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The bastard son of Lord Eddard Stark and an unknown woman, Jon Snow grew up feeling out of place in Winterfell, as Lord Eddard's wife, Catelyn, always considered Jon a reminder of Eddard's affair. These feelings persist for Jon even after he joins the Night’s Watch, where he learns that many men were once criminals. Sensitive and honorable, Jon initially finds it hard to accept his position as squire to Jeor Mormont. He would rather be a ranger, presumably doing the dangerous, and in Jon's mind, more valuable work for the Watch. He resents the role he must play as a squire, much as he resents being a bastard, with no right to inherit land or fight for his house. Much of his growth as a character in the novel involves him maturing as a man and learning how to value himself and his position. Though he may be Eddard Stark’s illegitimate son, Jon has a strong connection to the northern realm of the Starks, and like his half-brother Bran, he seems able to enter into the mind of his direwolf.

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