Writers setting their novels in history have two choices for interesting women characters. They can write misplaced 21st century feminists who marry for love, own their own property, defy their menfolk, and discover that moldy bread cures the plague. Or they can write women who stay true to their limited roles of the era: pawns and players in the game of marriage-for-power, wives, mistresses, witches, priestesses. In the series A Song of Ice and Fire beginning with Game of Thrones, George R.R. Martin has done an admirable job of keeping most of his women interesting while sticking, mostly, within their traditional roles. Below the squiggly thing, my thoughts on some of the women and some discussion questions to, I hope, spark some lively discussion. Pick one to answer, pose your own questions and answers, or just chat away.
For people unfamiliar with the series, suffice to say that the world of Westeros is a highly political world of shifting allegiances, upstart princelings, rebellions, marriages, and betrayals. Kossacks will appreciate the interplay between the exercise of raw political power and each great House's assumption that it is morally superior to all other Houses, just as with today's political parties. Kossacks will also appreciate Hot Pie (really, a character!).
Warning: here be spoilers!
The discussion below the fold assumes that you've read all five books.
Arya and Sansa: Book 1 sets up as an obvious contrast between feisty, rebellious tomboy with a sword (possible heroine?) and spoiled, shallow princess (possible villain or foil?). But people read GRRM’s books for the expectation-defying plotting and characterization; neither character falls neatly into the roles of heroine, villain, or foil as they take remarkably different paths while both arguably suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.
-- Is the bitterness of Arya’s character simply a reasonable byproduct of the horrendous events she’s had to endure? or is she a sociopath by the end of book 5?
-- Anyone else have the feeling that Arya, along with Jaime, seems to be groomed for a single climactic moment at the end of the series?
-- "Sansa does what any feminist would do in a medieval time without any male support to speak of: she retreats within herself and focuses on her own survival. Her path to power is a very feminine one: marriage, then two more marriages. Yet she’s accumulating more power than proto-feminist Arya." Discuss.
-- Major spoiler question: keeping in mind how the direwolf pups track the Stark children’s fates, what are the odds that Sansa will make it to the end of Book 7 alive?
Asha Greyjoy: She tries to be the 21st century feminist, i.e., tries to seize power among her clan in her own name rather than through a man. In another author’s hands, she might have succeeded. Instead, she gets slapped down by her men.
-- "Asha is the strongest woman in the entire series because she's the toughest woman amidst the toughest clan." Discuss.
Brienne: She’s physically the strongest woman of the series. GRRM could have made her a major, albeit stock, character - the proto-feminist who fights with men and earns their respect for her skill with a blade (Arya and Asha both could have been the same character.) Instead, the men hate her and mock her despite her knightly skills.
-- Readers have nicknamed her Brienne the Bore, and she’s not a favorite. Does her unattractiveness play into readers’ perceptions of her?
-- Is she truly a major player, or simply a pawn on the game of thrones? (and if she’s a pawn, why is she a POV character?)
Catelyn Stark: She’s the Fierce Mother of the series. A lot of readers hate her for what they see as bad choices in putting her children above the kingdom.
-- If you’re a mother, or if you’re not, do you agree with her choices? would you do different?
Cersei Lannister: She begins as the Lucretia Borgia of the series. We’re not given access to her point of view until Book 4. In the great game of thrones, she holds power longer than any other character - from her husband’s overthrow of the Targaryen regime to the middle of Book 4, thus making her arguably the strongest and most successful politician of the series. Yet, in keeping with medieval times, all of her power is exercised through her husband and sons.
-- Who does she love more, Jaime or her children? Do her actions favor him or them?
-- Does she deserve her reputation for villainy? Book 1 begins from the Starks’ point of view, in which Lannisters are power-mad; but if it had opened with the Lannister point of view quelling a Northern rebellion, would readers seen Cersei as such a bad person?
-- "Cersei would make a very good politician or campaign strategist, but a very bad governing official" (and I see her as a Republican). Discuss.
Daenyrys Targaryen: Generally, she’s perceived as the heroine: the mother of the three dragons, and most followers of the series assume she’ll eventually end up back in Westeros with her fiery dragons taking on the icy Others of the frozen North. For now, she’s in exile, her efforts at governing are naive at best, and her ever-growing list of suitors can populate a reality show.
-- Flamethrowing discussion question: is she a somewhat bland do-good character, or is she mad? She’s letting herself be guided by prophecies just as Cersei is. There’s a family history of madness. Even though she despises her brother the Beggar King, she refuses to listen to any version of Westeros history other than his. Astute readers have noticed that she’s never seen through another point of view character, so we have no validations of her thoughts/actions.
-- Another flamethrowing discussion question: is her journey one of white colonialism? She travels to exotic lands with vaguely Middle Eastern/Asian overtones, who are generally portrayed as barbarians, to teach them (her ideas of) enlightened ways rather than adapt to their culture.
Melisandre: The one-dimensional High Priestess (or Religious Fanatic, if you prefer).
-- Is she sincere in her faith, or is it a power-mad act?
Ygritte, the women of the free folk, assorted semi-wild characters: Spearwives and Chella seem comfortable serving in and leading armies. Yet we’re constantly told that they’re savages, barbarians, and the like.
-- Is this rejection of the dominant culture the only way a woman can be truly equal to a man in Westeros?
Prior diaries in the series: New miniseries announcement and the setting.