Hofstee 1 Racism and Sexism: Constructing the Other in George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and
Fire Series
by
Tjimka Hofstee
Dissertation Educational Master. Department of English Language and Culture. University of Groningen.
Name: Tjimka Hofstee
Student Number: s2368129
Supervisor: Dr John Flood
Date: 26 February 2018
Hofstee 2 Contents
List of Abbreviations 3
Abstract 4
Introduction 5
Chapter 1: Marriage, Motherhood, and Hereditary Rights in Relation to the Other 14
Chapter 2: Appearances and the Underrepresented Other 27
Chapter 3: Geography and Power: Nations, Boundaries and the Other 39
Conclusion 48
Hofstee 3 List of Abbreviations
CK A Clash of Kings 15
DWD A Dance With Dragons 30
FFC A Feast For Crows 16
GOT A Game of Thrones 15
SOS A Storm of Swords 16
Hofstee 4 Abstract
George R.R. Martin’s fantasy novel series A Song of Ice and Fire has been accused of misrepresenting the female or racial Other and the aim of this thesis is to determine whether that is truly the case. By looking at the role of marriage and hereditary rights in distinguishing between people in society, I have found that differences between cultures in these fields can lead to othering. Also, most societies grant women less power than men in choosing their marriage partners and in acquiring an inheritance, which sets them apart. Characters are othered on the basis of their appearance and since the point of view characters throughout the series are mainly white males, the appearance of women and non-whites is described more often in terms of Other and in a derogatory tone. As in real life, borders in the fictional world of A Song of Ice and Fire lead to othering in the form of ‘us’ versus ‘them’ thinking. Natural boundaries, such as the Neck and the Narrow Sea, contribute to considering the people on the opposite side of that boundary as Other. The Wall shows how othering can be arbitrary, since the humans that ended up on the ‘wrong side’ are limited in their movement and considered monstrous and inhuman. Martin presents a variety of characters and although his world is essentially founded on othering, which is also the main reason behind the war for the Iron Throne, his characters are complex and the novel’s final judgement is positive towards most minorities that the characters deprecate.
Hofstee 5 Introduction
Since the 1970s, the fantasy genre has seen a revival, both as a popular genre of fiction and amongst scholars (Stableford 38). Initially, when authors such as J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis unknowingly created the basis for an entire genre, there was little to no attention from scholars, because they considered its use of stereotypical characters as a signal that it lacked in depth (Adams 204). A sudden increase in the production of larger series, such as Robin Hobb’s Realm of the Elderlings’ series (1995-2017), George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire (1996-present), and even J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series (1997-2007) since the end of the 20th century, has ensured the ongoing interest in fantasy among scholars and the public alike. The adaptation of A Song of Ice and Fire as a TV series has made it possible to reach a broader audience. As such, more people have begun to analyse the story and in particular the way in which minorities are represented in the TV series A Game of Thrones and in the novels on which it is based. In the western world especially, the image of minorities has gotten much more attention as a reaction to discrimination against minorities the world over. Strong accusations on the basis of the series’ racist representation of diverse peoples as well as its derogatory view of women have surfaced. In my research, I will focus on George R.R. Martin’s novel series and his representation of the female and racial Other. So far, few literary critics have discussed his works in-depth. There are some who do mention the fantasy series in relation to these themes, such as Carolyne Larrington’s Winter is Coming: The Medieval World of Game of Thrones (2016) and Helen Young in Race and Popular Fantasy Literature: Habits of Whiteness (2017). However, their discussions remain superficial on this particular topic. As a white male, Martin’s writing about women and ethnic minorities that are decidedly different from his own gender and ethnicity falls within the realm of constructing the Other. Throughout its history, fantasy has been known as
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writing done mostly by white males (Octavia Butler qtd. in Flagel 224; S. Morris 152), which raises the question of how well a white male can represent the racial and female Other and whether representation of the Other in a realistic way is at all possible, without being considered misrepresentation (Varisco 232). The Other can be any group that differs from the author or the characters in terms of “nationality, ethnicity, religion, gender, language, class, species, or other recognizable categories” (Black 2), but in this case I will discuss the representation of the female Other and the racial Other in particular. I will delve further into the issue of writing the Other and how the series’ medieval basis and the use of point of view characters strengthens the othering and manages to deflect any issues of
misrepresentation. Martin uses point of view characters, whose thoughts and experiences the readers get to observe. Because these characters all have their own preconceived notions of the abovementioned minorities, there are various perspectives that need to be taken into account. Martin writes the characters in such a way that they engage in othering towards one another and pass judgement on the characters through the third person limited narrator. Furthermore, the progression of the plot and the development of the characters show whether the characters are treated favourably or unfavourably. The othering by the point of view characters, the narration, and the analysis on the basis of the plot will all contribute to the eventual assessment of the othering in A Song of Ice and Fire. By placing the multitude of opinions and ideas of the point of view characters between himself and the reader, Martin essentially leaves the othering to his characters, making it more difficult to discern the othering that he would otherwise be held accountable for.
I will discuss the series as it has been written to date, without going into hypothetical developments in the progression of the series. In order to analyse the series in terms of its othering, I will use the work of theorists on the Other, with the focus on Shameem Black’s
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Fiction Across Borders: Imagining the Lives of Others in Late-Twentieth-Century Novels from 2010 and Edward Said’s Orientalism, originally published in 1978. After discussing theories of the Other, the genre of fantasy, and the World of Ice and Fire in a theoretical framework, the first chapter will centre on marriage, motherhood, and hereditary rights in relation to
othering and struggles for power. The focus of the second chapter is on appearances: how they have led to considering specific people with certain physical traits and dress as other, and the looks of the point of view characters and what that says about Martin’s othering. In the final chapter, boundaries and borders will be discussed. Imaginary and real boundaries can result in the creation of an Other, whereas crossing boundaries can provide new views and remove preconceived notions of the Other.
This thesis will delve into the representation of the Other in George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire, so it mainly relies for its theoretical foundation on the work of Edward Said. Orientalism remains the foundational text to any theorizing on representations of the Other. A more modern writer on the Other, whose work is relevant in the analysis of
Martin’s series as well, is Shameem Black. In his book Fiction Across Borders, Black mentions that the manner in which texts construct the Other and deal with difficulties surrounding this construction have become increasingly “vivid and urgent […] in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries” (Black 1). It is uncertain what caused this heightened relevance in this period, but part of the credit can certainly be given to the increased globalization because of which more people from diverse backgrounds have come into contact with one another. But why is the construction of the Other so important? In the case of literature, the construction of the Other can influence the reader’s perception of the Other in real life (Said 94; Black 33). Popular literature especially, can, through its wide readership, exert massive cultural influence. Thus, it is important that authors handle the construction of the Other
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with some consideration. Black refers to “ethics” as the “ethos of responsibility to one’s object of inquiry, a responsibility opposed to hegemonic domination and representational violence” (3). Authors have a responsibility to represent their object of inquiry in a valid and valued way. They should attempt to write minorities in a realistic way, without using
stereotypes or an exceptionally more negative characterization of its minorities specifically. Readers often identify with specific characters based on their representation of a certain demographic. A dishonest and/or disrespectful representation of a specific social group can lead to minorities feeling discriminated against, since “the experiences of readers in reality are determined by what they have read” (Said 94). Texts containing a negative
representation of a particular group of people might also encourage other social groups to continue discriminating against those people in real life.
