Similarities between Sansa Stark and Wendy Darling
Anyone who follows this blog regularly knows that I am also a diehard Peter Pan fan. In fact, I am way more protective over that material than I am ASOIAF (if you utter the name āRufioā in my presence, I will probably hit you). And it occurs to me that one of the reasons I am so drawn to Sansa Stark is because she reminds me so much of another of my literary heroines, Wendy Darling.Ā
(*NOTE: for this analysis, aside from the picture above, I will be referring only to the Sansa Stark created by George R.R. Martin for his ASOIAF book series to illustrate my points; for Wendy, there exists many iterations of the Peter Pan story written and conceived by the original author, J.M. Barrie, himself, so I will be sticking primarily to those, though I do consider certain aspects of the Disney version and the 2003 live-action film to be semi-canon in their own rights.)
Both are the heroes of their own narrative, though most take this for granted (or willfully ignore it altogether). Sansa has her POV chapters, but many in the ASOIAF fandom believe she serves no other purpose than as a lens through which to peer into the goings-on in whichever location she happens to be or with whichever characters she interacts, neglecting the fact that she actually does have her own storyline and arc. By the same token, many people forget that Peter Pan is told primarily from Wendyās POV. At the end of the day, itās her story, and she is, in fact, the hero.
Both dream of going away to a supposedly ābetterā place only to wish to go home again. Sansa dreams of leaving the cold North and going off to āglamorousā Kingās Landing but soon learns that it is ruthless and even colder than her ancestral home, and she wants nothing more than to return to Winterfell. Wendy wishes to escape to Neverland, where all her wishes will supposedly come true ā and they do, proving the phraseĀ ābe careful what you wish for.ā She is the one who makes the decision that she and her brothers must return to their family.
Both are defined by their love of and belief in stories and songs. And both get a rude awakening in regards to this. Sansa was raised on heroic tales of historical & mythical figures past and assumes her life will turn out like a fairy tale only to learn the harsh lesson that many of those songs she loves involve a great deal of suffering, and she adjusts her worldview accordingly. Likewise, Wendy dreams of Neverland and of Peter Pan, but she quickly realizes that neither are all they are cracked up to be. She goes to Neverland to avoid growing up, but once she is there, she realizes that growing up is exactly what she must do after all.
Both are emotionally manipulated and kidnapped by a dude named Peter/Petyr. Thereās a reason Littlefingerās name is spelled Petyr and not Peter ā he is essentially a satyr. And so is Peter Pan, having been literally named after the satyr Pan. And they both serve the same purpose ā to lure an innocent girl away to their territory and attempt to make them abandon everyone and everything they ever knew and loved in order to make her want to stay with him. Petyr Baelish literally destroyed Sansaās family, while Peter Pan only wants Wendy to forget hers altogether; Littlefinger manipulates Sansa into believing everyone she ever knew never really cared for her, and Peter attempts to close the window of the Darling nursery in order to make Wendy think her parents forgot about her. Wendy had a bit more agency in her decision to leave with Peter, whereas Sansa was misled to believe that she would be returning to Winterfell. Both fellas know how to put on the charms and manipulate these girls when they need to; however, both Wendy and Sansa are aware that these guys are liars andĀ āplay the gameā accordingly. Sansa acquiesces to Littlefingerās desire for kisses when he requests them; Wendy tells her brothers to do whatever Peter says in order to avoid his carelessness and/or wrath. Neither Sansa nor Wendy are ignorant of their being used, though they do react to Petyr/Peter much differently. Sansa has no physical or emotional desire for Littlefinger whatsoever, but Wendy clearlyĀ ālovesā Peter and tries to make him happy only to realize that itās futile because he could never love her back. In the end, itās all about survival. (Itās also worth noting that Peter brings Sansa to Neverland to be a mother to him and the Lost Boys, only to end up being her surrogateĀ āhusbandā, while Littlefinger pursues Sansa because she reminds him of her mother, and they too take on a false parent-child dynamic that one of them wishes were something more on theĀ āromanticā side.)
