Game of Thrones: House of the Dragon!

Aaaaaand, I couldn't resist coming here again just to say that I finished the first season within a span of 27 hours. I want to say something more, but there's so much to say that I don't even know what to say. But... holy crap!


Trying to not read too much here to avoid all possible spoilers, but: Arya got the most backbone of all the kids. Even without the facts that she's a girl in a man-dominated world and a child, she feels like one of the strongest characters. The fact that she is a little girl in a man-dominated world only makes her awesomness go up an additional level. :monster:

I love Arya because out of every single person we have ever seen interact with Tywin Lannister she is the only one who has unsettled him.

A 9 year old girl was able to make Tywin Lannister feel some discomfort. (She was also just about the only competent person he's ever met and I bet to hell he wishes he could have adopted that cupbearer.)

The only thing that bothers me about Arya is that people's #1 reason for liking her is her lack of femininity. Not just that she unapologetically is who she is, but that she actively rejects her society's idea of how a woman should be, as if the rejection of all things "girl" is a good thing in itself.

I like Arya because she is who she is, whatever that means, and whatever other people think. She's determined and focused. She's not rejecting anything--when people call her a boy she corrects them that she's definitely a girl--it's just that who she is isn't tied to what society thinks that means.

It's semantics, but the subtlety in the way people express themselves on the subject reveals a lot.

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Originally Posted by Shlup

The only thing that bothers me about Arya is that people's #1 reason for liking her is her lack of femininity. Not just that she unapologetically is who she is, but that she actively rejects her society's idea of how a woman should be, as if the rejection of all things "girl" is a good thing in itself.

I like Arya because she is who she is, whatever that means, and whatever other people think. She's determined and focused. She's not rejecting anything--when people call her a boy she corrects them that she's definitely a girl--it's just that who she is isn't tied to what society thinks that means.

It's semantics, but the subtlety in the way people express themselves on the subject reveals a lot.

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You know I totes agree with you.

I like Arya because she is a precocious little thing. I like her because she's brave. I like that she is separated from everyone she loves and you know, you know she is absolutely terrified and heartbroken but she keeps her chin up and keeps forging ahead. I think her threatening violence upon others is her way of coping, or else she would just shatter apart. Because she's a freakin' child having to go through all this and the fact that she is so young and so vulnerable but she's still held herself together is amazing. I like that she is fierce and defiant. I also love her big doe eyes. I think the actress who plays her does a damn fine job.

She also is handy with a weapons and will probably be amazing one day if she can keep alive that long. I've had a fascination with knives and bow&arrows since I was a kid. I was gifted my first serious professional grade archery equipment when I was in middle school. So I feel fond of Arya cause I can see a little bit of myself in her too. I never considered interest in those things to be non-girly though. And I hope Arya doesn't make any more disparaging comments about girls in the future because it makes me cringe when female characters on GoT say those kinds of things and when viewers echo it as well.

I knew people were going to take what I said the wrong way :p I fully blame myself. I need to learn how to WRITE GOODER.

I wasn't referring to you specifically; I get where you're coming from and can see how you're very much like Arya in that regard. It's not that you're rejecting femininity because it's girlishness that you dislike--it's that people are pushing it on you and you're just trying to be you. It's not that being feminine is a bad thing, it's that society is trying to tell you that's how you have to be and it's just not going to happen.

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Originally Posted by Shlup

I wasn't referring to you specifically; I get where you're coming from and can see how you're very much like Arya in that regard. It's not that you're rejecting femininity because it's girlishness that you dislike--it's that people are pushing it on you and you're just trying to be you. It's not that being feminine is a bad thing, it's that society is trying to tell you that's how you have to be and it's just not going to happen.

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Yep, and I feel like Arya is the same thing.

Brienne had a similar undercurrent as well, especially when her honor was about to be "besmirched" - aside from the usual horror of it all, there was the horror on top of the whole thing being a raw reminder that she isn't viewed as any sort of equal, which is what she has been pushing against forever. It really added an extra layer of terribleness to the whole thing.

Jaime pretty much instantly redeemed himself forever for stepping in there.

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Originally Posted by Shlup

It's not that you're rejecting femininity because it's girlishness that you dislike--it's that people are pushing it on you and you're just trying to be you. It's not that being feminine is a bad thing, it's that society is trying to tell you that's how you have to be and it's just not going to happen.

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Yep, that's it. Couldn't find the words for it in my "pre-first season all the feels mood", but she is like... the one kid who really won't let others decide her future for her. A good example is when Eddard Stark tells her about how she will have a castle, marry a prince and all that and she simply says: "No. That's not me."

She could have been a boy, and I'd still have considered her the coolest kid for just being the way she is. Her being a girl does, however, give her a slightly different position to the world around her. And thus, she has even more to struggle against. So I think her being a girl adds to her awesomness, since she has more to fight against. It has nothing to do with girlishness/being a tomboy or whatever.

...well, my take on it after first season anyway. :p



That aside, I also love Snow. And Tyrion/"the imp". And really... most of the cast, except Joffrey whom I now hate with a passion... for certain reasons. =(

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Originally Posted by Ultima Shadow

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Originally Posted by Shlup

It's not that you're rejecting femininity because it's girlishness that you dislike--it's that people are pushing it on you and you're just trying to be you. It's not that being feminine is a bad thing, it's that society is trying to tell you that's how you have to be and it's just not going to happen.

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Yep, that's it. Couldn't find the words for it in my "pre-first season all the feels mood", but she is like... the one kid who really won't let others decide her future for her. A good example is when Eddard Stark tells her about how she will have a castle, marry a prince and all that and she simply says: "No. That's not me."

She could have been a boy, and I'd still have considered her the coolest kid for just being the way she is. Her being a girl does, however, give her a slightly different position to the world around her. And thus, she has even more to struggle against. So I think her being a girl adds to her awesomness, since she has more to fight against. It has nothing to do with girlishness/being a tomboy or whatever.

...well, my take on it after first season anyway. :p



That aside, I also love Snow. And Tyrion/"the imp". And really... most of the cast, except Joffrey whom I now hate with a passion... for certain reasons. =(

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everybody hates Joffrey :P and from what i see little Tyrion is one of the most loved characters ^^ cant blame them :P i love how sarcastic he always is

I like Arya because she's young and yet has more intellect than most people well over twice if not three times her age. She's both booksmart and streetsmart, she's cunning, she's feisty, she's got a great wicked side to her (I enjoy her dark/dry humour) and still is capable of having fun at the right times. I also love her devotion to her father and how much she wants to strike vengeance over it without jumping straight into "THIS MEANS WAR!!!" or whatever. She's doing what she can with the wits she clearly has about her. I like her style, I guess. It's interesting.

In terms of gender issues, nobody, and I mean nobody, hates women more than Cersei does, and I don't think the show does a good job of showing that. Though I guess most of it comes across when she minor spoilerbecomes a POV character in AFFC, so :monster:

I think Arya is overrated but I don't mind her. I'm not really a fan of her actress, she always seems a little wooden or forced.

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Originally Posted by Mister Adequate

I love Arya because out of every single person we have ever seen interact with Tywin Lannister she is the only one who has unsettled him.

A 9 year old girl was able to make Tywin Lannister feel some discomfort. (She was also just about the only competent person he's ever met and I bet to hell he wishes he could have adopted that cupbearer.)

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This is the reason that should be first on everybody's list. She knocked Tywin sodding Lannister off his step. That is literally as badass as it is possible to be in this book.

And then we talk about how it's awesome how she is one of the few characters who isn't full of trout, and consistently refuses to exist as anything other than herself.

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Originally Posted by Quint Eastwood

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Originally Posted by Mister Adequate

I love Arya because out of every single person we have ever seen interact with Tywin Lannister she is the only one who has unsettled him.

A 9 year old girl was able to make Tywin Lannister feel some discomfort. (She was also just about the only competent person he's ever met and I bet to hell he wishes he could have adopted that cupbearer.)

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This is the reason that should be first on everybody's list. She knocked Tywin sodding Lannister off his step. That is literally as badass as it is possible to be in this book.

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Yep this is my #1 reason as well.

I just love Arya because I connect with her a lot. Not because she's refusing to be girly or a girl, but because she stands on her own two feet and refuses to be anybody but herself. Best Stark imo.

Also, that last episode. Wtf.

I also love her hair. I want to chop my hair super short like that. Girls with short hair almost always end up being my favorites.