From Pawn to Player: Rethinking Sansa

[Valkyrja]

As long as it is not with LF :ack: ......I am 'ok' with Sansa learning to enjoy her sexuality. :leer:

[Lyanna Stark]

One of the things I noted in the Wonder women thread was how many of the males are actually only able to achieve their successes through the women around them, and no where is this more evident than with LF and his treatment of Cat, Lysa and Sansa.

Very good point. Women may not be the traditional holders of power, but they can still have a lot of influence is the circumstances are right (or if they are "played" as LF shows).

LF is also the master in disregarding traditional power structures and working behind the scenes, so he doesn't care who he manipulates as long as the aim is achieved. It's also probably easier to manipulate women since they are less in the limelight, and people automatically underestimate them and their capabilities (which I think Cat, Lysa and Sansa all have demonstrated). Nobody expected that Lysa would be capable of poisoning Jon Arryn so nobody suspected her, despite it probably being common knowledge she was not happy in her marriage.

LF might be a skilled manipulator, but he's only been able to triumph because women like Lysa and Cat, blinded by old love and old trust respectively, made themselves pawns in his game. The challenge for Sansa will be to see LF for what he really is (which should be clear after his revelation of the plans for Sweetrobin) and to realise that she's the one with the power, not him. LF's attempt to teach Sansa the game is ultimately geared towards entrapping her futhur to his desires, not to allow her true autonomy and freedom. This is only something that Sansa can negotiate for herself, and yes, one element of this entails choosing a partner with whom one can have an honest and fulfilling relationship.

I agree. It definitely seems that one of the things Sansa needs to accomplish on her "journey" is to overcome the "foils" she so far has experienced, and all of them have been marriages. Joffrey, Willas, Tyrion, Sweetrobin, Harry the Heir and maybe Littlefinger himself. To succeed she needs to get savvy enough, clever enough or powerful enough to wield enough clout to get herself out of that type of situation. It does also mean that she needs to both realise that LF is playing her, but also that she needs to use her own initiative to "move" things along her own chosen path.

But she still seems to be learning that sex doesn't have to be something one fears, and that it can be a healthy expression of love or simply honest desire. We saw Daenerys coming to accept her sexuality and finding pleasure in the act, but is this what will happen with Sansa?

At the beginning, I was worried Sansa would be some sort of holy virgin Queen, which is an extension of the damsel in distress trope, in many ways. And that Good girls should be chaste, faithful, true and all that bollocks. That was before Dany met Daario and Asha was introduced though. As of ACOK, we only really had Cersei as an "out" sexually active woman who chose her own partner, and that was definitely a Bad Thing ™. As of ADWD, it really feels we have a Wonder Woman scenario with Arianne, Asha, Dany, Val, Myranda et all redefining what's Right when it comes to love and sex for the women of Westeros. I'm hoping Sansa can join them and not end up some sort of semi-Septa.

[Christina Ceriddwynn]

Tyrion and Tysha = IF Tyrion does find her, it would be nice if he found her happily married with children and a husband who loves her. He sees her, sees her happiness and leaves without her ever knowing he found her.

or.....if she IS a whore (perhaps the Sailor Wife), will he still want her if she isn't young and beautiful any longer? What if she is now fat? More resembling Lollys in appearance than Sansa? I would hope he would, once more, leave her in peace rather than force his presence on her and cause emotional harm.

Sansa and sexuality = PLEASE no LF involved with this! Naturally, i would prefer she decides to seduce a certain burned man. It would be interesting if she were the aggressor. No matter...even if she has a dozen lovers, I don't think she would diminish in his eyes. It might make him feel a little less intimidated by her. Like attracts Like type of thing....if she's a little less "clean" and he is a little more "clean", they could meet in the middle. Randa is (along with other women) showing that her worth and value as a woman is NOT tied to her virginity. Her maidenhood can be compromised but she still holds value and to the right man, endless value.

I think its funny how so many discount Aegon as he was "introduced late" to the series yet many are ready and able to embrace Willas...a character who has never been "seen" and so far is just....spoken of. In that regard, Willas holds even less value than Aegon. We've seen Aegon, interacted with him....Willas is just hearsay. He is a complete nonfactor with me.

[Maroucia]

The Sandoor ? :laugh:.

:lmao: Looove that!!!