Both become targets of another femaleās jealous rage after kissing Peter/Petyr. Those who grew up with the Disney or musical versions of Peter Pan probably donāt realize that Peter and Wendy do actually kiss in the beginning. After the whole thimble/acorn exchange business, she kisses him, and he kisses her back in return. That is when Tink pulls Wendyās hair, and she then becomes hellbent on disposing of Wendy by any means necessary (including murder). When Sansa arrives in the Vale, Lysa is suspicious of her pretty much right off the bat, and when she catches Littlefinger kiss Sansa, itĀ āconfirmsā her suspicions, and she nearly tosses Sansa out the moondoor because of it. Petyr stops her and throws her out the moondoor instead. When Tink tricks the Lost Boys into shooting Wendy down, Peter banishes her (but only for, like, a day).
Both are vigorously reliant on courtesies, being a lady, and doing and saying theĀ āproperā things. Sansa was brought up to be a courteous little lady, in preparation for a life as a high lordās (or kingās) wife, and she takes this VERY seriously. Once the shit hits the fan, though, her courtesies become a weapon of sorts ā herĀ ācourtesy armorā, as she calls it, and indeed it becomes her chief survival tactic. This isnāt so far off the mark from Wendy either, who almost immediately comes to realize (even before her brothers) that keeping Peter happy and entertained is of utmost importance if they are to survive being in Neverland, and so she instructs them to never question him, even when she privately knows he is wrong or acting foolish. (She utilizes this same tactic when they are abducted by Hook.) As time goes on, however, she becomes less and less able to tolerate douchebaggery and begins to be openly disdainful of Peter, just as Sansa is, as of her TWOW preview chapter, no longer content to stand for people like Harry the Heir disrespecting herā¦Ā
Both are unfailingly compassionate and always strive to see the best in people. ā¦And despite all this, they never lose their capacity for compassion and kindness; their respective experiences allow them to grow and mature (ironically so, in Wendyās case) and become stronger, but their virtuous natures are never compromised. Yes, they have unkind thoughts and feelings, as any normal human would, but at the end of the day, their compassion overrules all.
Both are looked after and protected by a dog. Sansa has herĀ ādogā, AKA SandorĀ āThe Houndā Clegane, who does what he can to protect her from the cruelties of Kingās Landing. Wendyās nurse is literally a dog, a Newfoundland named Nana. Both of these dogs are eventually removed from their lives, allowing Petyr/Peter to move in and carry them off. Wendy is eventually reunited with hers, and Sansaā¦.. (?)
Both have a pet wolf. Sansa, of course, is given Lady, a female direwolf who is left orphaned when its mother is killed. Prior to going away with Peter, Wendy dreams of having an orphaned pet wolf while in Neverland. Once she is there, the wolf eventually finds her and they bond immediately.
They are both heavily associated with mothers. In Sansaās case, time and again, she exhibits a natural maternal gift, whether itās calming the noble ladies in Maegorās Holdfast, singing the Motherās Hymn to gentle Sandorās rage, or effectively becoming a surrogate mother to Robert Arryn after Lysaās death, she is far more an earthly embodiment of The Mother than she is The Maiden. As for Wendy, she comes by her gifts as the only female in her household other than her own mother, to whom she looks up, and Peter brings her to Neverland specifically to be a surrogate mother to the Lost Boys. Even Captain Hook wants Wendy to be his mother. Motherhood in general is extremely important in both these girlsā stories.
Both have a brother named John/Jon. Okay, thatās a stretch, heehee.
Both possess imagery related to flying and are referred to as ābirdsā. Sansa is nicknamedĀ ālittle birdā and is associated with birds and flying numerous times in the narrative. Wendy literally flies, LOL, and when she first encounters the Lost Boys, they call her a āWendy Birdā. (Also of note, the first-ever Peter Pan-related story was entitled The Little White Bird and he even refers to himself as aĀ ālittle birdā when Hook asks him what he is.)
