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Women in Game of Thrones: Power, Conformity and Resistance
Game of Thrones, one of the hottest series on television, leaves hundreds of critics divided on how "feminist" the show really is. Certainly the female characters, strong and weak, embody a variety of archetypes--widow queens, warrior women, damsels in distress, career women, priestesses, crones, mothers and maidens. However, the problem is that most of them play a single role without nuance--even the "strong women" have little to do besides strut about as one-note characters. This book analyzes the women and their portrayals one by one, along with their historical inspirations. Accompanying issues in television studies also appear, from the male gaze to depiction of race. How these characters are treated in the series and how they treat themselves becomes central, as many strip for the pleasure of men or are sacrificed as pawns. Some nude scenes or moments of male violence are fetishized and filmed to tantalize, while others show the women's trauma and attempt to identify with the scene's female perspective. The key is whether the characters break out of their traditional roles and become multidimensional.
216 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 2014
12 people are currently reading
552 people want to read
About the author
Valerie Estelle Frankel
113 books245 followersValerie Estelle Frankel is the author of 88 books on pop culture, including Doctor Who - The What, Where, and How; The Villain's Journey, History, Pop Culture, and Hidden Meanings in Hamilton; and How Game of Thrones Will End. Many of her books focus on women’s roles in fiction, from her heroine’s journey guides From Girl to Goddess and Superheroines and the Epic Journey to books like Star Wars Meets the Eras of Feminism and Fourth Wave Feminism in Science Fiction and Fantasy. She's editing a series on Jewish Science Fiction for Rowman & Littlefield. Once a lecturer at San Jose State University, she now teaches at Mission College and is a frequent speaker at conferences. Come explore her research at www.vefrankel.com.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
October 14, 2014
This book provides excellent source of well-researched, well-cited information on the use of archetypes and tropes in fiction where women are concerned. It also succeeds remaining entertaining as a pop culture reference.
It takes on the role women play in both the show and the book series it is based upon and compares them to one another, to women in modern society, and to women in the roles they were allowed to play historically. For historical roles, it generally compares women in the show to women in the middle ages at around the time of the War of the Roses. Although Westeros is fictional, George RR Martin has publicly stated that the War of the Roses is the basis for his fictional tale of various royal bloodlines fighting to control a single throne.
The historical bits I found particularly well-researched and entertaining. The author does an excellent job of unearthing appropriate examples and comparison. Although she does include well-known history (such as women warriors like Joan of Arc) she also includes far more obscure historical references. Her research is impeccable.
She also does an excellent job of citing her sources, so much so that it is my feeling that this book, although clearly written as a pop culture entertainment, would be useful as a scholarly text in a feminism class.
The text presents both sides of the argument - that Game of Thrones elevates women, and that it presents them in a derogatory light - dissects them, re-examine them and puts them back together again, but it ultimately leaves the reader to draw his or her own conclusion.
As a side note, this book had the best explanation of what is meant by "male gaze" I have ever read. I never really clearly understood what the term meant until I read this book.
It takes on the role women play in both the show and the book series it is based upon and compares them to one another, to women in modern society, and to women in the roles they were allowed to play historically. For historical roles, it generally compares women in the show to women in the middle ages at around the time of the War of the Roses. Although Westeros is fictional, George RR Martin has publicly stated that the War of the Roses is the basis for his fictional tale of various royal bloodlines fighting to control a single throne.
The historical bits I found particularly well-researched and entertaining. The author does an excellent job of unearthing appropriate examples and comparison. Although she does include well-known history (such as women warriors like Joan of Arc) she also includes far more obscure historical references. Her research is impeccable.
She also does an excellent job of citing her sources, so much so that it is my feeling that this book, although clearly written as a pop culture entertainment, would be useful as a scholarly text in a feminism class.
The text presents both sides of the argument - that Game of Thrones elevates women, and that it presents them in a derogatory light - dissects them, re-examine them and puts them back together again, but it ultimately leaves the reader to draw his or her own conclusion.
As a side note, this book had the best explanation of what is meant by "male gaze" I have ever read. I never really clearly understood what the term meant until I read this book.
