A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms

The Hedge Knight begins when Dunk becomes a knight, and this moment also marks a departure point for Dunk’s developing understanding of social class. His childhood is related only through snippets of dialogue and unwelcome reminiscences. When Egg is criticizing children born outside marriage, for example, Dunk points out that he “might be a bastard” (195), and he shares his memories of selling rats, cats, and pigeons to Flea Bottom’s restaurants just to survive. Dunk means this to be a lesson in privilege for the young prince, but it also reveals the abject poverty of Dunk’s childhood. Ser Arlan plucked Dunk out of this poverty, and Dunk models his relationship with Egg similarly, even if the class differences are reversed. Ser Arlan helped Dunk to see a world beyond the slums of Flea Bottom, while Dunk gives Egg a new understanding of the world beyond the castle walls. Through these relationships, the novel illustrates how loyalty and mentorship cross class divides when bolstered by sincere and intimate friendship.

As Dunk and Egg travel together, the novel highlights how their class differences create different experiences for each of them. When they watch the knights arriving at Whitewalls for the tourney, Dunk studies them with the eye of a potential opponent, evaluating them based on martial prowess.