Why does Dany not reassess her attitude towards the Dothraki?

[total1402]

Broadly speaking my impression is that Dany greatly admires their society and sees them as noble savages; in many regards better than Westerosi. Her comparison of the Kingsguard who killed her father to Bloodriders is telling. She also defends them against Viserys claim that they are "savages" and are her people now. She even allows her handmaidens to put bells in her hair, braids it and prefers to wear simple Dothraki clothing.

However I just don't understand how this attitude remains intact even by the end of Game of Thrones and certainly by ASOS. She sees first hand that the Dothraki are a society based on plunder, slavery and rape in AGOT. She objects, but seems to bubble this into an issue that never touches her overall attitude. Later, not only does one of the bloodriders she vaunted nearly kill her and her child; but one also rapes a woman whom she had tried protect. Again, Dany only speaks of individuals. Then Drogos entire Khallessar abandons her and she learns that this society expects to rip her child out of her womb as normal. Again, no ill feelings and it doesn't impact her favorable opinion. But finally by ASOS Dany is on a crusade to liberate all slaves and believes it to be a great evil. However, whilst she dams the effete oriental slaver lords she simply doesn't compute that the Dothraki are the biggest slavers in the world. They're the ones who hoard their slaves and sell them in Slavers Bay. Dany saw this firsthand with Drogo and he told her he intended to do this to the Westerosi.

Again, I just find it bizarre that she never sees the Dothraki in a negative light even on reflection even when her experiences with them should give her a negative opinion. The ones with her are exceptions to the rule in that they continued to follow her and were loyal.

There are two reasons why this is-

1-Its gonna be an issue between Dany and the Dothraki in Winds of Winter when she meets them and regains Drogos Khallessar. Forcing them to act as she wants under threat of death and changing them.

2- Martin wants her to become a Khalessi again and therefore doesn't want her to become prejudiced against the Dothraki and to fit easily into this role. Even when it simply doesn't make sense. He wants her to embrace this identity and for it to be a major feature of her arc. So, she simply can't come to dislike the Dothraki.

Frankly I really don't like the noble savage routine Martin does with the Dothraki and Wildlings. I especially don't like how Dany is so besotted by the Dothraki culture and identity. Its gives too much of an Essosi character to Dany and her story.

[Morienthar]

I think it is the "love" Stockholm syndrome I call it For Drogo that she can't bring herself to see them in a negative light and she now identifies herself as one of them.

[juanml82]

Danny masters the ability to refuse to see uncomfortable truths. I hope it bites her in the back when she lands in Westeros.

[TheMysteriousOne]

Dany does notice that some of the Dothraki customs are savage and barbaric, she obviously does not think that they have the best culture or that they are saints but it would be hard for Dany to hate the Dothraki, IMO, as they were the first people that she lived with once she started to gain her own identity and many of them were a part of helping her gain her own identity and place in the world, and she can never forget that.

However, it is undeniable that Dany is also attracted to the 'wild' side of the Dothraki, of course, as Dany herself also has a wilder and more brutal side to herself. That's part of the reason that she was even attracted to Drogo.

[Winter's Knight]

She does fight against the negative aspects like slavery, raping the fallen while embracing the positive like their loyalty.

That's how most people interact with their own cultures-embrace the positive, change the negative.

[N/A]

I think it is the "love" Stockholm syndrome I call it For Drogo that she can't bring herself to see them in a negative light and she now identifies herself as one of them.

That's what I call it too but people like to think every kiss is true love

[Sorrow]

Danny masters the ability to refuse to see uncomfortable truths. I hope it bites her in the back when she lands in Westeros.

Exactly. I think she is a hypocrite and overall a poor queen/leader with nothing to show for it except three dragons. It's sad really. I can attribute her hypocrisy to her young age, but I'm more inclined to believe it is just a trait from her character to ignore things she doesn't like. I don't even think she realizes that the actions of the Dothraki are wrong.

[TheMysteriousOne]

Exactly. I think she is a hypocrite and overall a poor queen/leader with nothing to show for it except three dragons. It's sad really. I can attribute her hypocrisy to her young age, but I'm more inclined to believe it is just a trait from her character to ignore things she doesn't like. I don't even think she realizes that the actions of the Dothraki are wrong.

No offense, but what are you talking about?

[WeirwoodTreeHugger]

Stockholm syndrome all the way. It'll be interesting to see how they interact in TWOW. The Dothraki are superior archers but Drogon will eat their horses.

