30 DAY GAME OF THRONES CHALLENGE : DAY ONE
Favorite Character from the series - Brienne of Tarthwarning : spoilers and undying love
I have to admit this is probably the HARDEST choice I will ever have to make. It was between Jamie, Petyr, Sansa and Brienne. But. In the end. I just had to pick. And I think Brienne is my favorite (at the moment. honestly it’s constantly changing.)
I think the reason why I’ve fell in love with her is because she’s such an a-typical character, and it’s so refreshing to read her chapters. Even though she puts on a strong front, she is vulnerable and insecure, but it does not make her falter or make her weak. She powers through all of the abuse and insults and it makes her strong. And she is strong as any man, and as good of a fighter but she isn’t your typical female warrior who is not only strong, but beautiful and sexy. Men don’t fall over each other to get in line to court her, she does not use feminine charms or her body to accomplish her goals, because she can’t. What she accomplishes she does with her own strength and her own power and skill. She isn’t manipulative and she doesn’t use men, and I love that.
Brienne is unfaltering too. She holds to her oaths and her honor and does not let it sway her, not tempted by greed or temptation. And though she may not be the most intelligent (I mean seriously go to the Eyrie to look for Sansa, that’s her aunt. That’s the first place I would have looked), but who in this book doesn’t make mistakes or makes an improper judgement?
I feel most of the characters in the series are neither good or evil, but I think Brienne is the truest and the most good and honorable out of all of them. Not saying that Bran or Sansa or Arya are not, but it feels more like they have no alignment and are just being carried with the story and what happens to them rather than creating their own story, that they have a destiny or a purpose already laid out before them. Brienne has to create her’s because she has nothing or no one to truly stand by, no story. She’s lost and looking for some purpose so she can continue on.
But I also feel for her because of the abuse she gets because of her sex and her appearance. She is assuming the role of a man in this world, by becoming a knight and fighting and wearing men’s clothes. And because she looks like a man people find it amusing to make her wear women’s clothes, treat her like a woman and mock her behind her back because it is the worst way to hurt her because she knows that is something she could never be. I have never been in that situation, but I still feel for her, because it’s tragic and it makes for a good story and an original one.
I just love reading her POV and the chemistry her character has with Jamie is just breath taking. Even though he insults her, he does grow to respect her which no man had really truely given her before, in the kind of way that Jamie does. And I think that gives her strength as well to continue even though Catelyn is dead.
My mother said she does not like reading Brienne’s chapters because she’s stark and serious, but I think that’s what I like about her, and I look forward to reading the rest of her chapters and seeing what happens to her.
Anyways. All the love for Brienne.
Favorite Game of Thrones Moments (in no particular order)
“I want you back in Winterfell for your own safety.”
“Lydia, I’ve had a crush on you since the third grade and I know that somewhere inside that cold, lifeless exterior there’s an actual human soul. And I’m also pretty sure that I’m the only one who knows how smart you really are, and that once you’re done pretending to be a nit-wit, you’ll eventually go off and write some insane mathematical theorem that wins you the Nobel Prize.”
On the way back to his chambers, he came upon his daughter Arya on the winding steps of the Tower of the Hand, windmilling her arms as she struggled to balance on one leg. The rough stone had scuffed her bare feet. Ned stopped and looked at her. “Arya, what are you doing?”
”Syrio says a water dancer can stand on one toe for hours.” Her hands flailed at the air to steady herself.
Ned had to smile. “Which toe?” he teased.
“Any toe,” Arya said, exasperated with the question. She hopped from her right leg to her left, swaying dangerously before she regained her balance.
“Must you do your standing here?” he asked. “It’s a long hard fall down these steps.”
“Syrio says a water dancer never falls.” She lowered her leg to stand on two feet.
