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Are you a Male Sansa fan? Please come and tell me why? and is your a female fan also come share the love.


The Weirwoods Eyes

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I've started this as I was left rather red faced after suggesting on a previous thread that not many men seem to like Sansa as a character,



Now I am a big fan, I'm not blind I know she is not perfect but I don't think Martin is interested in writing about perfect people and if anything it is her imperfections that I like.



I like how normal she is, she is not some badass ass kicking "convention defying" stereotype of the fantasy genre. she carries no weapon instead she wears pretty gowns and speaks politely, no convention defying hi jinx with this lass.


I like that she is traditionally female and is shown as travelling the road to maturity, the coming of age story is as old as the hills and through Sansa we get to read one that involves all aspects of it, not just falling in love, though love and sexuality are big aspects of her ark, they are not the sole reflection of her character, I like that, I like seeing a pretty girl who isn't displaying traditionally male traits who has more to her than just being a love interest. Sansa is on a journey of self discovery. She begins with a neivity which her parents and her society have ensured. Her whole life has been about making her into a good wife. Her sole role in life is to run a castle and produce heirs whilst being charming and attractive. This reflects much of what modern women are also raised with also, we may believe that feminism has altered that but we are wrong, in the majority of households girls are still raised with the expectancy that they will look after a man and place his desires and needs above her own. I didn't really notice to what an extent this is the case until I had a daughter.



Anyhow, Sansa is a normal girl, she wishes to fulfil her parents and her societies expectation for her, just like most children do but the dream starts to sour and Sansa finds herself trapped. Her father is beheaded and she begins to live in a gilded cage. She is abused and in fear for her life. I think part of the point of Sansa is to show us that the pretty princess is a person too, she isn't just an accessory, a prize for the hero. She isn't there just to make someone a nice attractive wife once he has shown himself adept enough to save the kingdom.


We grow up with tales of princesses being given to the man who can kill the monster, rid the king of some trouble etc. I am deeply uncomfortable with the idea of women as prizes.



Yet it is something culturally entrenched in our world from the ancient Greeks to the Japan. I often find when I read traditional tales, no matter which culture they have this story of a pretty maid being given as a reward. Hell have you ever stopped to examine the idea of being given away at a wedding? I did and I decided to walk down the aisle un-accompanied, and it freaked people out.



I can't help but feel Sansa is a subversion of these tales, I feel her story is headed towards a place of self realisation, self empowerment and ultimately choice.



This is why I like her as a character. She subverts the obedient pretty female reward. At least I bloody hope thats where she is headed cos I'll be really pissed off if she isn't!



We've had the female who is a fighter characters for decades now and yes that was and is needed but what does that say about all the women who don't want to take on male traits in order to be seen as valued? what about the women who do want a husband and children, but also feel that they wish to be considered equal and granted autonomy as a matter of course?



Anyway these are my reasons, what are yours?



well some of my reasons I am certain I could write three times as many given time.


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I think she's a great character. Starts of as a naive, fickle girl who expects her prince to be valiant. She's realistic in that way for the time period. Of course, later she comes to realise that's not the truth. Then, she is forced to marry Tyrion, someone who is the exact polar opposite of everything she would have ever wanted.



She's developed well too. There's not been an obvious moment where she's changed, but as she ages she's beginning to understand the game a little bit more and where her story with Littlefinger heads in the next book will be one of the most interesting storylines for me.


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Well she is one of the most developed characters in the story.



I admit her bravery and inner strength first off. She actually has a decent inner core.



She's done good things in a series full of scumbaggery. Like helping out Dontos for one.



Not to mention, I guess she feels more human than other characters do. She's a bit like Quentyn in that regard and I really liked him too.



Just a brief rundown I guess.


