The Image of the Other in George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire

Abstract

This research studies the image of the Other in George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire. To highlight the falsified image of the Other, the research tackles the act of othering in different societal classes through Daenerys Targaryen’s interactions. Feminist and postcolonial theories are applied in a textual analysis of the literature. First, the research analyzes the woman as an Other through Daenerys’ dynamics with close male counterparts. Second, it applies the postcolonial notions of othering and worlding to Daenerys’ takeover of Slaver’s Bay. Third, it outlines how the Subalterns are conditioned as Others. The notions of liminality, the contact zone, and transculturation are also identified. The research reveals the protagonist is complicit as a female Other but later rebels against patriarchy. She performs the act of othering against the peoples of Slaver’s Bay through different motives. She also conditions the Subalterns as Others through the takeover of their cities and the restriction of their economy.