Huffington Post: Female Archetypes in Game Of Thrones

[Warren DeMontague]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ann-marie-rasmussen/game-of-thrones_b_1872201.html

Overall, the female characters in Game of Thrones are no smarter or stupider than the male characters; intelligence seems to be distributed randomly across the sexes in the series, as it is in real life. (Now that's progress!)

There is a dilemma when it comes to archetypes in fiction. Archetypes are immediately and effortlessly familiar and an easy way to make sense of the world.

This can be bad, too. The extreme of an archetype is a stereotype -- a simplified, often clichéd image of others held in common by a group. As we all know, stereotypes can infiltrate the political and social fabric of life and have insidious, damaging effects.

Yet the existence of archetypes in fiction is universal, no less prevalent in the past than in the present, historically and culturally specific, and endlessly fascinating.

[LeftyMom]

1. It's funny to me when people look at the TV show and not the books. Why examine a fraction of the

story?

I realize people who just watch the show don't want the story spoiled, so I'll avoid examples, but any time somebody in GOT looks like a stereotypical fantasy role, you can safely assume it's because you don't understand them yet and more information is coming.

[Warren DeMontague]

2. I watched the 1st season and had to go out and read the books.

What an awesome yarn.

[tosh]

3. I am LOVING the books.

I'm almost finished with the second and the third is on hand.

[FloridaJudy]

4. Don't get too attached.

To anyone!

[tosh]

5. Oh Noes!!!

I already am!

[Bette Noir]

7. I stopped reading in the middle of the third.

You couldn't pay me to go any farther.

[FloridaJudy]

8. Red Wedding???

[shawn703]

10. If it's the Red Wedding like the above poster suggested

You should give it another shot. You get some satisfaction in just a few more chapters.

[shawn703]

6. Especially when it comes to who is good and who is evil

Everyone really is grey, and there's not much black and white. Dubya would have a hard time with this series.

[Whisp]

9. there is an interview with Martin on this forum

I posted it a little while ago.

Anyway, as an aside Martin seems like an awesome person. He'd be so much fun just to yap with in your kitchen or living room.

About this good and evil thing - he decided that instead of evil empire vs good empire (meaning that all people on each side only had the one trait, good or evil) he decided on the good and evil in each individual and the struggle each of us have with that throughout our lives. That's probably been done scores of times before but for some reason it really sunk in when he said it that way.

[Warren DeMontague]

11. There are two characters in those stories who I would categorize as relatively unequivocal "heroes"

and both change, grow, and are in many ways deeply flawed and damaged beings; which, however, feeds into their empathy and compassion.

One of them has a danger of being a bit one-dimensional at times in some of the books, but I suspect (and this is just my hunch) that is because that character is going to play an obviously important role in the later parts of the story, sort of like the card that hasn't really been played yet.

And, ah, that's all I'm saying.

[FloridaJudy]

12. And there's at least one with no redeeming qualities whatsoever.

No spoilers, but fortunately Karma catches up somewhere in volume three.

[Warren DeMontague]

13. Yeah, i know exactly who you mean. Watching the series

My wife keeps asking me "when? Soon, right? Please tell me it is soon!"

[kdmorris]

14. I watched the first season and figured, like most things, it didn't do justice to the books

So, I read the first book (the TV show is actually pretty close - Season 1 to Book 1). I'm most of the way through the second book and realized that there's a little more deviation between the series and the books starting in Book 2. The books give me more of a sense of depth of character, though. I read the 1st book after Season 1 and then patiently waited until after Season 2 to read Book 2.

Not that I'm not addicted to the series, too. But I can't wait until Season 3 starts to start reading Book 3. They are just too intriguing.

I found that, while they do have the archtypes that the Huffington posts list, the books and the series are pretty balanced as far as female characters go. I'll never forget reading "Stranger in a Strange Land" (Heinlein) and really relating to the female lead - she was strong and smart and a leader and then just turned into a simpering, idiot follower... that made me so mad.

I know there have been people who have real problems with the sex in the TV show, but the violence tends to bother me a lot more than the sex.

Somehow, oddly, my favorite character is actually Tyrion, not a female character. For whatever reason, I relate to him more than most of the female characters. Since everyone else is trying not to post spoilers, I won't launch into my feelings about Caitlyn Stark. Since I am a wife and mother, you'd think I'd identify most with her, but she doesn't seem too bright sometimes (the thing with Jaime). What the hell was she thinking?

[Warren DeMontague]

15. Cat stark seems to have some issues, or sure

Although shes in a pretty screwed up situation, as a mom.

Danerys has gotta be my favorite female character, also partial to Brienne, and Arya. Sansa becomes much more tolerable as the series progresses.

I think tyrion is one of the best characters in literature that ive read, ever.

[FloridaJudy]

16. I LOVE Tyrion.

But then, like him, I have a fondness for bastards and broken things.

When I first heard they were filming Fire and Ice, I wondered who on earth they would cast as Tyrion. It can't be easy finding an actor who meets the physical requirements. But Dinklage is absolutely perfect.

I also worried about Brienne. It's not easy finding an actress who physically fits the part, and I was gobstruck when they cast a fashion model in the role. But she uglied up good, and can act as well! I guess if they can make Helen Mirren look like Queen Elizabeth, they can do almost anything with make-up.