[Queen of Winter]

Sansa has made plenty of mistakes over the course of the story so far, but Alayne has been brilliant, with one exception. When riding down from the Eyrie, Randa tells her that the bastard of Eddard Stark has been chosen as the Lord Commander of the NW. Alayne says, "Jon Snow?" Randa then has a significant pause and says something along the lines of, "yes, he would be a Snow i suppose."

LF warned Alayne to be careful around Randa (who has her eye on Harry the Heir), because the Royces are playing their own game. Does anybody else think this one little slip up could wind up very poorly for Sansa/Alayne? Could this mistake be something she has to overcome to establish herself as a player?

Well, I think I must be the only one here who thinks that Myranda has caught on to who Alayne really is! :lol: I don't think that Sansa's little slip-up went by unnoticed, but that's just a feeling I have personally. I could be totally wrong. As to whether or not Miranda will wind up being a friend or foe will remain to be seen.

I also wanted to mention something else I've been thinking about, regarding Aegon. We know he's been called "Young Griff" (in relation to Jon Connington's "Old Griff"--taken from his sigil--a griffin).

According to the legends surrounding the Arryn's, (quoting the wiki here) Ser Artys Arryn, the Winged Knight, destroyed the last remnants of the children of the forest in the Vale and defeated the "Griffin King", last of the Mountain Kings. This lead to the First Men inhabiting the Vale and the mountains surrounding them to flee from the land or intermarry, as in the case of Houses Redfort and Royce.

Now, we also know (or are lead to believe) that Aegon/Griff is supposed to be either a Targ or a Blackfyre, but could this also be another hint at Aegon possibly coming to the Vale? And also, in reference to the "last of the Mountain Kings"...I was wondering, Targ or Blackfyre, wouldn't Aegon be one of the last from either House? (Yes, we have Dany and possibly Jon as part Targ, but I don't recall if there are any other Blackfyre's out there anymore other than Bloodraven--and he's not in great shape! I do wonder what happened to his sister Shiera Seastar....a reputed "sorceress"...I always kinda thought she might be Melisandre, but that's for another thread! :leaving: ).

Edit: spelling

[Maroucia]

The awakening of Sansa’s sexuality is going to be a very interesting new step in her evolution to read about (that sounds perv, I know). I would hate for her to stay a virgin for ever, she could never completely become a woman this way. I don’t want to judge anyone, but staying a virgin sucks!!!

One of the reasons that I find Sansa to be such a great character, is that GRRM created her to be a little as a white sheet, the whitest of the white sheets, the purest of them all. Every line that he drew on that sheet has been way more apparent given the purity of the material, every detail pops out much more on such a white background…

I know it’s a weird analogy, but that’s the way I have always seen it.

Sansa’s evolution may have been slower then the one of some other characters, but it’s been constant and she has never stopped learning and changing. It's also has been one of the most dramatic. And I’m sure we’re still just in the beginning of it.

Edited to correct a s**t load of stupid mistakes. :blushing:

[brashcandy]

The awakening of Sansa’s sexuality is going to be a very interesting new step in her evolution to read about (that sounds perv, I know). I would hate for her to stay a virgin for ever, she could never completely become a woman this way. I don’t want to judge anyone, but staying a virgin sucks!!!

:lol:

I know there are Sansa "The Virgin Queen" advocates out there, but I just hope and pray that this isn't where GRRM will have her storyline end up. From the very beginning, Sansa has wanted children and a family, and I'd really like to see her enjoy this part of life.

[Christina Ceriddwynn]

screw "virgin queen"

that isnt any fun!!!!

I say seduce mr sandor and see if that rage can be tunneled into awesome uber passionate sex!!!!!!!!!!!

*whew* what a ride that would be..........makes me all sweaty thinking about it

[Valkyrja]

screw "virgin queen"

that isnt any fun!!!!

I say seduce mr sandor and see if that rage can be tunneled into awesome uber passionate sex!!!!!!!!!!!

*whew* what a ride that would be..........makes me all sweaty thinking about it

Ahhh...... if only. :drool:

Why am I so skeptical about GRRM *ever* writing a truly loving, passionate sex scene* though.... :P

* Ok, so Asha's scene with 'the Maid' dude, came close but no cigar (because I had no real emotional attachment to either character).

[Christina Ceriddwynn]

Well Jaime banging away with Cersei in the temple.....???????

OK it was only loving and passionate from his side :(

but he honestly does love her.....

even if it is creepy....as she's his twin.....

