Bruce Wayne for Fictional Characters: Pt. 2

Now where was I? Ah, yes, Sansa Stark.

Much like Bruce Wayne, I have a large number of adopted fictional children under my perceived care. Unlike Master Wayne, I don't host them in my mansion and take them out on field trips to clean up the crime-laden streets of Gotham. I can't do that. They aren't real. Duh. 
¯\_(ツ)_/¯ And while there are also many of them, I'm going to narrow it down to one character that exemplifies a few important characteristics I'm touching on. So, let me introduce you to my child Sansa.

(For Clarification: I don't actually host delusions in which the fictional character Sansa Stark is my literal child. This is a way for me to convey my deep caring for abandoned and mistreated characters. I'm decently grounded in reality, for the most part.)

For those unfamiliar, Sansa is a character in George R. R. Martin's brutal high fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire, and the corresponding television show named after the first book in the series, Game of Thrones. Sansa's the eldest daughter of Ned and Catelyn Stark, a noble family of the northern stretches of Westeros that suffers greatly at the hands of families in higher seats of power. If this is a new series, or you're a little behind, fair warning - there are definitely going to be SPOILERS beyond this point. If you don't mind that and are unfamiliar with the story thus far, I will do my best to make the pertinent parts understandable. I'm trying to prove a point here, after all!

To start off the series in both its forms, we see Sansa as a young girl with dreams of fine ballgowns and happy marriages. Very early on she is groomed to become the future queen of Westeros by marrying the eldest son of the royal family, Joffery Baratheon. She has many practical skills of a lady in her social standing. Unlike her younger sister Arya, who's scrappy and looking to learn proper swordsmanship, Sansa is a student of more scholarly subjects, a deep reader, deft with a needle, refined in manners, but a little naive to the true workings of the world. She is simultaneously unfortunate and lucky to be raised in a happy family with strong moral values. All of the kids were, actually. The harshness of cruel and traitorous people has yet to truly hit them. 

Turns out the royal family is far from wise and fair. The king, Robert, is killed through his vices as facilitated by his own wife Queen Cersei, who's mothered all of the royal children with her twin brother Jaime. Sansa's promised marriage to Joffery is less than ideal, because he's a sick, twisted sadist who has Sansa's father beheaded in front of her and declares war on her family and the north. Arya vanishes to complete her own quests and is presumed dead by most characters, including her sister. Sansa's bastard brother Jon Snow is up north with the Watch, her elder brother Robb and her mother are murdered by allies. Her two younger brothers are taken captive and their deaths faked. As far as Sansa knows, she is alone in the world, with her future ripped away. Held captive among people she cannot trust, who emotionally and mentally abuse her, seeing her only as a weak and naive pawn to be wed off for her family name.

And that's how the audience saw her too. Young, weak, naive. Sansa didn't have any physical strengths - she didn't learn any form of combat, unlike Arya. She didn't constantly make escape attempts, so she was seen as stupid. The venom towards Sansa I witnessed when watching the show with friends was startling. They would ask, why doesn't she just leave? Why doesn't she fight back?

First of all, how dare you. Second of all, in a world that touts itself as 'realistic fantasy' loosely based on the incredibly narrow scope of medieval Europe, with its realistic characters and realistic scenarios don't mind the dragons and ice zombies, people still have the gall to balk at a young noble girl with no combat training and nobody to turn to in the outside world dare to stay and endure the abuse, biding her time? Kindly step off. You don't have to adore her for lying in wait, but consider why your opinions are those of active hate rather than worry or concern. Third of all HOW DARE YOU.

Now that I have the basic constructs for Sansa set up, I'll kindly direct you to tomorrow's post for the grand finale!