Perceptions of otherness range over a variety of subjects. They might include nationality, gender, race, ethnicity, class, or religion (Black 2). I focus on race and gender because of their centrality in the development of what is called ‘speculative fiction’ from the twentieth century onwards (Flagel 224) and because of the fact that gender often works in a similar way to ethnic or national ‘othering’ (Black 138). Speculative fiction is the overarching term for science fiction, fantasy, horror, and futurist fiction (S. Morris 152). As will be
clarified in more detail later on, A Song of Ice and Fire belongs to the genre of fantasy and therefore to speculative fiction as well. Nationality and ethnicity will also be discussed as aspects of otherness, because they are strongly related to race and these categories cannot be considered as completely separate. One of the main focuses of this thesis is how the racial Other is portrayed in A Song of Ice and Fire. This is a central element, because “[s]ince the eighteenth century, race has been one of the most important factors in defining ‘the Other’” (Muldoon 79). Race will here be used in a wide sense, as the more modern definition
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of race that includes “ethnic group,” “nation, or people, regarded as of common stock” (“race, n.6.”), referred to by Helen Young as “a social construct which assigns non-necessary meanings to common phenotypical features of humanity in order to distinguish groups and assign hierarchical value to them” (7). Young further mentions the lack of a biological basis for differentiating between people as belonging to different races. These older definitions of race that focused on a biological set of identifiers to determine which race people belonged to will not be used. In this thesis, I will discuss the construction of the racial Other based on elements that defined racial groups, such as “appearance, language, nationality, religion, and culture” (Blackburn 6). Race as a socially constructed phenomenon is central to this discussion. Regarding the element of appearance, skin colour, hair colour (Muldoon 79), and eye colour are considered as important factors in distinguishing the racial Other which are also relevant in the World of Ice and Fire and will therefore be discussed in some detail in Chapter 2.
The feminist literary theory that is used as a basis here presupposes that there is “a structural inequality between women and men, by which women suffer systematic social injustice” in real life society and that this is the result of “cultural construction of gender differences” (P. Morris 1). Compared to men, women were often seen as “incomplete or inferior examples of the same character” (Connell 68). This is also the case in A Song of Ice and Fire, where women are generally considered as less valuable than men and the system is created and upheld by the inhabitants of the World of Ice and Fire. In order to discuss the othering of women in A Song of Ice and Fire, I will analyse the descriptions of the male and female characters and their positions in society in contrast to one another. Furthermore, I will discuss ideas of femininity and masculinity in the series and the value that is placed on either feminine or masculine behaviour.
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In order to discuss the construction of the Other in a fantasy series, it is important to start by looking at the manner in which fantasy functions. Before, fantasy has been
mentioned as an instance of speculative fiction. Even within fantasy, there are a number of diverse genre categories and not all fantasy novels fit perfectly within just one category. Most fantasy takes elements from several categories to combine them. A Song of Ice and Fire strongly resembles High Fantasy and Arthurian fantasy, since they use medieval Europe as the basis for their stories (Sullivan 281). The same goes for the so-called sword-and-sorcery fantasy. These three types all centre on knights and their adventures. In addition to generally taking place in a world that is similar to medieval Europe, High Fantasy has a strong sense of the “marvellous” and takes place entirely in a secondary world to our own (Kuznets 19). Besides this, High Fantasy usually describes the conflict between good and evil parties, where good is eventually victorious (Kuznets 19-20). Arthurian fantasy is similar to High Fantasy in many respects, such as the setting of the medieval world, but it differs in the fact that it is highly centred on usage of motifs from Arthurian legend (Stableford 71). The subgenre of sword-and-sorcery fantasy shares the use of a medieval European world as its basis, but has a stronger focus on action and adventure elements (Stableford 362) than High Fantasy or Arthurian fantasy. A Song of Ice and Fire is often also linked to Gritty Fantasy (Young 63) as a de-romanticised version of regular fantasy, where the grim realities of the medieval period are foregrounded more strongly. Gritty Fantasy typically has “low-levels of magic, high-levels of violence, in-depth character development, and medievalist worlds” with pretensions to realism (Young 63). There are two aspects of fantasy literature that generally appear in all of the above-mentioned fantasy types and which are extremely relevant for the construction of the Other in Martin’s work: the type of fantastical elements
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used and the way in which these fantasy subgenres use history as a basis for their world-building.
The most important characteristic of fantasy, which essentially is the element that makes it fantasy, is that it contains a “substantial and irreducible element of supernatural or impossible worlds, beings, or objects” (Manlove qtd. in Sullivan 279). In A Song of Ice and Fire, this is visible in the existence of dragons, giants, and children of the forest as well as the use of blood magic, prophecies, and visions. Thus, fantasy novels will always contain
elements that cannot be found in our own world. The necessity for a fantastic element as a characteristic of the genre, leaves lots of room for including elements that differ from what we find in our own world.
In order to create a fantasy tale, writers “must engage in world-building, in
constructing and familiarizing their readers with a world foreign to their own and yet fully realized as a world complete unto itself” (Schanoes 236). This means that authors must create the story-world in a credible way, which leads many fantasy authors to borrow from various historical events and combine them into one fantasy world. Thereby, authors use Tolkien’s ideas of a ‘Secondary World’ (Flieger 3). In his novels as well as his theoretical works, Tolkien encouraged the idea of sub-creation: “the creation of something which is not in our world, but which has the consistency of reality” (James 66). Although Tolkien did not literally write about fantasy as a genre, his ideas became the inspiration and characterisation of the genre for many years to come (James 62). The historical basis of some fantasy
subgenres means that it needs to use elements from certain time periods consistently in order to be credible. The world that is created needs to function in a logical way, or it will lose its credibility.