*sigh*

[Queen Cersei I]


Your feminazism has blinded you to the obvious fact: Sandor is so pretty and sparkly that the sparkles CAUGHT ON FIRE!! Like that one time when Michael Jackson's hair caught on fire. Sandor was SO pretty that his sparkle output exceeded the literary limit and ended up disfiguring him.

Plus, I think Sandor was plenty stalker-ish. In fact, if you look at Sandy-poo's iPod, I bet you will find

.

You know nothing.


Huh. And here I thought it would have been this song:

(And I think we all know what they mean by "molasses candy", don't we? :leer: )

Or this:

Or perhaps the following, in an ironical nod to his brother’s nickname:


Oh gag me with a wooden spoon already. Sandor is in the wrong series all together. He should have been in Twilight, as the mopey, emo, slightly crispy, moderately stalker-ish, utterly repulsive beta-meale vampire who is so emotionally wounded and angst-ridden that it triggers every girlfriend-as-mother complex within a 10-mile radius. Sansa is so lucky that she got away from him.


Heh. IMO, I think we should form some new sort of version of Godwin's law in reference to Twilight. Something like, "As a Westeros.com discussion progresses, the probability of mentioning Edward Cullen's sparkliness increases dramatically." Or "While discussing something lame and trying to quantify and qualify it's lameness, the probability of mentioning both Micheal Jackson and the entire Twilight franchise increases to 1."

[Queen Cersei I]

Well Jaime banging away with Cersei in the temple.....???????

OK it was only loving and passionate from his side :(

but he honestly does love her.....

even if it is creepy....as she's his twin.....

*sigh*

Actually, I'd say it would be Jaime who wins the "creeptastic" award out of the two. Even-- nay, especially-- in that scene. "She told him no, spoke of the anger of their father, their uncle, the wrath of the gods, and beat upon his chest with feeble fists. He ignored her. He would not be denied."

Eventually, Cersei ends up consenting and starts urging Jaime to hurry, rather than stop. However, I'd say Jaime's desires here seem less for a truly "loving and passionate" connection than to simply get off.

[Howling Mad]

Eventually, Cersei ends up consenting and starts urging Jaime to hurry, rather than stop. However, I'd say Jaime's desires here seem less for a truly "loving and passionate" connection than to simply get off.

Which is many a man's and woman's goal :eek:

[voodooqueen126]

:lol: I know there are Sansa "The Virgin Queen" advocates out there, but I just hope and pray that this isn't where GRRM will have her storyline end up. From the very beginning, Sansa has wanted children and a family, and I'd really like to see her enjoy this part of life.

I would say that for someone to find the life-long virginity route attractive, they have basically given up the fight and surrendered themselves to trauma.

[Queen of Spades]

Sansa and sexuality = PLEASE no LF involved with this! Naturally, i would prefer she decides to seduce a certain burned man. It would be interesting if she were the aggressor.

I can totally picture her starting to kiss him and even dragging him to the bed, and him standing there petrified and scared out of his wits : "omg omg, what do I do now ?" :laugh:

Well, I think I must be the only one here who thinks that Myranda has caught on to who Alayne really is! :lol: I don't think that Sansa's little slip-up went by unnoticed, but that's just a feeling I have personally. I could be totally wrong. As to whether or not Miranda will wind up being a friend or foe will remain to be seen.

I don't know if she has figured it out yet, but I'm pretty sure she recorded the "slip" in some part of her mind for further consideration... If she hasn't guessed now, she will soon.

[Lummel]

:lol: I know there are Sansa "The Virgin Queen" advocates out there, but I just hope and pray that this isn't where GRRM will have her storyline end up. From the very beginning, Sansa has wanted children and a family, and I'd really like to see her enjoy this part of life.

Hey, the ending is meant to be bittersweet ;)

[Lyanna Stark]

The awakening of Sansa’s sexuality is going to be a very interesting new step in her evolution to read about (that sounds perv, I know). I would hate for her to stay a virgin for ever, she could never completely become a woman this way. I don’t want to judge anyone, but staying a virgin sucks!!!

I agree with you. Coming of age stories about men are thirteen to the dozen, but it's rare to find a male author spending any time on the sexual awakening of women. That's normally lost somewhere between the tropes of the damsel in distress and the evil sorceress. Plus the hero's lady love needs to be Pure and Innocent and all that stuff.

