Game of Thrones. Privilege and Oppression in George R.R. Martin s A. -Stephanie Rendell. The Journal of Supernatural Literature, Volume One (2013)

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1 The Journal of Supernatural Literature, Volume One (2013) Privilege and Oppression in George R.R. Martin s A Game of Thrones -Stephanie Rendell George R. R. Martin s A Game of Thrones is a gritty tale set in a medieval fantasy world, centred on the politics of the ruling class. In Martin s world, social stratification runs deep and it is the privileges of birth -- such as family lineage and birthrights -- which allow someone the right to rule. It is these political power struggles, the so-called game of thrones, which is the main focus of the novel, yet the supernatural elements of the text persist on the periphery as an important force of nature above and beyond these power struggles. These supernatural elements represent an alternative source of power unbound by the traditional rules and norms of society, and the supernatural is often connected to characters that are oppressed by the status quo, providing them with a way to regain lost power. Martin uncovers the unjust, vicious and oppressive nature of the political system by portraying characters that exist outside the traditional realms of power, typically through gender, bloodlines or physical appearance. Therefore, while Martin places the novel s emphasis on the political games of the elite, it is his exposal of the injustice inherent in this social system through the experience and dialogue of the outsider characters - - as well as the juxtaposition of the political struggles of the elite against the power of the supernatural forces -- which is used to undercut and delegitimise these political games. Through the experiences of the marginal supernatural forces and the disadvantaged characters, Martin criticises and often overturns traditional authority and social norms. While the supernatural forces in the text, the Others in particular, represent a much more dangerous force in Martin s world, a much greater portion of the 201

2 text is spent focusing on who should reign over the kingdoms. This political world is strongly hierarchical and patriarchal, with strict rules and norms determining what opportunities and what level of power each person may possess. Each character s identity and opportunities are defined, at least superficially, by which house they come from, such as the houses of Lannister, Targarayen and Stark. Being named Snow, the name custom decreed be given to all those unlucky enough to be born with no name of their own (Martin 2011, p. 17) defines a character as an outsider, while being born into a powerful family and being of the right gender will allow a person power and privilege. The illogical nature of these rules and the unjust outcomes they bring about is emphasised in the depiction of ridiculous and often dangerous circumstances that naturally follow these rules and norms; with sadistic, cruel and callous, and/or excessively young leaders placed in positions of power. This is seen in the characters Joffrey Baratheon and Stannis Baratheon; Joffrey is given power to rule due to a belief in his legitimate bloodline -- despite his youth and tendency towards dishonesty and violence -- and the alternative, Stannis Baratheon, who is the legitimate King following Roberts death, is described to make the realm bleed (Martin 2011, p. 494). Adhering to some of the rules and conventions is even remarked upon by Robert as being ridiculous, as he states A six year old boy is no war leader, Ned (Martin 2011, p. 43) when Eddard Stark protests against Jon Arryn s son being denied the position of Warden of the East, as per tradition. The political struggles of the elite and the rules and norms that inform the traditional power structure is further trivialised by the presence of supernatural forces throughout the text. While who is in power strongly affects the family in control and their enemies, [it] is no matter to [the common people] if the high lords play their game of thrones, so long as they are left in peace (Martin 2011, p. 226). Similarly, the presence of the Others presents a great threat to all of humanity, regardless of political alliances or which house one belongs to. As elucidated Lord Commander Mormont states, When dead men come hunting 202

