Story

In this story I think the author is demonstrating through his audience that there is value in metaphor.

The reader is permitted to disbelieve that there is value in metaphor. Then his disbelief is tacitly punished through metaphor. Since the disbelieving reader does not believe there is value in metaphor, he is oblivious to the punishment. Those who believe there is value in metaphor can see that the non-believers are being punished. Though the non-believers won’t likely realize it until events conclude, and the details are pointed out to them.

A story is just a metaphor for real life. So to say there is value in metaphor is to say that there is value in stories. I think Martin is out to prove through ASOIAF that there is value in stories, and that’s where this theme comes from.

In-story stories are prophecies, visions, dreams, and the unbelievable utterances of wise fools like Old Nan, Patchface and the Dothraki superstitions. All of these things seem to be achieving truth in some interpretation.

The punishment I’m referring to for non-believers is:

He will not be able to fully appreciate or engage with the story because he is missing the meta-text.

He will not be able to predict the future of the story as well because he will likely be dismissive of in-story stories and therefore not have access to the meta-text.

I think my description of the Story theme so far is probably too adversarial but that will do for the moment.