June 19, 2014
I agreed with the main point of this book: The show has not portrayed many of the female characters as they were in the books and has taken nuance, strength, and agency from them reducing them to female archetypes. I understand that the show is an adaptation so changes must be made, but this degradation of female characters was unnecessary.
I would have liked to give the book 5 stars, but didn't for 2 reasons. First, there were times when I felt the author was too harsh on GRRM's characters in the books for not being feminist enough. Part of the struggle in the story is that the society is patriarchal, based partially on Medieval Europe. Secondly, the typos were too much for me. I got tired of noting them here, but on multiple occasions the author referred to the wrong character and spelled characters names incorrectly. The almost frequent use of redundant lines was part of this too. The book was well written (and researched!) aside from these small issues, and it is a shame that the author did not have a better editor (one who was well versed in ASoIaF).
I would have liked to give the book 5 stars, but didn't for 2 reasons. First, there were times when I felt the author was too harsh on GRRM's characters in the books for not being feminist enough. Part of the struggle in the story is that the society is patriarchal, based partially on Medieval Europe. Secondly, the typos were too much for me. I got tired of noting them here, but on multiple occasions the author referred to the wrong character and spelled characters names incorrectly. The almost frequent use of redundant lines was part of this too. The book was well written (and researched!) aside from these small issues, and it is a shame that the author did not have a better editor (one who was well versed in ASoIaF).
July 11, 2021
3.5 stars. I really enjoyed reading this book and its analysis of some of my favorite fictional characters of all time. However there were a few factual errors and issues with analysis that I feel could have been prevented by a more thorough read and study of the book series instead of all the focus on the show. (for example, the author claims that there are no female wargs; this is simply not true - Arya is a confirmed warg- and most book fans could you tell you that immediately.) That aside, this was a lot of thoughtful and detailed look at the beloved female characters of the Game of Thrones franchise and their impact on fantasy and its readers.
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November 21, 2024This was a fun read, which did a better job of delving into the characters and surveying other points of view than actually coming to a new and original conclusion. But this is what literary criticism often becomes, and I admire the author for her diligent work. If I had to pettily disagree with Frankel on anything, it would probably be on her antifeminist analysis of Cersei. If you´ve ever talked to me about Game of Thrones you´ll know that I love Cersei in all her horrible sociopathic splendor, and just because she´s evil, obsessed with her children, and suspicious of other women doesn´t mean she´s not a feminist icon. Okay--if she existed in real life, she wouldn´t be. But as a fictional character, she reminds us that female villains are allowed to be just as complicated as male ones. They´re allowed to be intelligent yet make impulsive or stupid decisions and so devoted to their children that they end up killing them. And if other women react to a life of societal pressure by making themselves small and meek, it seems just as likely that others, like Cersei, might instead turn to scheming and give into paranoia.
August 2, 2025
An interesting and well-researched critical review over how both the books and the tv-series (though only the first three seasons) treats its female characters. It thorougly deconstructs how female characters are portrayed in the media we all love, with issues such as their agency and the archetypes they fall into. The only issue (apart from the minor misspellings and factual errors) is that it sometimes strafes a bit too close to the myth that a woman can only be a woman if she holds feminine traits, yet it is still a very thorough review that treats the world with respect and criticism, and is not afraid of pulling punches when observing that (in the tv-series especially) some female characters are not treated with the same depth as the male characters.
Since the book only covered the first three seasons, it would be interesting to see what the author thought about the later seasons, along with the portrayals of female characters in Fire & Blood and House of the Dragon.
Since the book only covered the first three seasons, it would be interesting to see what the author thought about the later seasons, along with the portrayals of female characters in Fire & Blood and House of the Dragon.
January 29, 2018
Interesting feminist analysis of the first 3 seasons of GoT.
July 23, 2014
My feelings on this book were mixed. On the positive side it was a very interesting topic for the author to explore and many of the points she brought up were ones that I felt were valid. It is well written and the author draws from a number of different sources to make her arguments (including the show, the books, published interviews, and critical opinions).