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She's also been through more shit than almost any other character (Theon and Arya have both been through more). She watched her fiance have her dad killed, was abused by him and his bodyguards for a year, was about to marry someone who seems to be one of the nicest blokes in Westeros but is instead forced to marry the son of the man waging war on her family, becomes a fugitive, watches her saviour get killed, has the man who rescued her (and made her a fugitive and insured the war would be started and Joffrey killed Ned) force himself on her, is almost killed by her aunt and watches LF throw her out of a window 600 feet in the air, she then has to become a completely different person.


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You hit on why I like her story arc. Being a strong woman isn't always about being "like a man" whatever that is actually supposed to mean and you can embrace femininity while still being intelligent, strong and successful. That's why Arya and Sansa are both great counterpoints - they show feminine strength and intellect comes in different forms and neither one is better than the other.



I also really hope she gets an opportunity to throw Littlefinger out the Moon Door too.


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Well she's about 100x more realistic and interesting then her sister Arya, that's for sure. I never really enjoyed Arya much. Despite this criticism being laid at Sansa's feet mostly, Arya complains about a lot of stuff as well, and is very rash and doesn't think things through properly. I suppose she takes after her uncle Brandon in that.

Sansa on the other hand I can actually see existing in the real world, and faces much more real problems that unfortunately many women (and yes, even men, though you won't find many people talking about that) suffer and have to live with. She never once has her spirit completely broken though, and I find this an incredibly admirable trait.

I'm a male, btw. Nice idea for a thread, OP. Sansa might not have gotten much love at King's Landing, but we fans here make up for it :)

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Heh, if she throws Littlefinger out the Moon Door, she'll have my undying love that's for sure.



But yeah I agree, it's nice to see a female character who's not all "raargh I am woman fighter! I smash!". Of course she's only just coming into her own, agency wise, but I think there's a lot of potential there.


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She's developed well too. There's not been an obvious moment where she's changed, but as she ages she's beginning to understand the game a little bit more and where her story with Littlefinger heads in the next book will be one of the most interesting storylines for me.

I think there's an abrupt shift between Sansa V and VI aGoT (her 2 last chapters; VI includes the famous "Maybe my brother will give me your head" quote). Then I think her rebuilding process is subtle and gradual after that, as you say.

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i love strong woman and its her weakness so far that has left me bored with her BUT i fully expect my opinion of her to change when she turns badass in the next books, she will still be herself at heart but will be different in a neccesary way hopefully she turns in to an isabella of spain type


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I like Sansa. I actually like her more than *gasp* Brienne.



Generally I tend not to judge characters when I know there's more of their story to tell. I really like the evolution of characters, and I've actually really enjoyed Sansa's. I think she's grown and will probably become a good player. It's been an enjoyable journey for me, and I like the way she's changed.



And for some reason, badass characters kinda turn me off. I mean, yeah, Arya's cool and all that, but I find myself gravitating towards Sansa more because as a flawed girl with much to learn, I can identify with her more.


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Her character's one of my favourite. She wasn't very likeable from the beginning and I was really worried that she will turn out to be one of those characters who gets completely brainwashed and turns on her family (like Percy Weasly from Harry Potter).



I was so glad to see her pleading for her farther's life in front of Jeoffrey's court and that's when I started to really like her. I completely fell in love with the character after she uttered the notorious and one of the most bad-ass lines of the series: "or maybe he'll give me yours".



I love her on the TV show as well: great story-arch and phenomenal acting in AGOT and ACOK. But somehow in season 3 she appeared really flat and stupid and the acting didn't convince me either.



P.S. I'm a girl.


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Well I like that she isn't some gung ho type like Arya. Bad shit happens to her, but there's a degree of steel inside her, that is becoming more and more evident. Her storyline is much more subtle and intrique ridden than most, which is where ASoIaF is at it's best. Cersei, Joffrey, Tyrion, the Hound and Littlefinger are some of the most interesting characters in the series and Sansa interacts with all of them.



I'm not very eloquent at this type of thing, but she just seems like the most realistic and endearing character, I just want her to succeed and have happiness. Even when she fails, I understand her failings and sympathise not blame her for them. I'm very excited to see where her story goes.



Also I have a bit of a man crush on Sandor.


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