 |
| Ygritte |
Why is it then,
that more than half of George R.R. Martin’s fans are women?
This Telegraph just published an article discussing the
phenomenon after interviewing the author himself. Martin admits he’s a
feminist, believing that both men and women should be treated equally, and in
his stories he does treat them equally as complex and 3 dimensional human
beings.
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| Maergery Tyrell |
Martin: “Yes, you're right I've never been an eight year
old girl, but I've also never been an exiled princess, or a dwarf or bastard.
What I have been is human. I just write human characters.'”
Why do women love
Martin’s characters?
Martin: “Some women hate the female characters. But
importantly they hate them as people, because of things that they've done, not
because the character is underdeveloped. Male or female, I believe in painting in shades
of grey. All of the characters should be flawed; they should all have good and
bad, because that's what I see. Yes, it’s fantasy, but the characters still
need to be real.”
 |
| Asha/Yara Greyjoy |
Launching off from Nussbaum, I believe people should not
be so quick to critique the novel from an exclusively feminist perspective. Instead,
they should recognize all the characters excluded from power and how they struggle to gain
it. The modern reader can identify with the characters because they are so
real, and almost everyone can find a character they personally identify with in one form
or another. We are all struggling to gain power on some level, whether it is in
our careers, family lives, love lives, or even with ourselves.
Food for Thought Regarding Some of the Women in GOT
Daenerys Targaryen
She starts as one of the weakest characters and grows
to become one of the most powerful.
 |
| Daenerys Targaryen and Drogon |
o In
the beginning, she’s sexually and verbally abused by her brother, Viserys, who
essentially sells her to the Dothrakis for an army. Whereas any other novel
might treat her like a damsel in distress; GOT shows Dany assimilate into the
Dothraki society, fall in love with her husband, grow favor amongst the people,
and assert her influence and beliefs to get what she wants. She is nurturing and kind though rules with a
firm hand and isn’t afraid of bloodshed
o Most
fiction novels depict characters as very 1 dimensional. They will show women as
nurturing and kind never wanting to indulge in bloodshed and appear weak
because of it. In GOT, even though Dany would prefer diplomacy and nurturing over
violence, she knows that has has to get her hands dirty to gain the power necessary
to rule justly. She appeals to the audience because her genuine kindness doesn’t
compromise her fortitude.
o She
knows that her family has a rich history of both honor and madness. She fears
the madness, yet doesn’t let the infamy hold her back.
o Usually
when a woman is depicted as sexually active with multiple partners, they are
immediately written off as evil or a whorish. However, Daenerys is not villainized
by her sexual desires. This is partially accomplished by showing her
faithfulness. Although she desires and indulges in sexual pleasures with her
servants while single, she’s faithful to her husband Khal Drogo and even her
lover Daario Naharis. She also doesn’t use her sexuality to lead people on.
Though Jorah Mormont loves her, she never leads him on nor uses her body
intentionally to get himto do her bidding. This character aspect appeals to the
modern women who wishes to indulge in sexual pleasures while not being perceived
as “whorish”.
Cersei Lannister
 |
| Cersei Lannister |
o Like
Dany, she is sexually active, but what makes her seem whorish is that she doesn’t
remain faithful to those she loves, and that she uses her body to influence
people. It doesn’t help that she cheated on her loveless husband for her
brother. Even so, I could get past the infidelity and the incest disgust if she
remained faithful to Jaime. But she doesn’t. She does a lot of other people to
gain their favor and learn secrets while her brother Jaime remains completely
faithful to her. The difference lies in loyalty and faith. The books and show constantly point out that her
only good point is her love for her children
o Although
I don’t think her love for her children is her only good point, it is one to be noted. To be honestly,
there’s not a whole lot to say. She does whatever necessary to give her
children the greatest possible future. Whatever necessary.
o To
many fans, her greatest redeeming quality is that she feels left out of this
world. She feels she’s fit to be King or ruler, but her womanhood prevents her
to gain any real power. She even admits that she should have been born a man. Instead, she does what she can from the sidelines to
grant her children success and keep her Queenhood. She constantly mentions how
she was more suited to be a man wielding a sword than a woman.
o Readers
hate her for her cruelty, but sympathize her, because she wants power and
sexual freedom, but feels trapped by her position as woman and queen to do so.
However, readers know there are a slew of other female characters in the story able
to achieve everything Cersei wants without being a total bitch. Characters like
Dany, Arya, Asha, and Brienne. Cersei just doesn’t know how to do it right! Perhaps
what makes Cersei so vulnerable is the fact that she loves her children-- same
as Catelyn.
Catelyn Stark
 |
| Catelyn Stark |
o Just
like Cersei, perhaps what makes her so vulnerable is the fact that she loves
her children. In a way it blinds her from any other ambition. Many fans dislike
her because she tries to influence Robb’s decisions and repeatedly makes “poor”
decisions based upon her desire to keep all her children safe.
Sansa Stark
 |
| Sansa Stark |
o Another
character who many readers despise. She constantly makes poor decisions based
upon her childish illusions that men and knights treat everyone with honor and
dignity. Although it’s frustrating to read, it’s understandable considering her
age and beliefs. A small group of fans like Sansa because she learns and grows
more wise throughout her peril, though at a slower rate than other characters.
She learns to influence Joffery with little things by playing off his ego and
joy of the suffering of others. She also learns the power of home and family. I
have a feeling she’ll surprise us in the upcoming books.
Arya Stark
 |
| Arya Stark |
o Fans
love her because despite her youth, she has a strong sense of self right from
the get go. She knows she’s uninterested in being a “lady” and would rather
play with swords and learn to fight than sew and sing songs. Her family enables
her to develop these skills despite societal rules. When her father died and
she had to go into hiding to avoid being caught and used as a pawn, she gains
the freedom to learn traditionally “boyish” skills and put them into practice.
She develops into a full-fledged killer.
o She
also has a strong sense of home and love for her family right from the get go
as well. Whereas Sansa often shrugged this off, Arya always had it. After she went
into hiding, she constantly struggles between forgetting her past to move
forward, and hold on to her “Starkhood”. She never is really able to let it go
regardless of her efforts.
Brienne of Tarth
 |
| Brienne of Tarth |
o She's just
like Arya in that she isn't particularly pretty and prefers swordplay, Brienne is tall
and ugly-- but a great swordswoman. Perhaps her ugliness turned her away from
normal feminine activities because she knew that she could never be great at
being a womanly woman.
o It’s
ironic how Brienne is the perfect knight though most don’t realize or
appreciate it due to her womanhood. She shows true focus and loyalty to those
she is in employ to like Renly, Catelyn, and Jaime. She loves Renly in the way
that the old chivalry dictates a knight love his queen. She is as good at swordplay
as the Kingslayer himself, and it must have taken a lot to get to that point.
Here's a nifty article about a writer who compares the way people treat Brienne in the novels to how people treat ugliness and beauty in modern society.
Here's a nifty article about a writer who compares the way people treat Brienne in the novels to how people treat ugliness and beauty in modern society.