On the negative side I felt throughout the books that the author's own opinions and personal feelings colored her analysis too much. She is obviously a feminist writer so characters from the stories which did not meet her feminist ideals were highly criticized. Often she would criticize a character for abandoning her "femininity" then another for being over feminized. Of course the definition of femininity was based on her own opinion. I also felt that the analysis could be repetitive at times.
Overall, it was an interesting read, but I'm glad that the book wasn't any longer than it was.
Also, fair warning to anyone watching the series who has not read the the books, there are some major spoilers in Frankel's book.
On the negative side I felt throughout the books that the author's own opinions and personal feelings colored her analysis too much. She is obviously a feminist writer so characters from the stories which did not meet her feminist ideals were highly criticized. Often she would criticize a character for abandoning her "femininity" then another for being over feminized. Of course the definition of femininity was based on her own opinion. I also felt that the analysis could be repetitive at times.
Overall, it was an interesting read, but I'm glad that the book wasn't any longer than it was.
Also, fair warning to anyone watching the series who has not read the the books, there are some major spoilers in Frankel's book.
March 29, 2018
I would have thought about giving it three stars if chronic misspellings hadn’t been sprinkled through every few pages. Circe instead of Cersei, weight instead of wight... it’s distracting.
March 19, 2019
Facile, jejeune, and juvenile attempt at feminist analysis. Furthermore, the publisher let this book go to press with a multitude of spelling and context errors.
January 31, 2021
When Kgwhitehurst wrote:
"Facile, jejune, and juvenile attempt at feminist analysis. Furthermore, the publisher let this book go to press with a multitude of spelling and context errors." I thought how can I add to that bluntness? Summed up this book in a sentence.
I wanted a book about the Women in Game of Thrones but instead I got a thesis by a college student in a women's studies program. Half this crap makes little sense Except! from that standpoint. A person has to be educated and entitled to even start to thinking like this. You must go to college to learn how to say something this stupid. You know, sometimes a black cat is just a black cat and has no deeper meaning.
"Facile, jejune, and juvenile attempt at feminist analysis. Furthermore, the publisher let this book go to press with a multitude of spelling and context errors." I thought how can I add to that bluntness? Summed up this book in a sentence.
I wanted a book about the Women in Game of Thrones but instead I got a thesis by a college student in a women's studies program. Half this crap makes little sense Except! from that standpoint. A person has to be educated and entitled to even start to thinking like this. You must go to college to learn how to say something this stupid. You know, sometimes a black cat is just a black cat and has no deeper meaning.
February 28, 2018
i liked how the writer put feminist theories into context and explained and firthered my knowledge of the TV show Game of Thrones. sometimes, there are references to the book to give contrast or to explain things further, which is really nice. it is, however, mainly a piece commenting the TV show, not the books.
July 18, 2018
I read this on the Libby app.
This was a great book to read since I’ve wanted to read the A Song of Fire and Ice series and I’m desperate for in-between stories until the show comes to an end. I never realized how much was left out from the television show, and had been changed.
Four stars because I wanted to copy edit it as I read. It probably would have looked good on my portfolio, lmao
This was a great book to read since I’ve wanted to read the A Song of Fire and Ice series and I’m desperate for in-between stories until the show comes to an end. I never realized how much was left out from the television show, and had been changed.
Four stars because I wanted to copy edit it as I read. It probably would have looked good on my portfolio, lmao
October 21, 2024
C'était assez passionnant !
January 23, 2015
Really more of a huge essay in book form and pretty well researched. Couple typos, but nothing dramatic.
Obviously I'm a huge Song of Ice & Fire nerd, so this was right up my alley and hugely interesting to me. Reading about Westeros and its lore and history and people is like digging for the Heath bar bits in Ben & Jerry's ice cream.
I think what fascinates me about the SoIF series is the tremendous potential for so many other really interesting stories within the lore and history of the world. I hate to say "Tolkein-esque" because it was such a buzzword with epic fantasy, but Martin's world is fully fleshed out similar to Tolkein's - its people, it's religions, a long and colorful history...it has its own languages and folklore, and it is fabulous. The series and world is a rabbit hole one could fall into and not come back out.