It's refreshing and welcome to see additions of women like Asha and Arianne due to this since they are completely in charge of their own sexuality and it's not seen as shameful or wrong. They also make it work within the framework of what they are able to do, more or less. Dany's relationship with Daario is more problematic since it really is pure escapism for her and she knows it's a political problem to engage in it. Had Dany been LF, she would have appointed Daario her General or something, and then gradually manoeuvred him into a high position of power so it enabled her to marry him, but Dany is not LF. As we have seen, LF himself has done that exact journey from barely a noble to one of the powerhouses of the realm, and as Myranda points out, he could have his pick of ladies in the Vale. Arianne seems to have grasped this facet to a degree, and I think she's off to bag f!Aegon.

So far I think Sansa's feelings on love and sex have been handled really well, so it will be interesting to see how she'll develop during TWOW what with the Harry the Heir seduction and all that will entail. Like for instance LF's possible jealousy (creeptastic!).

Arianne, Myranda and Asha also don't seem concerned with unwanted pregnancies, so obviously they know how to prevent it (Asha mentioning "no new little squids" is just one of the worst choices of words ever though. Squids?? :lol: ). Knowledge of a reliable contraceptive definitely opens up more possibilities for women to claim ownership of their own sexuality too. I can't imagine that Myranda doesn't know how to use Moon Tea since she seems to have had at least one known lover since her husband died and possibly more since she says "I don't make a habit of bedding monsters" or some such, which indicates plural.

As a sidenote to this and the emerging of the Wonder Women of Westeros, a lot of them are both capable and very good looking, yet if we look at their male counterparts, some are capable, but few are actually anywhere near traditionally good looking. The only ones who are said to be really stunning are Jaime and Loras and possibly f!Aegon as well although he is very young. Jaime is maimed and doesn't look anything like he did and Loras may be burnt, too. Then we have the questionable ones like Qarl the Maid, Arys Oakheart and Daario (seriously, bleh) who are supposed to be attractive but just come of as bland or mind boggling.

So why all the pretty girls and all the ugly dudes?

:lol: I know there are Sansa "The Virgin Queen" advocates out there, but I just hope and pray that this isn't where GRRM will have her storyline end up. From the very beginning, Sansa has wanted children and a family, and I'd really like to see her enjoy this part of life.

I agree, but I think her focus now is different from then. Back in AGOT, it was all the glamorous family with a prince, pretty children in nice dresses, pleasure barges etc. Now her focus is finding her way back to a family and actually finding someone who loves her for herself, and not for her claim to some thing or other. Sansa thinking "Nobody will ever love me for myself" is really heartbreaking.

[brashcandy]

So why all the pretty girls and all the ugly dudes?

:) I don't know if I'd say the discrepancy is so big. There's Cersei who's just had her head shaved and subjected to mass ridicule, Myrcella has been maimed and of course there's Brienne. Mya Stone might be more known for her striking eyes and poor Jeyne Poole has probably lost the tip of her nose. I do think that each potential wonder woman has had to focus on how she can turn her looks from mere ornament into a tool that can empower and strengthen her other talents. It's not whether you're beautiful or ugly but how you play the game with regard to those looks, and manipulate the preconceptions that people will form about you. In terms of the men now, it appears to be about removing the last vestige of that glamour of medieval patriarchy: the handsome, dashing knight. By stripping away the external beauty, one is further removed from idealistic fantasies about these men, and it hopefully allows for a deeper appreciation of character and personality.

I agree, but I think her focus now is different from then. Back in AGOT, it was all the glamorous family with a prince, pretty children in nice dresses, pleasure barges etc. Now her focus is finding her way back to a family and actually finding someone who loves her for herself, and not for her claim to some thing or other. Sansa thinking "Nobody will ever love me for myself" is really heartbreaking.

Indeed. Back then she was content to be a more passive recipient of this fantasy, but as she's matured, and had some terrible experiences like the abuse from Joffrey and the forced wedding to Tyrion, she's come to a different appreciation of love and relationships.

[Christina Ceriddwynn]

So why all the pretty girls and all the ugly dudes?

ummm.............have ya seen what GRRM looks like????????

