Part I
Part II
Part III
Part IV
Part V
Trigger Warning: This contains frequent discussion of sexual assault, particularly rape
Rather strange is the unprecedented criticism of the show following Sansa’s rape despite sexual violence being a recurrent trauma in both the books and the television show narratives. Daenerys Targaryen was raped Khal Drogo following her wedding and Cersei Lannister was sexually assaulted by her twin brother Jaime Lannister following the death of their son Joffrey, a product of their longstanding incestuous relations. Less outspoken is the outrage when minor characters of equally minor social class (mostly whores) are raped or butchered for the amusement of men. Recall Joffrey forcing prostitutes to torture each other or the prostitute Ros he murdered with his crossbow or the women Ramsay hunted and slaughtered in the forest or Tyrion Lannister murdering Shae for betraying him by sleeping with another woman, his father Tywin.
It is worth considering whether the difference in disgust over such misogyny appears to reflect difference in class privilege with higher regard being afforded to noble women. The rape and slaughter of poor whores seems to be as complacently accepting in the real world as it is the fantasy world as a consequence of their frowned-upon lifestyle. It is troubling that some have suggested that the rape scene would have been less traumatic if it occurred to the less important (in terms of both narrative and social position) character Jeyne Poole, rather than Sansa, as if rape is only particularly traumatic when it involves characters of high class and narrative importance. Here the audience appears less concerned with the traumatic event of rape itself and more distracted by whether the individual suffering the trauma is someone they feel invested in.
Criticisms to the contrary, the rape made perfect sense in the narrative since the legitimacy of the Bolton house as Wardens of the North depends upon an expedient marriage. The family with the greatest Northern legitimacy is the Stark family of whom Sansa Stark is the only known remaining daughter. By agreeing to marriage with Ramsay it was certain Sansa would have to have sex with him, given that the purpose of marriage is to produce an heir of the unified households. And given the personality of the man she married, it was likely that such sex would not be pleasant or consensual for her. Ramsay, sadistic bastard that he is (pun intended), has an apparent preference for sex done out of dominance rather than pleasure. Or stated otherwise, the pleasure Ramsay derives from sex is not from the sex itself but the way it can be used as a way to dominate and dehumanize women against their will and manipulate them to his own. Ever eager to humiliate Theon further, it is unsurprising that Ramsay forced Theon to witness the violation of Sansa. This should not be interpreted to mean that Sansa’s rape was meaningful but merely that it was predictable. Sansa’s rape is not necessary to the story (is any event truly necessary to a narrative?), but it is a legitimate possibility given the world in which her story unfolds.
Further criticizing the scene for not providing the audience with new plot or character information is not only false but misunderstands that relationship people and events have to one another and the overall narrative. Yes, we did not need that scene to understand that Ramsay is a sadistic bastard but that event occurred precisely because he is exactly one. And although the audience may be aware of Ramsay’s depravity, Sansa is not. That scene provided the audience with recognition that she was made aware of the extent of his cruelty. It also provided Theon an opportunity to be challenged out of his own submission by witnessing a loved one suffering similar humiliation and submission. Having been raped by Ramsay, and Theon having witnessed it, they are bound together: the former through the hope of revenge and the latter through redemption. The rape, being consistent with all the characters involved, provides us with no new information on them. Rather characters were brought together so that they would be provided with new knowledge of one another’s suffering and unite to end it. This is not a justification for the rape, since I think such narrative justifications are problematic, but it does serve to correct the criticism that the rape provided no new information to the characters or the audience.
The worst criticism of Sansa’s rape is that it she should have shown more agency during the ordeal. Sana did not cower before the idle threats of Myranda, Ramsay Bolton’s lover, but cried and whimpered through the ordeal of Ramsay raping her. The scene is being criticized because Sansa did not resist the rape or consent to it in order to nullify its violation of her person. This is a sexist critique which reflects the belief that being a victim of sexual violence means you lacked the agency (strength, i.e. masculinity) to resist the assault on your person. Criticizing the rape of Sansa in this way implies that her weakness is a failing which made her rape possible, which is blatant victim-blaming and sexist. Such argumentation assumes that the victim of sexual assault is responsible for it since they did not resist it enough or prepare against it enough.
It is not uncommon for victims of sexual assault to feel as though they are unable to resist their attacker. And it may be true that they could not escape the situation, or it may not. Either way it is not the place of someone else, who did not suffer the ordeal themselves, to judge the victim for not acting according to what was expected of them. Otherwise empowered and self-confident women may panic under the traumatizing experience of a sexual assault. To suggest that there is something that they should have done to prevent their rape is to further violate the victim, not protect them. The victim may them internalize such failings, interpreting the rape as what they deserved for being unable to resist it.
This criticism then is the most shameful betrayal of feminism and solidarity with victims of patriarchal violence. This scene is a realistic, if not horrific, portrayal of sexual assault. And it is all the more disturbing that Sansa, a person the audience was invested in and believed to be rising in power, was violated in such a way. As Game of Thrones repeatedly reminds us, power and virtue are not secure protection against violence but are likely to attract it. However, this does not imply that the victims of such violence are themselves responsible for it. Nor does it imply that the show is at fault for depicting the reality of rape culture many of us would chose to ignore or, worse yet, contribute to. The show should not be faulted for depicting violence realistically, but one should be motivated to uncover and fault those aspects of society which contribute towards misogyny and sexual violence such as rape.