3 in the night, do you think it matters who sits on the Iron Throne? (Martin 2011, p. 758). This contrasting perspective on the importance of who is in power challenges the reader to question the desirability of a system that causes such violence to achieve arguably inconsequential ends. Martin s criticism of this system and the rules surrounding it is represented strongly in his expression of the points of view of the other. While it is arguable that none of the main characters occupy the lowest positions of the social hierarchy, such as slaves, commoners or prostitutes, several of the main characters who exhibit points of view, including Arya Stark, Bran Stark, Tyrion Lannister, Jon Snow and even Daenerys Targaryen violate major gender or social norms (Hartinger 2012, p. 128). It is by expressing these characters points of view that Martin is able to draw attention to major failings within the existing social structure, as well as pass some form of judgement upon it through the mouthpiece of the characters. In a scene between Arya Stark and Jon Snow where Arya is frustrated because she is not able to learn to fight and Jon is not able to train against Joffrey with his brothers, Jon proclaims Girls get the arms but not the swords. Bastards get the swords but not the arms. I did not make the rules, little sister (Martin 2011, p. 69), while later on Arya exclaims, It s not fair! to which Jon replies nothing is fair (Martin 2011, p. 71). While this exchange is simplistic, considering the age of the speakers (nine and fourteen respectively) this conversation portrays the injustice inherent in the hierarchal system and the often-inane rules that come with it, with the characters often serving as a mouthpiece for Martin s criticism of the system. One of the major themes throughout the text -- which further demonstrates Martin s criticism of the power structure -- is the oppression of women, particularly through sexual and domestic violence. Sexual violence in the tale is pervasive and there are few characters that are not touched by some level of sexual or domestic violence: Daenerys is raped and experiences constant sexual violence from her brother, Cersei suffers domestic abuse, Sansa is hit through proxy by her betrothed, Tyrion s first wife is gang raped, Osha, a slave caught 203

4 from beyond the wall is sexually harassed, and Eddard s sister, Robert Baratheon s betrothed Lyanna, is raped and murdered. While attitudes toward sex and consent are one of the ways that citizens distinguish themselves from each other (Rosenberg 2012, p. 32), marking the civilised from the monstrous, sexual violence is often used as a form of control. In the world of Westeros, while family lineage and marriage bonds create and break important alliances and one s family dictates one s level of control, the female body is a site over which imperial power is exacted (Thompson & Gunne 2010, p. 6). Sexual violence is a paramount means for controlling the health and wealth of the male imperial body politic, so that... sexual purity emerged as the controlling metaphor for racial, economic and political power (McClintock 1995 cited in Thompson & Gunne 2010, p. 6). Control of the womb and associated power is evident most clearly in Cersei s destruction of Robert Baratheon s family line; Cersei, a victim of domestic abuse, aborts her child with Robert effectively ending Robert s legitimate legacy. The repercussions of this act demonstrate the power of reproduction and therefore, the desire of men to control this through rape and violence. Yet Martin s depiction of sexual violence and the pain it causes, such as the rape of Daenery s who is described to use her pillow to muffle her cries of pain (Martin 2011, p. 221), emphasises the destruction caused by the high Lords in their struggles for power for example, Daenerys brother says I d let the whole Khalasar fuck you if that was what it took to get my army (Martin 2011, p. 35). The lives of others, particularly those outside of traditional authority, often mean little to those who play the game of thrones. In this depiction of the violence and pain caused by these political struggles, Martin effectively criticises the traditional power system. In this way, Martin shies away from presenting a patriarchal discourse of honour and chastity (Virdi 2006 cited in Thompson & Gunne 2010, p. 3) through the expression of chivalry as an idealisation and an ethical code (Goguen 2012, p. 205) instead, choosing to expose the power structure for 204

5 what it is. Romantic chivalry presents a worldview where hierarchical power structures are glorified and no one is unproblematic because no one is unhappy with their role (Goguen 2012, p ), yet Martin understands that people are not always satisfied with the roles their society encourages or dictates (Goguen 2012, p. 215) and exposes the flaws of chivalry when people do not live up to the roles they are prescribed. Sansa Stark s narrative arc expresses this notion most clearly; Sansa, the primary embodiment of this idealisation is told, quite prophetically Life is not a song, sweetling. You may learn that one day, to your sorrow (Martin 2011, p. 456). Later in the tale, Joffrey exacts violence on Sansa by proxy and beheads her father, and Sansa looks upon Joffrey, seeing him for the first time (Martin 2011, p. 78). Through these depictions of violence, Martin shatters the often presented romanticised vision of a chivalric society and encourages the readers to question what values are being sold through these romantic depictions. While Martin not only exposes the flaws in the dominant power structures, he also offers a break in the acknowledged order (Jackson 1981, p. 21) through the supernatural world. Unlike these social structures, the supernatural world is not defined by rules and norms based on privilege and oppression, and cannot be controlled by the elite social classes through power politics and manipulation. In fact, it is often the outsider characters - who have been pushed to the margins by society - who have a stronger connection to, and greater control, over the mystical. While this connection is most overt in Daenerys and the birth of dragons, it can also be seen in the direwolves found by Robb Stark. The finding of the direwolves and the situation in which they are discovered -- representative of the Stark family through the Stark sigil of the direwolf -- are considered a sign (Martin 2011, p. 6) and throughout the novel, the wolves become the guardians of the Starks. The Stark family, which constitutes a majority of the perspectives expressed, is connected to the wolves through the Stark s deeply rooted connection with the mystical, as the blood of the First Men flows in the veins of the Starks (Martin 2011, p. 758). The 205