[Raksha the Demon]

I agree with you. Coming of age stories about men are thirteen to the dozen, but it's rare to find a male author spending any time on the sexual awakening of women. That's normally lost somewhere between the tropes of the damsel in distress and the evil sorceress. Plus the hero's lady love needs to be Pure and Innocent and all that stuff. It's refreshing and welcome to see additions of women like Asha and Arianne due to this since they are completely in charge of their own sexuality and it's not seen as shameful or wrong. They also make it work within the framework of what they are able to do, more or less. Dany's relationship with Daario is more problematic since it really is pure escapism for her and she knows it's a political problem to engage in it. Had Dany been LF, she would have appointed Daario her General or something, and then gradually manoeuvred him into a high position of power so it enabled her to marry him, but Dany is not LF. As we have seen, LF himself has done that exact journey from barely a noble to one of the powerhouses of the realm, and as Myranda points out, he could have his pick of ladies in the Vale. Arianne seems to have grasped this facet to a degree, and I think she's off to bag f!Aegon. So far I think Sansa's feelings on love and sex have been handled really well, so it will be interesting to see how she'll develop during TWOW what with the Harry the Heir seduction and all that will entail. Like for instance LF's possible jealousy (creeptastic!). Arianne, Myranda and Asha also don't seem concerned with unwanted pregnancies, so obviously they know how to prevent it (Asha mentioning "no new little squids" is just one of the worst choices of words ever though. Squids?? :lol: ). Knowledge of a reliable contraceptive definitely opens up more possibilities for women to claim ownership of their own sexuality too. I can't imagine that Myranda doesn't know how to use Moon Tea since she seems to have had at least one known lover since her husband died and possibly more since she says "I don't make a habit of bedding monsters" or some such, which indicates plural. As a sidenote to this and the emerging of the Wonder Women of Westeros, a lot of them are both capable and very good looking, yet if we look at their male counterparts, some are capable, but few are actually anywhere near traditionally good looking. The only ones who are said to be really stunning are Jaime and Loras and possibly f!Aegon as well although he is very young. Jaime is maimed and doesn't look anything like he did and Loras may be burnt, too. Then we have the questionable ones like Qarl the Maid, Arys Oakheart and Daario (seriously, bleh) who are supposed to be attractive but just come of as bland or mind boggling. So why all the pretty girls and all the ugly dudes? I agree, but I think her focus now is different from then. Back in AGOT, it was all the glamorous family with a prince, pretty children in nice dresses, pleasure barges etc. Now her focus is finding her way back to a family and actually finding someone who loves her for herself, and not for her claim to some thing or other. Sansa thinking "Nobody will ever love me for myself" is really heartbreaking.

Sansa's goals have changed, in a way it's natural, in another way, it's heartbreaking, because Sansa has endured and survived so much pain and so many blows, rather too fast, to her innocence.

In AGOT, of course Sansa focussed on marrying the handsome golden prince and having beautiful golden babies and wearing pretty clothes and going to tournaments - she was 11 years old and had been reared on fairy tales and fantasy and legends of courtly love - which is not usually the destiny of any girl in Westeros, even a highborn daughter of one of the Great Houses. The reality of the Westeros nobility was that their children were treated like pieces on a chessboard in a game not necessarily of Thrones but of Wealth (materials, land, military strength) and Power. The best, most compassionate parents, such as Ned and Catelyn, would insist that their daughters not be wedded and bedded at 12 and marry a lord or heir to a high position, or a trusted bannerman, but the expectation was that daughters were married to the boys or men that their fathers chose. Even Cersei, the pampered daughter of the richest lord in Westeros, was wed to a stranger because he had conquered himself a throne and Cersei's father wanted his daughter to be a queen and a future grandson to be a king, and the royal bridegroom's advisor thought that a wedding between his bereaved foster-son and Lannister gold would be a stabilizing measure. And both Cersei and Robert, especially Cersei, suffered for it. Hoster Tully let his daughter Catelyn run his household and seems to have raised her to be a strong woman unafraid of making her own decisions; but she never disputed or rejected the notion that she was going to be married to the lord her father chose for her. (Lysa did, with tragic results) Ned felt compelled to honor his dead brother's betrothal despite his not knowing Catelyn. This is the way things were.

(was it any wonder that Asha Greyjoy did not seek marriage? She did have options, at least while her father lived; and she much preferred being an Ironborn captain and reaver to hanging around Pyke birthing babies and watching them grow up to be taken away or killed. Since then, Asha was married, by proxy and without being consulted, and she's doing her best to ignore it, though being Stannis' prisoner far away from her island home does help)

The only love match I can remember in ASoIaF that was also a marriage was between Tywin and Joanna Lannister - and we all know how well the kids turned out. I'm not so sure that there would have been a huge difference if Joanna had lived, either. And oh yes, Robb Stark and Jeyne Westerling. Everyone would have been better off if Robb had turned his back on her; or better yet, not had sex with her in the first place.