At any rate, THIS book:
The women's issues are really interesting, but I also loved the extra insight into the characters (For example, the kids and their wolves and the wolves as a representation of their wild nature/magic/power... then correlating that idea with each character and what happens to their wolves and how it represents that character's path - case in point: Lady/Sansa.)
The book contrasts the show vs. the book series and how women are depicted, the common tropes and archetypes they fall into, and how (and if) they break free of them. Having bailed on the tv show, I was interested to read about the differences between book/show and there was some good insight into why some of those changes were made, along with the actors' perspective, Martin's perspective of those changes, and directors. This sets me up to not be quite so cranky and critical if I do get around to watching all the seasons of the show my husband bought before I could stop him... ;)
There's also some analysis of the parallel between real events in history and the Game of Thrones - most particularly the War of the Roses.
There's some great information on women's roles in history, which I really liked. Game of Thrones is not a fictionalized, fantasy version of real history, but there are some unmistakable parallels, and having that pointed out piques my curiosity towards real historical events. Any time something I read gets me curious about world history or a culture, I call it a win!
Overall, I think if I were not as fascinated with Game of Thrones and the series, I'd find it a dry read, but since I am a huge fan, I loved finding those little tidbits of information and mulling them over and trying on different perspectives for size.
November 30, 2015
I have to present on this book in class, so I dug myself way too deeply into it for the past few days, but most of the time, when I do that, I come out hating the book. With Women in Game of Thrones, the biggest annoyance I developed was that the author and I have different opinions on Melisandre, which is nothing, as far as things go.
Having already known quite a bit about the Game of Thrones side of the subject, and a moderate amount on feminist theory, I managed to learn a lot from this book. Frankel goes into historical parallels, which are important to class, but I was really interested in and pleased with her clear explanation of female character archetypes, using the cast of ASOIAF/Game of Thrones as incredibly clear, relevant examples. By explaining how the TV version of Game of Thrones in particular both clings to and subverts these archetypes, I closed the book feeling like a smarter reader and a better literary scholar. This also preserves, in print, internet opinions on the feminism or lack thereof on Game of Thrones, meaning that in the future, this will be a killer research paper source.
I thought this book was really interesting, though I felt a bit like it was balanced against the first and third sections with a massive second chunk, but am pretty much the bulls-eye in the center of the target audience. There were a couple of typos, which was annoying in a book like this, but that wasn't enough to drive me crazy.
Having already known quite a bit about the Game of Thrones side of the subject, and a moderate amount on feminist theory, I managed to learn a lot from this book. Frankel goes into historical parallels, which are important to class, but I was really interested in and pleased with her clear explanation of female character archetypes, using the cast of ASOIAF/Game of Thrones as incredibly clear, relevant examples. By explaining how the TV version of Game of Thrones in particular both clings to and subverts these archetypes, I closed the book feeling like a smarter reader and a better literary scholar. This also preserves, in print, internet opinions on the feminism or lack thereof on Game of Thrones, meaning that in the future, this will be a killer research paper source.
I thought this book was really interesting, though I felt a bit like it was balanced against the first and third sections with a massive second chunk, but am pretty much the bulls-eye in the center of the target audience. There were a couple of typos, which was annoying in a book like this, but that wasn't enough to drive me crazy.
June 3, 2016
A well-researched analysis about the women in "Game of Thrones" in both the show and in the books. The points are great, interesting, and kinda eye-opening, though may sometimes get a bit repetitive because characters may embody similar tropes. I really enjoyed bits about the historical counterparts to the characters of the show and the contrasts between the show's portrayal and handling of the women characters and the book's. One thing to note though is that this analysis only goes up to season 3 ( which was probably what was available during the time of writing), so some musings or arguments may be a little weaker.
April 1, 2015
Fascinating book that really made me think about how women are presented on Game of Thrones and in the books.
February 26, 2016
This was an interesting nonfiction book about how the women in "The Game of Thrones" are portrayed. Very insightful.
July 17, 2016
I love GoT so this was a fun read to supplement while I was for the next season to come out.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews