A Game of Thrones

Tyrion Lannister is the youngest son of Tywin Lannister and brother to the twins Jamie and Cersei. Though often disrespected and ridiculed because he is a little person, Tyrion’s strength is in his wit and cunning. His brother Jamie is fond of him and does his best to keep him safe, but his father and sister carry a deep, unfair disdain for Tyrion, whose mother died giving birth to him. While Tyrion has largely accepted his lot in life, he dedicates himself to honing his intelligence, which often puts him at an advantage when people underestimate him. He stands in contrast to his other family members by exhibiting empathy and understanding to those less fortunate. He is the rare character that straddles the class dynamics present in the novel since, though highborn, he has also known disrespect and struggle.

Tyrion is also a sympathetic character in that he craves love—both from his father and in romantic relationships. This desire for love and companionship is set up to be his downfall at the end of the novel when the last the reader sees of him is him preparing to directly defy his father’s orders not to bring his paid companion with him to King’s Landing. Though Tyrion has finally gained some level of respect from his father, he chooses to sabotage his access to power by clinging to his forbidden love.

Daenerys Targaryen is the last of the Targaryen family that once ruled the Seven Kingdoms but was conquered and usurped by Robert Baratheon and his supporters. She is the daughter of the Mad King and sister to Viserys Targaryen, heir to the Iron Throne before his death at the hands of Daenerys’s husband. As the younger sister of the exiled heir, she is used as a pawn in her brother’s bid to regain his throne through marrying her to the fierce Dothraki horse lord Khal Drogo, who is expected to provide her brother with an army. This move also results in King Robert issuing a handsome reward for both her and her brother’s assassination. Initially, Daenerys fulfills her duty, as she is barely a teenager and has had only her brother’s aggressive guidance for how she must behave. Through her unexpected love for her husband and her embrace of her role as Khaleesi, she finds her strength and begins to assert her agency and desires. Though she respects and adopts much of the Dothraki culture, the end of the novel finds her learning to blend the Dothraki culture and her Westerosi heritage to create an identity wholly her own as she takes on the mantle of queen. Though she struggles to gain the fealty of the men around her because of her gender, her daring manipulation of dark magic results in the hatching of three baby dragons that she nurses and uses as leverage to gain loyalty and respect. The book ends with her poised to begin her journey toward regaining her crown.

Catelyn Stark, née Tully, is Ned Stark’s wife and the mother to Robb, Sansa, Bran, Arya, and Rickon and sister to Lysa Arryn and Edmure Tully. She is a proud and often stubborn woman who has a strong sense of honor and duty, just as her husband does. She loves her children fiercely, and this love sometimes affects her ability to appreciate the full consequences of her actions. After Bran’s accident and the subsequent attempt on his life, Catelyn’s singular focus is justice for her son, and this leads to her taking Tyrion captive and thus igniting the war between the Starks and the Lannisters. Though she does begin to doubt Tyrion’s involvement in the crimes against Bran, the wheels of war have already been set in motion. Though Catelyn is a strong woman, she is careful to support her eldest son Robb in ways that do not interfere with his blossoming reputation as a war leader and the young Lord of Winterfell. However, she does step in when her experience and negotiation skills can be put to better use than brute force. Catelyn’s power and confidence diminish as she gathers new, conflicting information about Bran’s accident, as her children are taken away from her one by one and her husband is unjustly executed, and as Robb is named King in the North by his men after disregarding her advice. Her losses make her more cautious and conservative by the end of the novel.

Jon Snow is presumed to be the illegitimate son of Ned Stark, and the identity of Jon’s mother is an important mystery in the series. Jon is in a unique position in that he was raised as a highborn child in Winterfell with his father and half-siblings, but he is also subjected to debasement, ridicule, and disrespect because of his social standing as a “bastard.” Though he has a close relationship with Robb and Arya, Catelyn Stark resents him and is cold and sometimes cruel to him. Though initially considered too young and inexperienced, Ned allows Jon to join the Night’s Watch as he leaves for King’s Landing because Catelyn refuses to have Jon remain at Winterfell. At the Wall, he is seen as an arrogant lordling, but he eventually gains the other men’s respect and even makes friends because of his superb fighting skills and his deep sense of honor—something he gained from his father. Jon is often not as confident in his own abilities or decisions as those around him, but Jon is also clever enough to understand that a strong leader gathers around them those who have skills that can mitigate their leader’s shortcomings. Also, Jon’s background allows him to be a bit more flexible than his highborn family, which benefits his ability to see and consider the subtler aspects of situations instead of making simple black-and-white assessments. His coming-of-age over the course of the novel separates him from his family but strengthens his individual identity. Though the rest of the point-of-view characters are focused on the game of thrones, Jon ends this book as the only main character with first-hand experience with the white walkers and who fully understands that the real threat lies beyond the Wall.

Arya Stark is the youngest daughter and middle child of Ned and Catelyn Stark. As a girl, Arya is expected to adhere to gender expectations and obey strict etiquette. Arya is far more interested in learning swordplay and rummaging about in the forests, an example of the fantasy trope of the maiden warrior. She has a close relationship with Jon and her father, but she is in constant conflict with her sister, who is often appalled by Arya’s rambunctious behavior. Being rather stubborn like her mother also contributes to the conflict she experiences with her sister as well as the septa who attempts to teach her “womanly arts.” Though unconventional, Ned and Jon support and encourage Arya’s desire to learn how to fight. Arya dedicates herself to her unconventional training, which ultimately saves her life and allows her to escape the Red Keep when her family is attacked. By the end of the novel, Arya is able to use what had been seen as her disadvantages as strengths. Presenting as a boy alone out among the common folk is far safer than presenting as a young girl in the same position. Arya’s character arc is just beginning at the end of this novel, and she will continue to use her wit as well as her physical skills to survive her dangerous circumstances.

Sansa Stark is Ned and Catelyn’s oldest daughter, sister to Arya, Robb, Bran, and Rickon and half-sister to Jon Snow. Sansa is the epitome of ladyhood and is being groomed to be the lady of a noble house. She excels at all things feminine, is eager to please her superiors, and is trusted to behave properly. As such, Sansa begins her story as a naïve girl who dreams of a fairy tale life. When she is betrothed to the heir to the throne, Sansa believes her wishes are all coming true. Because of her naivety and her tendency to cling to her ideals of love, honor, and duty, she is easily manipulated by the corrupt and powerful players in the game of thrones. She cannot recognize the ulterior motives of her future mother-in-law and often excuses the cruelty of her future husband because she, like her father, expects those in such high offices to operate under the same rules of honor and decency she has been taught. Toward the end of the book, Sansa faces the corrupt reality of the royal family, and her fairy tale paradigm begins to shift into more of a nightmare. Though she risks a few outbursts telling King Joffrey how she really feels about him, she is also intelligent enough to understand that she is in great danger and resorts to compliance simply to keep herself safe. Though a fairly one-dimensional character for the bulk of this book, Sansa begins to put aside the fairy tales in her last point-of-view chapter, which promises more dimension in the books to come.