I wonder why Ned and, more particularly, Catelyn, allowed the young Sansa to develop such an unrealistic view of her future. As the older daughter of the Lord of Winterfell (and a grand-daughter of the Lord of Riverrun), and a healthy, very pretty girl, Sansa Stark would have been a highly desirable piece in the Westerosi Marriage Game. Is permissiveness with daughters a Stark family trait? Wouldn't they have worried about Sansa repeating family history and running off with some flashy married man or an unmarried handsome hedge knight? Or did Ned just take it for granted that Sansa would do what her parents told her and Catelyn felt that there would be plenty of time to educate the preteen Sansa on the realities of the Marriage Game, and then Robert showed up with his court and his pressure to make Ned his Hand and Sansa his son's bride.

But the truth is that most daughters of Westerosi are married to men or boys who do not love them and who want them for their bloodlines, their claims. The girls are expected to be obedient wives to husbands who may or may not philander (and if so, put up with it), care for the husbands' houses/palaces, and produce their husbands' children. In return, ideally, the young noble-born brides are given their husbands' protection, respect, and the expectation of a fairly high standard of living (at least in comparison with the smallfolk, this standard does vary depending on the rank and wealth of the bridegroom). Men like Ned Stark, who have a compassionate streak and a strong sense of honor, do not approve of wife-beating; I'm not sure that many other men of Westeros share the same view of it. The condemnation of wife-beating, or violence to women, seems to be bound up with other ethics rather than being a separate act that is criminal by its very nature. Not so much our modern understanding that Abusing Women is Criminal; but that Abusing Women/Beating Wives is not kingly, not honorable, not courageous, not chivalrous.

Most young girls and young women of noble houses who are married for familial advancement have been raised with the understanding that they are not being married for love, and that they will be respected and protected, and that their children will love them, not necessarily their husbands. Sansa was betrothed too young, before her family and her Septa could teach her that marriage was far different, in reality, than the songs and stories she loved so well. And Sansa had her illusions stripped away so suddenly and brutally; it's no wonder that she thinks sadly "Nobody will ever love me for myself". She is very much alone, no mother, father or brothers to at least give her the comfort of knowing that there are people who do love her for herself; Sansa is a fugitive pretending to be the bastard daughter of a murderer who physically molests her - you don't get much more alone than that; and even as Littlefinger's protegee and pawn and pseudo-daughter, Sansa knows that he doesn't love her for herself either, he loves her as his pretend-daughter.

Sansa's prospects seem dubious, whichever way we look. She can forsake her Stark roots, stay Alayne and become some kind of adventuress, married to none, if she can find or make the money necessary for such an existence. She can let herself be married for her Stark claim if her marriage can be annulled and the charges of complicity in a king's murder dropped, and hopefully get a powerful husband who will like her and respect her and possibly fall in love with her (Harry the Heir, Willas Tyrell, Aegon, Stannis if Selyse dies, Trystane Martell if his betrothal to Myrcella is broken) and have healthy children who she can love and achieve some measure of happiness, she could reunite with Sandor (who, as a deserter, would not be welcome in either his ancestral keep or anywhere in the traditional Seven Kingdoms) and go live in the North as Regent to Rickon and then Lady of a holdfast - which might give her happiness since Sandor is the one man who never cared about her claim, but then he's also a violent alcoholic. Or Sansa could become a Septa; or never marry, which I think would be a huge waste of her potential; this is a girl who has a lot of love and tenderness to give, who could influence two or three generations of highborn children and retainers and others, and who would make a good mother, and, I think, enjoy being a mother.

Sansa has so far been given an unpleasant, downright scary, introduction to sexuality. That's why I think if/when she does become sexually active, she will want to exert some control in sexual interaction rather than just lying down and think of Winterfell (not because I visualize her wearing leather and wielding a whip). I'm hoping that Sansa will learn a lot from conversations with Myranda and possibly Mya as well, both attractive, older girls who bear their own scars and a few happy memories and who still have much hope and lust for life. Sansa is still young enough to recover from her experiences with Joffrey and Tyrion and Littlefinger; but not if LF keeps fooling around with her, or if she's pushed into Harry-the-Heir's bridal bed, or anyone's bed, too soon.