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Tolkien has often been used as a clear example of the manner in which a racial Other is created in fantasy (Okorafor 183; Young 89; Fimi 141). For their writing, authors always depend on their own world to construct another reality. The constructed reality needs elements from the actual world in order to be understandable to its readers. Since Tolkien was raised in a period in which racial othering was extremely common (Fimi 132), the fact that he constructed distinctly racial Others in the form of elves, orcs, hobbits, and others, with a hierarchical division, is not very surprising. The physical characteristics of these species show whether the characters are good or evil. All characters are generalized by the stereotypical ideas of their species and there is hardly any middle-ground. At the time when Tolkien was creating the world of Middle Earth, “it was still entirely legitimate and
scientifically acceptable to divide humankind into races with fixed physical characteristics and mental abilities” (Fimi 132). Later authors of course are not eligible to use this type of ‘excuse’, because this scientific distinction was debunked by the 1980s (Sipress 175-6). Racial attitudes from before this period are frequently included in fantasy, because fantasy authors generally borrow heavily from history to build their world. The focus often lies on western Europe and the medieval period (Sullivan 281). This influences the roles and interactions within its world, because the late Middle Ages had a feudal system (Ditomasso in Young 28) and fewer people were able to travel across large distances, meaning that ordinary people were less likely to come into contact with any racial Other. “Long-distance transcultural trade” began developing in the beginning of the Middle Ages, specifically around the North Sea and the Mediterranean (Lansing and English 17). This brought more people of various ethnic origins into contact with one another, although trade as well as private long-distance travel were still not as frequent as they are now. Possibly due to the use of a medieval setting, High Fantasy’s main characteristics often lead to the promotion of ideologies such as
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the “glorification of violence […] oppression of women [and] emphasis on the racial
superiority of the Nordic (Aryan) type” that were common in that time period (Hans Joachim in Tymn, Zahorski, and Boyer 20). Martin has confirmed that he borrowed heavily from the later Middle Ages. He aimed for the semblance to historical fiction, intentionally using a lot of elements from the Wars of the Roses (Martin, “Rolling Stone” par. 16). On his own blog Martin stresses his research into the subject of the medieval world for this particular series (Martin “FAQ” par. 13). In his interview as part of Authors at Google, as well as numerous other interviews (Martin, “Talks at Google”), he has pointed out that he bases the society of Westeros on medieval English history. Thus, the fact that some of the themes and ideologies that featured prominently in medieval times appear in his work would not be surprising. Martin has claimed that he wished to stay away from stereotypes and that he wanted his characters to be as realistic as possible (Martin “Game of Thrones’s George R.R. Martin” par. 5). This shows that he is aiming for realistic representation in his works. Theorists have previously stated that criticism of literary works for creating a world with “oppressive and objectionable ideological assumptions” is entirely valid (Moi 44-5). In any case, authors should attempt “to reach a less biased representation of the other” (Varisco 302). As mentioned earlier, authors have the responsibility to represent their object of inquiry in a valid and valued way. Martin clearly realizes this responsibility, as indicated by the fact that he has expressed the desire to create realistic characters.
Hofstee 14 Chapter 1 | Marriage, Motherhood, and Hereditary Rights in relation to the Other Marriages and hereditary rights are important factors in signalling cultural differences and indicating the position of females in society. Marriages are essential in the feudal society in which A Song of Ice and Fire is set, since they can be used to align different houses and thereby can aid in creating peace or setting off wars. According to Martin, “it’s more difficult for women particularly in a medieval setting than for men” because “they are women and a lot of people don’t want them in a position of power in what is basically a patriarchal society” (Martin, “Talks at Google” 55:50-59:00). This is also visible in relation to the theme of marriage. The novels clearly mirror medieval times, where women belonging to the upper class were married off to “unite different families” and form and strengthen alliances
(Larrington 41). As Gayle Rubin writes about the subject of marriage, women are essentially “objects in the exchange” (qtd. in Sedgwick 25). They are used only to “cement[…] the bonds of men with men” (Sedgwick 25) and are not valued for their own identity or even their identity as women. The way in which women are married off, shows how they have very little power in decision making. A Song of Ice and Fire focuses strongly on people from the upper classes, visible in the fact that nearly all point of view characters are part of the ruling class, with the exception of Areo Hotah (A Feast for Crows and A Dance with Dragons) and Melisandre (A Dance with Dragons) as well as some of the prologue point of view characters. Even within these higher classes, where a larger amount of power resides, women are granted little autonomy. Thus, “passivity” as a general element of the “female gender stereotype” (Catherine MacKinnon qtd. in Sedgwick 7, italics original) is visible in the series. Some of the cultures that are considered uncivilized, such as the Wildlings, have a more modern view in this regard than the medieval society of Westeros. And others, like the Dothraki, grant women power in specific roles and particularly worship the female identity
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of motherhood. These types of cultural differences are emphasized by the opinions of the point of view characters, who inform us of these differences. Furthermore, power within marriage usually remains with the male partner, although some women manage to exert influence through their husbands or their acquired status as wife. Marriages have become so significant, because only there can heirs be created to continue the family name. A lot of the conflict within the novels stems from the ideas on hereditary rights across different cultures.
Women across the World of Ice and Fire have little to no choice in who they will end up marrying. In the case of Westeros, women are married off by their closest male relatives with little to no regard for the well-being of the women involved. The focus is generally on the benefits for the houses that both parties originate from. Women are treated merely as tools to achieve the House’s objects of increased status or material wealth. Daenerys Targaryen, for instance, is given away to Khal Drogo by her brother Viserys. The marriage is mainly arranged through Illyrio Mopatis (GOT 100; CK 585). Viserys has no problem giving away his sister, since he hopes that Khal Drogo will provide him with the manpower to conquer the seven kingdoms. In Daenerys’s point of view, she describes her brother as “schem[ing] to sell her to a stranger” (GOT 32) and that he “gave her up” (GOT 103). Daenerys has no say in the matter and only reluctantly goes through with it, because she is forced to do so by her brother (GOT 38). In practice, she is used as currency. To the men in her surroundings, her life only has value in so far as it can be exchanged for aid in the war to come.
This process of marrying off females in powerful houses to create or strengthen alliances takes place regardless of age or previous relationships. The example of Myrcella Baratheon’s betrothal to Trystane Martell (CK; CK 406) and Sansa Stark’s betrothal to Prince
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Joffrey (GOT 48) show that this process already starts when they are in their early teens. Ned states that Sansa is “only eleven” (GOT 48). In both cases, neither the male nor the female partner get any choice in the matter. However, the girls are both sent away from their own family to the residence of their betrothed. Although both girls at some point indicate that they want to stay in their betrothal (GOT 479; FFC 265), that does not negate the fact that they did not enter the betrothal of their own volition. Daenerys, who is forced to wed and have sex with Khal Drogo at “only thirteen” (GOT 106), is fearful but freely consents to the intercourse and later on seems to have come to love him, referring to him as her “sun and stars” (GOT 108; 708). It is possible that she has merely gotten used to her type of captivity. Sansa Stark is also a clear example of the way in which Martin’s work contrasts the
stereotypical themes of courtly love. Sansa is the stereotypical beautiful princess who falls in love at first sight with the “ideal knight” who is characterised by his “chivalry, manliness, selflessness, gallantry, nobility, honor, duty, and fidelity” (Carroll 62). This is evident from the fact that Sansa remarks on how “very gallant” Joffrey is after first seeing him (GOT 69) and she refers to him as her “sweet prince” (GOT 146). Later, Sansa discovers that Joffrey is nothing like he first appeared to be (SOS 87). Joffrey is initially presented as the ideal of how men are supposed to act and the contrast with his actual character shows the worthlessness of the ideas of chivalry that centre on outward appearances. Sansa’s naïve outlook at the start of the novel series is highlighted by the fact that her belief in Joffrey’s gallantry proves false.
Although there is no mention of divorces in the world of A Song of Ice and Fire, marriages can be dissolved through an annulment or can end because of the death of a partner. Even when women have gone through the ordeal of marriage and have inherited the lands of their late husband, they do not get the freedom to choose their next partner.
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During the medieval period, women in England could more easily “avoid unwanted second marriages” (Larrington 42) and had slightly more autonomy in the decision-making process, although it was still commonplace to be advised on the matter by friends and family
(McSheffrey 52). In contrast, in A Song of Ice and Fire, women are immediately forced either verbally or physically to remarry. Lysa Arryn is a clear example of the force that is placed on women and the disinclination of women to remarry in the way that the surrounding men see fit. She is put under significant pressure by the High Lords in her surroundings, who believe that she must remarry (GOT 365), despite the fact that she has a son by their deceased liege lord, who can inherit. Lysa Arryn manages to resist the pressure for a long time and
eventually gets her own way in her choice of partner (SOS 939), which is rather exceptional. The Lady Hornwood also gets many suitors after her husband has died (CK 252). The lands of her husband cannot pass to an heir, because their son has died on the battlefield. It becomes clear early on that the suitors are only interested in marrying her for the value of her
husband’s lands. In Lady Hornwood’s own words: “I am past my childbearing years, what beauty I had long fled […] yet men come sniffing after me as they never did when I was a maid” (CK 251). Although the Lady Hornwood is granted some autonomy regarding her choice of partner, the eventual decision is left to the king. Lady Hornwood does express her distaste for a number of suitors (CK 252) and implicitly indicates that she would rather not remarry. She leaves that choice up to the king, saying “I shall wed again if His Grace
commands it” (CK 251). Because there is no male relative around to make the decision of her future marriage partner, the decision is left up to her liege lord (CK 252). When Lady
Hornwood’s suitors come before Bran to ask to marry Lady Hornwood, Ser Rodrik promises “to bring the matter before the lady and the king” (CK 256). The phrase indicates that the lady will have some say in who she is going to marry. Since Lady Hornwood’s marriage may
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injure or improve the peace in the king’s realm, having already caused rivalry between several great houses (CK 252), the king’s involvement is justified in the society in which it is set. In all likelihood, that is also the reason that the lady herself begrudgingly agrees.
The customs surrounding marriage are not the same in the entire A Song of Ice and Fire world. The Wildlings, for instance, have an entirely different attitude. Among the Wildlings, it is considered odd and weak for women to be given away to a man by one of their relatives. Thus, Ygritte exclaims that she would “sooner be stolen by a strong man than be given t’ some weakling by my father” (SOS 558). Wildlings steal their women. This is interpreted by Jon as a stance in favour of rape. Tormund talks to Jon about how he has stolen Ygritte, which leads Jon to ponder on the way the Wildlings “prefer rape to marriage, and fill the world with baseborn children.” (SOS 208, italics original). The fact that the
Wildlings do not have marriage as such, is a strong enough argument for Jon to feel it is reasonable “that the Seven Kingdoms thought the free folk scarcely human” (SOS 208). The Wildlings’ lack of marriage laws decreases their humanity in his eyes. Nonetheless, the element of involuntariness on the side of the females remains, even amongst Wildlings. They are taken by men, rather than given the opportunity to decide on their own partner. A general lack of rebellion against the patriarchal ‘status quo’ is visible in all women across the cultural or ethnic divide. As mentioned before, there is strong hesitance on the point of remarrying, but outright rebellion does not occur. The Wildling women approve of their system more strongly. If Ygritte’s testimony is any guideline to the general feelings of Wildling women, they prefer being stolen to the idea of being married off. Ygritte claims “A true man steals a woman from afar, t’ strengthen the clan” (SOS 365). Unfortunately, we only have Ygritte’s testimony as an indication of the Wildlings’ feelings towards being stolen. It is quite likely that not all females have as positive a view of these customs, especially
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women who are unable to fight a man off when they dislike him. Nonetheless, the positive opinion we are shown stands in stark contrast to the way women in the rest of Westeros seem to hate being married off constantly, such as Lady Hornwood, Cersei Lannister, and Lysa Arryn. Thus, the Wildlings we encounter indicate that they have a more modern sense of equality between partners, since the Wildling women are appreciative of the system and reserve the right to refuse a man violently if they so choose (SOS 559). The Wildlings are labelled as an uncivilized people by most of the inhabitants of Westeros, as becomes clear from the descriptions and references to them as “savages” several times throughout the series and by inhabitants from all over Westeros (SOS 450; 875; FFC 351; GOT 13). The fact that Westerosi consider the wildlings as an uncivilized people is denoted even more strongly by the term that is commonly used to refer to them: ‘Wildlings’. The term refers to their behaviour, but as readers we encounter very few truly “wild” characters among the Wildlings and only the rumours that characters keep retelling hint at a truly wild people. Besides that, the Wildlings seem more advanced than many other peoples, at least in the area of relationship equality. On several occasions, it becomes clear that there are many female fighters among the Wildlings. Ygritte is one of them. She takes the lead in the relationship with Jon, and actually seduces him. She practically blackmails him into sleeping with her, since it is the only way he can convince the other Wildlings that he has given up his identity as a Crow (SOS 218-9). Once their relationship actually takes off, Ygritte tells Jon “You’re mine […] Mine, as I’m yours.” (SOS 560) which clearly suggests a sense of equality in their relationship that is hardly equalled by any other relationships in the series. Neither one is the submissive party anymore. They are equals. Among the free folk, women are expected to take care of themselves and they speak their own mind. Unfortunately, the series offers only small glimpses into the Wildlings’ customs. The relationship between Ygritte and Jon is
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the main Wildling relationship that is described in A Song of Ice and Fire. It is not a complete example of what relationships among Wildlings entail, since Jon himself is not a Wildling. However, because of the contrast between Ygritte’s opinions about how relationships work and Jon’s Westerosi view, the differences between their lifestyles are emphasised. There appears to be more equality across the different genders and there is hardly any room for hierarchical divisions in Wildlings’ society. For instance, Jon observes “Rattleshirt might lead them, but none of them were shy in talking back to him” (SOS 92). Since readers discover this from Jon’s perspective, it sets apart the Wildlings’ culture from the Westerosi culture in terms of relationship hierarchy. The book takes a positive stance towards the equality amongst Wildling, so the othering here is not necessarily negative. Martin sets the Wildlings apart, but values their lack of strict hierarchical divisions above that of Westeros. Martin here advocates for the removal of hierarchy, as a more democratic way of organisation.
Some cultures are also described with completely different marriage practices. In several of these, polygamous relationships are accepted. These types of marriages are inherently unbalanced, usually in favour of the male partner. Salladhor Saan, the pirate from the Summer Isles, mentions that he has several wives and he does so in a casual manner (CK 153). The same is done by Daenerys about one of the Khal’s, Khal Jommo, who apparently has four wives (GOT 494). The World of Ice and Fire mentions Leng, an island that was ruled by “a long line of god-empresses [who] took two husbands” (TWOIAF 307), which is the only example of polygamous relationships where there are multiple male partners to one female instead of multiple female partners to one male. A Song of Ice and Fire, however, focuses only on the polygamous relationships were men have multiple marriages. The fact that the god-empresses, as seemingly strong and independent female characters, are left out, shifts the power-balance even more towards the men. Besides this, the men are mentioned by
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name, but none of the wives are. Keeping the wives as anonymous and inconsequential, places them in the realm of the Other and signals the relative insignificance of women in general.
In general, getting married will increase the status and power of high-born ladies. After marriage, women will definitely not be equal to their husband, but they may have the ability to exert a certain level of influence through having the ear of their husbands. Besides this, the marriage will offer some sort of protection. It means being part of two powerful houses at once, which most likely means two houses will consider it their duty to protect the woman in question. Furthermore, the husband usually considers it his duty to protect his wife. Especially in a dangerous world such as Westeros, that is a useful security measure, similar to the one that marriage provided for females in medieval Europe (Larrington 41). Even in areas outside of Westeros, marrying means becoming part of a different family. After Daenerys has married Khal Drogo, Viserys calls her “some horselord’s slut” (GOT 230),
thereby indicating her allegiance to the Dothraki, while also insinuating how she is just one of their possessions and has a low position. Daenerys embraces her new home and society and later states “They are my people now” (GOT 387), showing how her allegiance has shifted. She does not entirely reject her brother at that point, but she does indicate that she belongs to a different group. It is probably also largely due to the fact that her brother mistreated and practically abused her for years (GOT 37) that she easily makes a shift to a group with entirely different customs than she originally has. Like many of the women in A Song of Ice and Fire, Daenerys gains a lot in status and power through her marriage. She is able to exercise influence through her new position as khaleesi (GOT 227) and because she has the ear of the Khal (GOT 583; 593-4; 668). Even when the Khal is not around, Daenerys can threaten with the existence and possible punishment of the Khal and thus still
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accomplish her goals (GOT 668). Even when the two partners in a forced marriage do not see eye to eye, as with Cersei Lannister and Robert Baratheon, the female figure still gets her status from the marriage and can still speak with her husband to exercise influence. However, women are expected to do their husband’s bidding and often are not allowed to speak their mind. Joffrey states to Sansa that “A true wife does not mock her lord” (GOT 750) and Stannis and Robert Baratheon generally address their wives simply as “woman,” with Robert Baratheon actually silencing Cersei saying “How many times must I tell you to hold your tongue, woman?” (GOT 429). Whereas he sometimes allows her to speak her own mind, and heeds her council (i.e. in the case of the killing of the direwolf Lady; GOT 157), when she disagrees with him or produces conflict with Eddard, Robert refuses to listen to her. It is also debatable who has the most power within their marriage. Although Cersei is raised up to the office of queen due to her marriage with Robert Baratheon, most of her power is acquired through being a part of the Lannister house and one of Lord Tywin’s children. It is clear, however, that she derives most of her power from the men in her surroundings.
In Westeros, once a woman marries a man, she is generally considered part of his family. This means adopting the husband’s family name as well as ruling in his stead when he is gone. As mentioned before, Lady Hornwood is left to rule once her husband dies. Catelyn Stark does not rule in Winterfell after the departure of her husband, because she has a son who can rule. Reproduction within marriage is very important, because heirs are necessary to continue the family line. Once married, women are supposed to give up their body and be available for sexual intercourse whenever the husband desires it. For example, Robert Baratheon exclaims of his wife Cersei “the way she guards her cunt, you’d think she had all the gold of Casterly Rock between her legs” (GOT 310). This sentence implies that women
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are only there for the sexual gratification of the men, because not being open to sex is seen as being overly guarded. The female genitals are presented as something that is not valuable enough to be guarded in the same way that having gold between one’s legs would be, thus reducing the value of female sexuality in general. The use of the word “cunt” in particular is significant, because it is an extremely taboo word. The character of Robert Baratheon is here shown to be immensely derogatory towards women. There is an obvious reason why women are forced to have sex within the marriage, which is that heirs can only be produced within a marriage. Children born outside of marriage are referred to as bastards and are frowned upon within Westerosi society. All the children born out of wedlock are called bastards and receive the same surname, depending on the region they come from. In order to check that a man and woman in the higher classes who are recently married do consummate the marriage, a ritual called the bedding ceremony takes place.
From a very early age, Westerosi girls are indoctrinated with the idea that they will need to produce heirs later on in their life. When Arya is discussing her possible future with her father, asking “Can I be a king’s councillor and build castles and become the High
Septon?”, Eddard Stark replies: “[you] will marry a king and rule his castle, and your sons will be knights and princes and lords” (GOT 256). The main focus is not on what she will be and may do, but on what her sons’ professions will be. The people in A Song of Ice and Fire appreciate the male more than the female. The idea of having a daughter is considered unfortunate. Women cannot inherit, so everyone wants their child to be a boy in order to continue the family line. Nonetheless, in a number of places, female heirs are accepted, though begrudgingly by some. In Dorne, among other places, it does not matter whether the eldest child is male or female, he or she will inherit (TWOIAF 242). In The World of Ice and Fire, it is stated that Dorne is the only one of the Seven Kingdoms where that is allowed,
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thereby setting apart the Dornish because of their Rhoynish heritage and differing customs. However, in A Game of Thrones, Dacey Mormont, the daughter of Lady Maege, is described as the “heir to Bear Island” (697), showing that the rest of Westeros does have instances where females could also inherit. In that case, the view others have of the inheritance is important in signalling the cultural diversity in this respect. Dacey Mormont has reportedly been trained to fight, which is something that “other lords muttered about” (697). It becomes clear from those words that not everyone thinks she is fit to fight, and possibly to inherit. By contrast, the Dornish characters that appear, are in favour of females inheriting. On the Iron Islands, another highly patriarchal society, “A woman may inherit only if there is no male heir in the direct line” (CK 177). This leads to a strong focus on boys being born. This custom even transfers across the narrow sea, where the Dothraki believe a bad omen might indicate the child will “come forth weak, deformed, or female” (GOT 489). The fact that they equate a deformed child with a female child, indicates how negatively the society as a whole views women.
As mothers, women play a very significant role within marriage. This is the same across different cultures as well. The Dothraki name important landmarks in a way that relates it to motherhood, such as “Womb of the World” (GOT 493) and “Mother of
Mountains” (GOT 499). Within the sacred city of the Dothraki, outsiders are only allowed so long as they do not “profane the Mother of Mountains or the Womb of the World” (GOT 586). It is also for this reason that the Mother is an important figure within the faith of the Seven in Westeros. Catelyn worships the Mother in particular, who is portrayed as “loving and protective” (CK 495). It is mainly through her identity as a mother and the protective feeling towards her sons that Catelyn propels the plot further when she goes to King’s Landing to discover who ordered Bran killed (GOT 137). Cersei Lannister is another example
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of a mother whose main aim is to protect her children. She becomes dangerous because she will do whatever it takes to ensure that her children are safe. The image of Daenerys
Targaryen as the ideal mother begins with her adopting the name Mother of Dragons (GOT 806). Later, the Yunkai’i she frees from slavery also call her Mother (SOS 589). There are also even less positive references to motherhood, for instance when Jaime accuses women that “birthing does something to your minds. You are all mad” (GOT 83) or when Catelyn’s
attempt to save her daughter is considered “a mother’s madness” (SOS 34, italics original). In this second instance, the madness is referred to in a negative way. The comment is used to excuse Catelyn’s behaviour, contributing her decision to the general feeling that mothers might have in her situation, placing her in a victim role. However, her decision is considered irrational, as signalled by the term ‘madness’.