Rape does not necessarily entail a radical, let alone positive, transformation in one’s character. It is a deep disturbance to one’s positive character development. And the expectation that it elicit a positive transformation is itself deeply disturbing. If there was a necessary relationship between rape and character development then it would be morally justified if not required, to rape women. That is precisely the kind of horrific reasoning a patriarchal society like the one Sansa lives under would exhibit and is precisely the kind of society that Game of Thrones is criticizing. The expectation that rape conform to a meaningful, coherent narrative is absurd. Retroactively imposing meaning upon a rape entails that it was necessitated by the events which preceded it, highlighting the inescapability of it given the choices that one made and therefore one’s ultimate responsibility for their own rape. This amounts to blaming the victim for their own rape which is precisely the kind of narrative patriarchy provides in order to exculpate itself for the responsibility it bears for the pervasiveness of rape culture.
It is not uncommon for victims of sexual assault to feel as though they are unable to resist their attacker. And it may be true that they could not escape the situation, or it may not. Either way it is not the place of someone else, who did not suffer the ordeal themselves, to judge the victim for not acting according to what was expected of them. Otherwise empowered and self-confident women may panic under the traumatizing experience of a sexual assault. To suggest that there is something that they should have done to prevent their rape is to further violate the victim, not protect them. The victim may them internalize such failings, interpreting the rape as what they deserved for being unable to resist it.
This criticism then is the most shameful betrayal of feminism and solidarity with victims of patriarchal violence. This scene is a realistic, if not horrific, portrayal of sexual assault. And it is all the more disturbing that Sansa, a person the audience was invested in and believed to be rising in power, was violated in such a way. As Game of Thrones repeatedly reminds us, power and virtue are not secure protection against violence but are likely to attract it. However, this does not imply that the victims of such violence are themselves responsible for it. Nor does it imply that the show is at fault for depicting the reality of rape culture many of us would chose to ignore or, worse yet, contribute to. The show should not be faulted for depicting violence realistically, but one should be motivated to uncover and fault those aspects of society which contribute towards misogyny and sexual violence such as rape.
Rape does not necessarily entail a radical, let alone positive, transformation in one’s character. It is a deep disturbance to one’s positive character development. And the expectation that it elicit a positive transformation is itself deeply disturbing. If there was a necessary relationship between rape and character development then it would be morally justified if not required, to rape women. That is precisely the kind of horrific reasoning a patriarchal society like the one Sansa lives under would exhibit and is precisely the kind of society that Game of Thrones is criticizing. The expectation that rape conform to a meaningful, coherent narrative is absurd. Retroactively imposing meaning upon a rape entails that it was necessitated by the events which preceded it, highlighting the inescapability of it given the choices that one made and therefore one’s ultimate responsibility for their own rape. This amounts to blaming the victim for their own rape which is precisely the kind of narrative patriarchy provides in order to exculpate itself for the responsibility it bears for the pervasiveness of rape culture.
Absurd is the assumption that Sansa could immediately escape her circumstances. How can she run from or fight off Ramsay when she is in a massive castle surrounded by men loyal to his sadistic whim? As a woman, society as a whole believes her to be Ramsay’s property through marriage and therefore he is entitled to do with her as she pleases and if she ran she would be returned to him. As a person, Sansa is apparently psychologically incapable of violence as she was incapable of pushing Joffrey to his death even after being showed the severed heads of her slain father and septa. A stereotyped feminine passivity has been imposed upon her personality through her upbringing, ingraining in her the expectation that women should be subservient to men. To expect that Sansa would be capable of overcoming this internalized ideology within her and the men that enforce it is inexplicable. Daenarys, Arya and Brienne have only managed to do through a combination of being supported by, mistaken as, and forced to take the role of men. They have not managed to overcome patriarchy but have rather conformed to and internalized the masculine instead of the feminine aspect of the binary hierarchy.
It is simply disturbing to hear some critics think it better that Sana desire to or at least feign the desire to have sex with Ramsay simply so she does not appear to be a victim. Ramsay is monstrously evil, arguably more so than Joffrey ever was or could have been. Having just escaped from Joffrey, it is inconceivable that Sansa would want to then be intimate with a man who rivals him in evil. Were Sansa merely feigned consent for the purpose of revenge against Ramsay and his family, it would be grossly inconsistent with her character development no matter how much agency she may have developed recently. Sansa is a young virgin entirely inexperienced and uncomfortable with sex so it is unlikely that she would be enthusiastic on the night of her arranged wedding, no matter the man. To suggest that Sansa (appear) to want Ramsay is abusive of her character and suggestive that women should consent to their rapists. Are we so unable to empathize with the suffering of a female character that we can only stomach it if they turn it to their advantage? Are we so anxious to see women victimized that we can only conceive of them as Machiavellian manipulators, selling their virginity to murderers to avenge their fallen family?
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