Musings upon season six episode 4 of Game of Thrones

When the Stark children chose names for their dogs, we were led to believe their choices reflected their dreams or their characters. Sansa's ambition was to become a Lady, Arya a great warrior like Nymeria. Robb fancied himself a warrior in the rugged northern tradition, raiding hard and fast, hence Grey Wind. Jon, who had grown trying to keep out of the way of Lady Stark, saw himself as the ghost of a person. Bran, reluctant to grow up after facing his first execution, called his wolf Summer in a futile attempt to preserve the happiness of the present. Baby Dickon called his Shaggydog, a reflection on his own unformed personality. But was there more to the names ? Was there perhaps a hint of things to come ?

For since the first chapter of the books and the first episode of the show, the wolves' fates have somehow reflected their owner's. When Lady died at Jeoffrey's hand, Sansa's dreams of becoming a fairy tale queen started crumbling, and the execution started a pattern that would eventually lead to Ned Stark's. If Sansa had been able to read Lady's death, she would have had a clue to the danger ahead.

This much Arya realized. Instead of going into denial like Sansa, she gave up Nymeria so the direwolf could flee for safety, a pattern Ed duplicated when he had Yoren collect her and help her escape from King's Landing. Eventually we realize that Nymeria has found herself another pack and has become an able leader. Does this foreshadow Arya's future ?

Grey Wind was as short-lived as his master's political ambitions : gone with the wind; Shaggydog's death is yet unclear : it could mean either that Rickon's childhood is over, and that he will be forged into a new man by the experience, or that he is going to die and be remembered as nothing more than some shaggy boy from the North. Summer's death (Old Nan called Bran « sweet child of Summer ») has hastened Bran's entrance into adulthood, forcing him to take up the responsibilities of the Three-eyed Raven. Like Lady's death, it signifies the end of innocence.

When he joined the brotherhood at the Wall, Jon became just another crow, so Ghost's name was still apt, but it is doubly so now that the former Lord Commander has come back from the dead. Will Ghost die or survive ? Does he have to die so that Jon ceases to be the Bastard and is revealed as a Targaryen ? Does he survive, a ghost of things to come, so Jon can lead the wildings to victory before becoming their king, making peace with the Children, and settling North of the Wall with Brienne and Tormund (who live happily hereafter?)