Throughout A Song of Ice and Fire, marriages and hereditary rights indicate the cultural differences that exist between the different parties. Marriages and hereditary rights are incredibly important elements to the entire series, because the creation of alliances and the different laws surrounding who becomes heir is what furthers the plot and contributes to who wins the game of thrones. Although that is still undecided. Since women are the ones who are married off to a male party, they are passive in the ‘transaction’ and are thereby set aside as Other. Marriage practices differ between cultures and especially the role that women acquire within the relationship varies. Dependent on the culture, women have a more or less equal relationship with their partner. The production of heirs creates a lot of pressure on women. Depending on the region, girls are or are not able to inherit if they are the eldest child, which in the example of Dornish contributes to the fact that they are seen as Other. Thus, for some cultures, getting a daughter has much less value than when a son is born. Martin has clearly chosen to stick mainly to the medieval ideas surrounding marriages
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and hereditary rights, although consent for both parties was much more important in Europe in the medieval period (McSheffrey 18; McCarthy 23) than it is used in A Song of Ice and Fire. Overall, Martin portrays the women as inferior within their marriage and in terms of their opportunities to inherit. Where other cultures present a different view, it leads to conflict. Although Martin later allows for female rulers, the world he has created is essentially misogynistic.
Hofstee 27 Chapter 2 | Appearances and the underrepresented Other
Appearances are essential in A Song of Ice and Fire. Based on a person’s appearances,
characters decide who someone is, where they are from, and what their intentions might be. A lot of this is based on stereotyping and generally, characters are negatively judged by the way they look. There is a noticeable difference between the appearance of the characters whose point of view we share and those we do not, with point of view characters being more likely to be white males. To some extent, the novels also adhere to the dark versus white divide that has governed the fantasy genre for a long time. Furthermore, the books strongly promote a certain standard of manliness and femininity and those patterns are enforced on the characters.
The name of the country, Westeros, already seems to signify the books’ focus on the Western and this is also visible in the appearance of the point of view characters in A Song of Ice and Fire, as nearly all of them resemble people of Western-European descent. The point of view characters, with some minor exceptions, are described as having a white skin and pale or golden hair. Generally, they also have green, blue, or violet eyes. The Starks originally have dark hair and grey eyes, which sets them apart from the Lannisters and Targaryens. As is common in fantasy literature, “women, and women of color, especially, [are depicted] as accessories or minor characters” (S. Morris 162) and the same goes for men of colour as well. Although it was Martin’s prerogative to determine the appearance of his characters, the novels he has written contain a strong focus on the white male perspective.
In order to analyse the way in which Martin constructs the sexist and racial Other, it is important to look at the form and voice of the series. The ability to voice one’s opinion is one of the main elements in which people can acquire or exercise power. In the series, we
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get to see the experiences of a few characters from their own point of view. On the one hand, by having multiple point of view characters rather than one single narrator, there is a sense of balance to the story. The narrations may be reliable or unreliable in their own right, but since we hear the description of events from various viewpoints, there is a higher chance for a balanced view of minorities. On the other hand, by giving more point of view chapters to white males, the series foregrounds the opinions and experiences of white male
characters over the opinions and experiences of the racial and female other. It makes any discussion on the othering of minority groups in the series slightly more complicated, since the individual characters whose point of view we follow may have been intentionally written as characters who engage in othering, whereas that is not the view that the book promotes. The point of view chapters do not use a first person perspective, but consist of a third person limited narrator who follows one particular character per chapter and occasionally gives insights into the characters’ personal thoughts, while also adapting its general writing style to the point of view character. For instance, when writing from the point of view of Sansa, the phrase “her tummy got so fluttery” appears (SOS 802), where other characters’ chapters use the word “stomach,” “gut,” or “belly” (GOT 251; 411) rather than “tummy.” The
chapters not only see through the eyes of the point of view character, but also use language that fits best with the character. Through the narrative voices, Martin can establish his “strategic location,” namely his position in relation to the Other that he describes (Said 20). His position towards the Other shines through in his choice of point of view characters and the third person limited narrator, while using point of view characters works as a type of “distancing device” (Black 51-2) to create space between Martin’s personal opinions and the discursive domination he engages in.
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In order to assess the characters that have been given a distinct voice through being established as a point of view character, I have done a page count of all the books in the series and which gender or ethnic group the point of view characters belong to. It is quite noticeable that a shift takes place across the five books that the series currently consists of. In A Game of Thrones, the division on the gender issue is relatively well-balanced: four male and four female characters are established as point of view characters, with 396 pages and 328 page allocated to them respectively. In A Clash of Kings, this shifts to five male and four female characters, thus leading to a marked difference in the number of pages dedicated to the point of view of a character of either gender, with 599 and 370 pages respectively. The third novel, A Storm of Swords has four female point of view characters, over a total of 413 pages, and six male point of view characters, with a total of 594 pages. By the time A Feast for Crows comes around, it seems that there is an attempt to re-establish balance, with the addition of Brienne and Arianne Martell as point of view characters on the female side. This is the only book in the series with more pages dedicated to female point of view characters than male point of view characters, with 565 pages to 343 pages. However, this completely switches to the other extreme with A Dance with Dragons, which has thirteen male point of view characters, including the prologue and epilogue, compared to five female ones, leading to a marked difference in page numbers, with 250 pages for the female point of view, and 695 for the male point of view.
It is remarkable that the first three books in the series do not have any ethnically diverse point of view characters, despite the fact that the lands of certain people do appear. The Targaryen family, whose fate the reader follows through Daenerys, is described as having violet eyes (GOT 33), “pale skin” (GOT 494) and “silver-pale” (GOT 32) or “silvery hair” (GOT 494). Jon describes the Lannisters as having golden hair and green eyes (GOT 50). The
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Dornish do have a different skin colour and different eye colour, which adds to the fact that they are considered other. A Feast for Crows is the first book that allows a voice to the Dornish, the only ethnically diverse group within Westeros. Areo Hotah and Arianne Martell first appear to show the situation in Dorne. Even so, these characters do not appear with their names mentioned. Areo Hotah’s chapter simply states “The captain of guards” (FFC 42). Areo Hotah is originally from Norvos, but since he has lived in Dorne almost his entirely life, he can definitely be considered as a portrayal of the Dornish voice (DWD 555). Arianne Martell is labelled as “The Queenmaker” (FFC 424) and “The Princess in the Tower” (FFC 838). Although other characters have also had other chapter titles, such as “Alayne” for Sansa Stark (FFC 467) or “Cat of the Canals” for Arya Stark (FFC 718), those changes were always due to a conscious decision to adopt a new name. In essence, the non-ethnically-diverse characters are given power over their own chapter titles, whereas the Dornish receive their label, whether they like it or not. Any ‘non-white’ characters are described by white characters in the novel series. Thus, the books force ‘non-whites’ to see themselves only through the opinions and descriptions of the mainstream white, which “endows
‘nonwhiteness’ with an inherently negative meaning” (DuBois in Anselmi 46). This is another way of taking power over ‘non-white’ people, what Shameem Black refers to as “discursive domination” (19). Ethnically diverse people are hardly given a voice and therefore cannot exercise power through their voice. The only voices we hear, and the people whose thoughts matter in the series, are white people. By pretending to speak for and know the mind of any female characters or racial Other, Martin engages in discursive domination over those groups.
