger, more strategic, even more physically masculine. His goading her as female may hit home, but it also rings false, as when he thinks she'd be the Hound with teats, if she had any.

Brienne's character development proceeds, as well. When she wrankles that Jaime thinks she can't protect him from an army, it comes across as self-deluding. Of course he isn't underestimating her. She's just one sword. Except, Brienne shows herself to have a lot more to offer than that. Her defeat of Ryger is amazing. It's the main event that demonstrates to Jaime that Brienne is more capable of protecting him than he is. We are also introduced to Brienne as a product of Tarth. Her resourcefulness is specifically surprising because unusual: that of an islander.

Ironies

Jaime's attempts to escape by offering to have his chains off, so as to help, are so transparent they actually remind Brienne not to trust him. Though intent on remaining treacherous, Jaime is no good at it, demonstrating that he hasn't had much practice.

Jaime wants to escape Brienne because she's his only real captor, but--with her sailing skill and strategic thinking--she's also his best chance at not being captured.

To evade recapture, Jaime would run straight at the dozen men closing on him. This betrays his approach to fighting, generally, as leaning into the advantage of his birth. Since most valuable as a hostage, most men would rather be known for having taken him than for having killed him. So, Jaime attacks like he won't be taken alive. He uses the same approach of "no surrender" in attacks on his conscience. When Brienne accuses him of trying to kill an innocent child (Bran), saying " A man who would violate his own sister, murder his king, and fling an innocent child to his death deserves no other name" Jaime's first response is to say "Innocent? The wretched boy was spying on us?" Jaime attacks instead of defending. But it's curious he identifies innocence as the quality to attack, especially since his response shows that, of the three accusations, only one stings his conscience.

References

The previous chapter made vows of fealty seem suspicious and usually made at swordpoint. Where the Night's Watch oath once seemed noble, it now seems employed to command solidarity and silence dissent. By seeming to suggest it was spoken by choice, the Night's Watch oath seems a cruel lie. This is the context in which we are introduced to Jaime's oaths to Catelyn. However, in the context of Brienne and Cleos and their sincere ones, Jaime's failure to convince himself he's right to be an oathbreaker turns the tables again.

Tyrion, in 141 Cut Off, relives his birth. His twisting the chain around Maester Ballabar's throat is reminiscent of an infant strangling on an umbilical chord, especially in the context of surrounding imagery. Now, in 145 ASOS 2 Jaime I: Better Man Jaime relives his birth, pulled into the world clutching Cersei's heel, when he pulls Brienne into the boat by the oar he'd meant to brain her with. Birth and murder are combined in both examples.

Open Questions

Why is Brienne so angry? She's been able to row all night, still go strong, and seem furious.