I think it's a shame, considering Dany's arc and grown in politics (a whole book about ruling) that her story just ends in her death while other character without this strong story arc in political, or even without it will end up alive and in a political role. It just feels like bad writing
This is your polite discourse warning. Forgive me if I get passionate and kindly don’t cancel me. Or do, but only through meme formats :)
As a reader, you have a right to criticize the stories you consume and interpret them your own way. As a person entering my inbox, I have a right to criticize your interpretations. Feel free to make your own post about why you think so though, discourse can be healthy!
Allow me to be forward: I don’t think GRRM is a nihilist, and I don’t think the heroic character sacrificing themselves for the humane cause is bad or even problematic or lazy writing. At their core, these are stories about people’s moral duty to fight for humanity’s rights. I would argue that an endgame where any hero is willing to sacrifice their goals, their dreams, and their life for the right cause but when they either don’t die, or they die and come back to life is a cheap cop-out that undermines the themes (unless it’s children’s media, of course).
There is a huge difference between authorial purpose bursting with something important to say in the story versus a story that tries to placate all fans with a comfortable ending. Take G*T for example, that tried to subvert expectations above all else. G*T that doesn’t have anything to say and accidentally** stumbles through badly executed misogynistic, xenophobic, and ableist narratives because they’re trying to please everyone, and pleased no one in doing so. (I really don’t think they understood how insulting the end product was**)
ASOIAF does have something to say and knows how it’s going to say it!
“It is no matter to them if the high lords play their game of thrones, so long as they are left in peace.“ He gave a shrug. “They never are.”
It isn’t about politics! That’s why the series is A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE and not A GAME OF THRONES! Dany plays a bid for the throne, and sure, she could make a great Queen! but it isn’t about her trying to be a good queen like every else! She isn’t Jaeharys or Good Queen Alysanne. Her story is about structural change and war and revolution and fighting even if the odds are against you! Rage, rage against the dying of the light!
Quite literally, Daenerys is a miracle maker! She walked into a burning pyre and brought dragons to life! Then a bleeding comet slashed through the sky to herald their coming! Why wouldn’t that happen for any other good king or queen that went after a throne? because Dany’s destiny isn’t about man-made politics and man-made thrones and nation’s squabbles and cultural differences! Because at its foundation, ASOIAF is about the necessary union of humanity for survival!
Sure, a hero’s sacrifice is an ending that has been done before, but so have happy endings. Neither one is more cliche than the other, they coexist agelessly. Is it really bad writing? or is a happy ending simply more comfortable?
That’s up for you to decide. Thanks for the question, anon.
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