6 Starks motto, winter is coming (Martin 2011, p. 21), while open to differing interpretations, can be interpreted as prophetic (Sigrist 2012, p. 223) highlighting against the connection between the Stark family and the supernatural. Although not all Starks are necessarily disadvantaged, it is the disadvantaged characters that often have the links to the supernatural world; Bran, after he becomes disabled begins to get prophetic visions, Tyrion admits he had an obsession with dragons, and Arya finds safety in the room of dragon bones, while Jon and his direwolf, Ghost s, prevention of Lord Commander Mormont s death by the Other is given magical undertones as Mormont declares to Jon, I think you were meant to be here (Martin 2011, p. 759). Although the magical forces in the novel can be either benign or malignant (much like the characters themselves), these forces are presented as an alternative to high politics, a much more primal force and in some cases allow the outsiders to subvert their traditional roles and regain power. Daenerys, a girl who was abused by her brother who sold her to her husband, faces a life amongst past wives of tribal leaders, whether she willed it or not (Martin 2011, p. 475) and is told Only a man can lead a khalasar or name a ko (Martin 2011, p. 774), yet her birth in fire, and the re-emergence of dragons through her, allows her to subvert her prescribed role and change her fate. Similarly, after Bran becomes disabled he begins to have dreams, one which turns out to be prophetic. Whilst the extent of this power and what it may bring is not clear in A Game of Thrones, this new ability suggests that Bran will become more powerful than his status of cripple would normally allow. Through the supernatural and the outside characters connection to it, Martin allows the disadvantaged and oppressed characters the ability to escape the fates society has prescribed for them and reclaim power. The marginalisation of the supernatural by the powerful elites however, serves again to criticise the existing power structure, and their inability to deal with important issues beyond politics. In the end, Martin uses his text to encourage the reader to see the power structure for what it is and the consequences it brings, instead of 206

7 upholding the traditional power structure of traditional romanticised visions of medieval chivalry. As Syrio Forel, a swordsman, tells Arya, The seeing, the true seeing is the heart of it (Martin 2011, p. 513). References: Goguen, S 2012, There are no true knights : The Injustice of Chivalry, in H Jacoby (ed.), Game of Thrones and Philosophy: Logic cuts deeper than Swords, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New Jersey. Hartinger, B 2012, in J Lowder (ed.), Beyond the Wall: Exploring George R. R. Martin s A Song of Ice and Fire from a Game of Thrones to A Dance with Dragons. Jackson, R 1981, Fantasy: The Literature of Subversion, Methuen & Co., New York. Martin, G.R.R. 2011, A Game of Thrones, Harper Voyager, London. Rosenberg, A 2012, 'Men and Monsters: Rape, Myth-Making, and the Rise and Fall of Nations in A Song of Ice and Fire', in J Lowder (ed.), Beyond the Wall: Exploring George R. R. Martin s A Song of Ice and Fire from a Game of Thrones to A Dance with Dragons. Sigrist, MJ 2012, 'Fate, Freedom and Authenticity in A Game of Thrones', in H Jacoby (ed.), Game of Thrones and Philosophy: Logic cuts deeper than Swords, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New Jersey. Thompson, Z & S Gunne 2010, 'Introduction: Feminism without Borders: The Potentials and Pitfalls of Retheorizing Rape', in S Gunne & Z Thompson (eds.), Feminism, Literature and Rape Narratives: Violation and Narration, Taylor & Francis Group, New York, pp HOW TO CITE: Stephanie Rendell, Privilege and Oppression in George R.R. Martin s A Game of Thrones, The Journal of Supernatural Literature 1 (2013):