[Frey Pie]

Its why i think she will be attracted to the Ironborn and be turfed out of Westeros on her lovely bottom

Although, in fairness, her Khalasar, small as it is, shows only the good attributes of the Dothraki

[Sorrow]

No offense, but what are you talking about?

What I meant was that I don't think Daenerys even considers the enslaving of people by the Dothraki on the same level of badness as let's say the enslaving of people by the Free Cities. Maybe that will change in the future.

[TheMysteriousOne]

What I meant was that I don't think Daenerys even considers the enslaving of people by the Dothraki on the same level of badness as let's say the enslaving of people by the Free Cities. Maybe that will change in the future.

Daenerys does not approve of the Dothraki enslaving people, but she recognizes that it is part of their culture, which makes her seem hypocritical, but as I said before the Dothraki are special to her (which doesn't make it right, of course). So yeah, Dany has a lot to learn.

[revenant6]

Great OP. I've always been confused as to why she loves the culture so much (based on killing, raping, slavery, etc.) Stockholm Syndrome pretty much sums it up. I wonder from a character development standpoint if she will face down issues of the Dothraki, her father being a nut-job and her potentially alliance with the Ironborn. I think she's smart enough to see that her means to not justify her end goal.

Then again, she could go crazy.

I'm just speculating.

[Winter's Knight]

Oh for fuck's sake.

Dany does not agree with the Dothraki slaving-the very first thing she does after Drogo died was free her slaves. She started fighting the raping before that-I don't see the hypocrisy here?

Don't all of us pick and choose parts of our culture, treasuring the good and either avoiding or fighting the bad?

[total1402]

What good would that be?

Also, she does not find any good in the Ghiscari society and pretty much tars them all with the same brush. Whilst with the Dothraki she only sees the good in them and ignores the vast evils of that society. Her blame and hatred is centered on individuals. This starkly contrasts her behavior in Astapor where she blamed every slave-owner and not just the Kind Masters.

There is also something deeply unsettling about her trying to use her strength and power to help the weak whilst at the same time admiring a culture built around the strong dominating and exploiting the weak. Really, that culture is anathema to what Dany in ASOS wants to do and her view of the world.

[Winter's Knight]

What good would that be?

Also, she does not find any good in the Ghiscari society and pretty much tars them all with the same brush. Whilst with the Dothraki she only sees the good in them and ignores the vast evils of that society.

She doesn't ignore the evil-she simply does away with it And she does see some good in the Ghiscari, seeing as how she's so trusting of the Green Grace.

[TheMysteriousOne]

Oh for fuck's sake.

Dany does not agree with the Dothraki slaving-the very first thing she does after Drogo died was free her slaves. She started fighting the raping before that-I don't see the hypocrisy here?

Don't all of us pick and choose parts of our culture, treasuring the good and either avoiding or fighting the bad?

This.

[total1402]

It can only be said for those with her that shes changed them.

The rest of the Dothraki are the same as before and its her attitude towards these that is so difficult to understand. You can't have a character who wants to flay one group of slavers on sight and yet thinks another group of slavers is awesome.

[deziel_dalt]

I really don't like the noble savage routine Martin does with the Dothraki and Wildlings

I don't really see that routine. The Dothraki and wildlings are depicted as real people, and real people who are often assholes. I mean, GRRM is pretty specific when talking about how the Dothrakis are slavers, rapers, and murderers, and while the wildlings come off as much better - amongst there ranks are cannibals, a lady who cuts the head off dogs to use as her standard, and your usual mix of rapers and murderers. Of course, most wildlings seem to be people just trying to get by - and that is fair enough - but they are lead by bloodthirsty thugs who are constantly fighting amongst themselves. Mance Rayder is really the only "noble" ruler amongst them, and he was not raised by Wildlings.

I think fans like the wildlings and Dothraki, so they idealize them, but I don't think GRRM does that.

[The squid that squints]

I think it's the whole "if I look back I am lost" mentality, Dany can't accept that she makes errors in judgement and there's a huge risk this will make her the enemy of almost every noble house in Westers. She can't re-examine whether the Dothraki are a noble culture, she refuses to be logical too often, in Ghiscari society victory of the strongest takes place in the fighting pits and she bans it, in Dothraki society she's happy with it. Her attitude to Slavery is similar. Her character arc is fairly ambiguous as to whether this will continue .