Jon again faces an internal conflict and is essentially forced to decide who he wants to be. Stannis offers to make Jon the lord of Winterfell, which is the Starks’ ancestral home. Since Jon is a bastard, he’s technically not a legitimate heir to Winterfell, which has always been a sore point for him. Catelyn generally treated him like an outsider rather than part of the family, and knowing he could never rule Winterfell was yet another reminder that he’s not fully a Stark. Stannis, however, can undo all that. As King of Westeros (assuming he ultimately proves victorious against the Lannisters), he can legitimize Jon and make him Lord of Winterfell, finally giving Jon the social status he always wanted. But Jon has made a vow to the Night’s Watch, and he feels torn between the two. He’s found a home in the Watch and become attached to his brothers there. Moreover, honor demands that he uphold his oath. The choice Jon faces is essentially between being the version of himself he always yearned to be, a true Stark and Lord of Winterfell, or the version of himself that he already is, which is a respected and honorable brother of the Night’s Watch.

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