As Carolyne Larrington has previously stated in Winter is Coming: The Medieval World of Game of Thrones in reference to the city of Qarth, the fact that there is no point of view
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character of certain places can be problematic, since it limits our understanding of those places (213) and misrepresentation is very well possible. Without a voice, ‘Other’ characters remain passive, like an ‘object of study’ (Malek in Said 97) and we do not find out what the places they come frosm are truly like. In the case of the Dothraki, for example, we get a large amount of description of them from the point of view of Daenerys as well as value
judgement of their character. There is no point of view character who can explain their culture from an inside perspective. Eventually, Daenerys becomes part of the Dothraki to some extent, adopting their way of life. At first, Daenerys finds the Dothraki the most “strange and frightening” people she has ever encountered (GOT 101) and she finds their way of life “alien and monstrous, as if they were beasts in human skins and not true men at all” (GOT 103). The Dothraki are described as having “red-brown” or “copper” skin, black hair, and black eyes (GOT 36; GOT 494) and the Dothraki men have a moustache (GOT 36, GOT 492), none of which Daenerys is used to seeing. Daenerys is initially quite critical of the Dothraki’s way of life and rarely mentions anything positive about them. Any time she encounters the Dothraki, the fact that they differ in appearance is repeated, with references to Khal Drogo’s face as “a copper mask” (GOT 492) or a “bronze mask” (GOT 103), which suggests that he is emotionless, creating an image of an impassive Other. Later on, she adopts the Dothraki way of life, wears dress that the Dothraki wear (GOT 230) and
eventually pronounces herself khaleesi of a new khalasar (GOT 800), independent of Khal Drogo. There is a duality to her character at that point, because obeying the laws of the Dothraki would have meant becoming part of the dosh khaleen, which she refuses to do. However, she does stick to the basic hierarchy of the Dothraki, by naming her own ko’s.
Despite his attempts to avoid stereotyping in his writing, Martin frequently uses the dark versus light stereotype. Going back to early fantasy and Tolkien in particular, dark and
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light were frequent antitheses, often used as the symbols for evil and good (Rearick 861) and it has become a staple that provides fantasy readers with specific connotations. In the case of Martin’s work, he does not write strictly along the lines of colour. Darker characters are not necessarily more evil. All characters have the capacity for good and evil, so for instance the pale and white-haired Viserys is proved early on to be evil at most and unkind at least. Martin frequently goes against the “fantasy cliché” of the dark as evil and white as good dialectic (Shawl and Ward 40). Most of Martin’s (white) point of view characters are more sympathetic than the ‘supporting’ characters, but that seems intended more for the readers’ benefit, to make it easier for readers to sympathize and heighten the chances of readers wanting to continue reading. Despite that, in the novel series, the colour black is referred to in a negative way in several instances. For instance, referring to a horse, its colour is
described as “black as sin” (SOS 520), with sins being called black by Cersei as well, who states in A Feast For Crows that “my darkest sins are no wise near as black as his” (932). In itself, this is not necessarily a racial reference, since it is quite likely that it stems from a religious angle, coming from Jewish and Christian tradition (Rearick 864). However, considering Martin’s borrowings from the late medieval period, it is possible that the idea comes from his research, because “[b]y the high Middle Ages, black skin was linked with sin” (Ramey 43). Arys Oakheart, in one of his point of view chapters, links this idea of black versus white to appearances. He speaks of Myrcella and Trystane, saying that “The two children could not have looked more different, him with his olive skin and straight black hair, her pale as milk with a mop of golden curls; light and dark” (FFC 26). He goes on to question whether they will be a good couple. The only markers he uses to stress their differences is their skin colour and hair colour, which in itself is too simplistic a view. By characterizing them simply as “light and dark,” the ideas of dark as related to evil, danger, and sin that are
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mentioned in the other novels returns and provides a new connotation. Other characters in the series come into contact with people of different skin colour and link it to evil directly. Gilly states about a girl her and Sam have met that she was frightened by her because “she was so black, and her teeth were so big and white, I was afraid she was a beastling or a monster” (FFC 747). Although her initial reserve has been removed and her preconceptions about the racial Other she encounters have been proven false, it is noteworthy that she believed the character to be a monster based solely on the colour of her skin and the size of her teeth. In the same novel, Victarion Greyjoy also refers to “Men black as tar” (FFC 365), which is followed by the phrase “Monsters, Victarion thought” (FFC 365). The ideas of black skin as indicative of evil and white skin as signifying good stems from the twelfth and
thirteenth century (Ramey 2). It is therefore not surprising that it reappears in a novel series which is largely based on research of the medieval period.
The stereotypical view of the orient as seductive (Said 205) makes an appearance in the description of Lady Serala, who hails from Myr and becomes ‘friends’ with Cersei. Cersei describes her “smooth olive skin, ripe lips, huge dark eyes, and thick black hair” before stating that “She even smells of sin, like some exotic lotus” (FFC 150). Her exoticism and looks receive the verdict that it smells sinful, thus combining her dark otherness to evil, while simultaneously reusing the age old “stereotype of the east as sexualized” (Larrington 214). Davos at one point states of wildlings that “they seemed men like any other men, some fair, some foul” (SOS 736). For him, it seems, the otherness of these people does not
necessarily make them evil, but most of the characters do support this stereotypical view. The associations of black and white colour symbolism become even more complex when taking into consideration the Night’s Watch. Men of the Night’s Watch typically dress in black, which is why joining them is often referred to as ‘tak[ing] the black’ (GOT 66). They are
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tasked with a noble duty, to act as a “shield that guards the realms of men” (GOT 522). In this instance, black seemingly is a colour that stands for good, for justice. Although the books remain positive towards the institute of the Night’s Watch as a whole, it is frequently
elaborated upon that the Night’s Watch consists mainly of criminals (SOS 439). The “negative associations of blackness” (Goldenberg 93) therefore also exist in the image of the Night’s Watch. In addition, considering their task, and for example Qhorin Halfhand’s rhetorical question “Why else do we don these black cloaks, but to die in defense of the realm?” (CK 632), the black symbolism of the Night’s Watch is more strongly linked to death rather than evil, linking up with Greek and Roman association of black with death and the underworld (Goldenberg 93). Instances of black and white symbolism are many and varied in A Song of Ice and Fire. The associations of black as evil and white as good seem to be adopted by the characters, but examples are not always clear cut.
