Sandor Clegane: The Man who Cried
There are plenty of things of Sandor Clegane’s personality that I find interesting; from his harsh vision of the world, his background story with his brother, his skills as a fighter to, of course, his special relationship with Sansa. But one of the facts that most intrigues me about him is that The Hound is one of the few - if not the only - men who cries in the whole series. Westeros is a hard place, built by and for tough men. He is supposed to be one of the fiercest warriors of the Realm, the epitome of masculinity: tall, strong, harsh, skilled, nihilistic… A man who is able to thow a girl quotes like
“If you can’t protect yourself, die and get out of the way of those who can. Sharp steel and strong arms rule this world, don’t ever believe any different”.
So in this context, we see that manly piece of a beast crying, not one, but 3 different times and for very different reasons.
.Sansa cups his cheek after singing the Mother’s hymn while he holds a knife on her throat:
Some instinct made her lift her hand and cup his cheek with her fingers. The room was too dark for her to see him, but she could feel the stickiness of the blood, and a wetness that was not blood. “Little bird,” he said once more, his voice raw and harsh as steel on stone.
His arm is burning after he has defeated Beric Dondarrion at the cave of the Brotherhood without Banners:
Arya could only think of Mycah and all the stupid prayers she’d prayed for the Hound to die. If there were gods, why didn’t Lord Beric win? She knew the Hound was guilty.
“Please,” Sandor Clegane rasped, cradling his arm. “I’m burned. Help me. Someone. Help me.” He was crying. “Please.”
Arya looked at him in astonishment. He’s crying like a little baby, she thought.
.He is dying under a tree and tries that Arya kills him:
He made a queer sound, and it took her [Arya] a moment to realize he was sobbing.
These three moments are very different and the reason of his suffering differs in each one, what reveals the complexity of his personality and his troubled soul. I don’t think this is a casualty. I don’t believe GRRM has written him (and no other character) crying for no reason. Since the moment the Starks cross his path, his life, thoughts and motivations somehow change, being Sansa the catalyst for that change and those tears the way the Hound breaks in order he could become a different man. And I hope and wish this man is somehow better. [
Credit: the title of this post is based on one of ladytp’s favorite movies, so I guess this post is dedicated to her ;)]
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