Descriptions of women in the novel series centre on what women should look like and what feminine behaviour entails. The appearances can concern the actual bodily shape or the dress that a person wears. Attempting to change genders and use cross-dressing is actually an important element in the books as well, especially in relation to Brienne of Tarth. There is a lot of emphasis on the fact that women should have sizable breasts. Viserys speaks of Daenerys as having “a woman’s shape,” referring to her breasts (GOT 29). Female
characters throughout may be described as being “flat as a boy” (GOT 608; SOS 127) or other types of reference being made to the lack of breasts in women seemingly reducing their femininity (CK 328). In those instances, the female shape is described by referring to the opposite gender. Looking more like a man is cast in a negative light here, whereas being a woman is discredited through its likelihood to receive critique on physical appearance. Jaime mentions that men in Tarth might not know what “real women look like” if all the women
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look like Brienne of Tarth (SOS 21) and it begs the question of what ‘real women’ might be, if not Brienne, who is actually female. Other characters regularly attempt to force Brienne into the regular female gender pattern, by forcing her to dress and act in accordance with the ideal of how women should look and behave. The fact that Brienne looks manly apparently reduces her womanhood, at least in Jaime’s eyes. Brienne is judged as inferior because of her womanhood, but the fact that she does not look like the ideal of a woman is scorned even more.
The World of Ice and Fire is very particular about the way characters are dressed. Wearing the wrong type of clothing, and particularly a type of clothing that does not match the sex of the character, is discussed in mocking tones. Theon is berated by his father for dressing “in velvets and silks,” which in the eyes of Balon Greyjoy makes him more feminine, as he is referred to becoming a “sweet daughter” to Ned Stark (CK 183) through his outfits. In the Iron Islands, it is approved of that Asha Greyjoy changes into men’s clothing, thus signalling that being more like a man is a positive result and becoming more female is a negative result. Theon remains critical of Asha’s change into men’s wear, stating that “Men’s garb won’t make her a man” (CK 386). The same happens with Osha, who Bran first
describes as “scarcely [looking] like a woman; tall and lean, with the same hard face as the others, her hair hidden beneath a bowl-shaped halfhelm. The spear she held was eight feet of black oak” (GOT 403). Bran recognizes her as a woman, despite her unconventional dress, but nevertheless the outfit she wears is described most heavily to characterize her.
Brienne of Tarth is the most noteworthy character in relation to cross-dressing. She wears armour, as all male knights do, but is treated negatively because of it. Even Catelyn, who is generally extremely friendly towards Brienne, is “horrified” to find out that Brienne of
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Tarth is a woman rather than a man (CK 343). Others describe her as “absurd,” like Renly did according to Ser Loras (SOS 925) and Brienne herself recalls that people often called her “Freakish” (FFC 83). Ser Jaime mentions that Ronnet refers to her as a “freak” as well as “a sow in silk” (FFC 582) and a merchant she comes across asks her why she wears “unnatural garb” (FFC 93). This is striking, since ordinary people in Westeros are rarely giving a voice in the series. By allowing this merchant to utter his opinion here, it is suggested that the people of Westeros generally believe that the biological distinction of a person’s sex translates to a particular ‘natural’ way to dress in accordance with your sex. Even though the men know that she is a good fighter (FFC 519) in spite of, or regardless of, her gender, they are derogatory towards the idea that she is a knight. It is mentioned that she is “pretending to be a knight” (SOS 925) and Jaime states that she cannot be called “Ser Brienne,” hinting at the fact that changing her dress doesn’t make her a knight (SOS 21). Brienne comes across Randyll Tarly who advises her to give up fighting by stating “gods made men to fight, and women to bear children” (FFC 301). Nearly all the characters in the series treat Brienne of Tarth negatively because of the fact that she dresses in men’s clothing. Although she
continues fighting and thus allows herself to act like a man, she gets a lot of resistance to her behaviour. The obstacles Brienne has to overcome on her journey for justice actually make her an extremely admirable character. Although the characters do not, the book casts
Brienne in a positive light. She attempts to protect the innocent and use her fighting skills for good, in spite of all the difficulties she has to overcome and the derogatory comments she has to endure. Brienne is set aside as Other quite strongly, but the reader is still encouraged to sympathise with her, thereby reducing her alterity. Her individual difference is her
greatest strength, so the narration and plot development make her othering a case of positive differentiation.
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Certain behaviour is characterised by people in the series as feminine or masculine behaviour. For example, being “fierce” or angry is not considered part of being a girl, since Arya is berated for her actions on account of the fact that it is not the typical behaviour for girls (GOT 426). Not wanting to exhibit the most feminine behaviour and engaging in activities that are normally set aside for men is described as “nonsense” by Eddard Stark, relating to Arya’s desires to swordfight (GOT 221). Girls are generally “taught to smile and sing and please” (CK 849), whereas men are taught to rule and fight. Some of the women embrace their teachings. Sansa clearly aspires to be as ladylike as possible and she embraces all the stereotypes on femininity that her surrounding culture has indoctrinated her with. Sansa is “resolved to be a lady no matter what” and part of that is remembering her “courtesies” (GOT 544). In Dangerous Women, published in 2014, Martin and Gardner Dozois stress the importance of strong female characters. They resist the stereotypical representation of women as “[h]opelessly struggling” and relegated to minor roles in
popular fiction from the 1930s till 1950s (Martin and Dozois 2). This is visible in the fact that female characters do take central roles, despite having fewer point of view characters than men. Also, the female characters are rounded and the characters that do represent the stereotype of ‘hopelessly struggling female waiting for a man to rescue her’, eventually change around. Sansa proves that she is immensely strong. The idea that is inherent in the society, and suggested by several characters, that “women are all weak” and weakness is a female trait (GOT 749; 177; 795) is proven false by the massive change that the female characters go through in terms of claiming more power as the series progresses. Martin also once again shows his propensity for “warrior women [who are] every bit as good with the blade and every bit as deadly in battle as […] their other male comrades” (Martin and Dozois, 2). This is visible in the female fighters that appear in multiple ethnic groupings; among the
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Wildlings, the mountain clans, the Dornish, and even in the North, where most Bear Island women are warriors, despite objections from other lords (GOT 697). Nonetheless, women warriors are remarked upon as an oddity, because they are often described in the point of view chapters of characters who do not normally encounter female fighters.
The significance of a person’s appearances in the World of Ice and Fire cannot be overstated. With a view exceptions, the point of view characters are white. By limiting the ethnic diversity in point of view characters, most descriptions of characters emphasize differences of skin colour whenever it concerns a darker skin colour. The medieval stereotype of black as evil and sinful reappears in A Song of Ice and Fire, but remains ambiguous, largely due to the example of the Night’s Watch. The manner in which
characters dress is also important. Cross-dressing is chided by many characters, but Brienne of Tarth, who acts and dresses in a manly way throughout, is othered in a positive way because the manner in which she deals with obstacles is commendable and makes her an extremely sympathetic character. The characters set her aside as Other and treat her as Other in a negative way, whereas the narration and plot development show her differences as a positive element to her character.
