America is plagued with a seemingly endless stream of events occupying airtime on news channels across the nation, and as of late, all of those events seem to be involved with the harmful social disadvantages that are faced by minorities. These adversities are so frequent that they seem to morph together into some sort of horrific accumulation of hate to the point where we can't keep track of when or if any of these problems will ever be solved. Luckily, we have exactly what we need to repress any shred of human sympathy that may begin to manifest inside our minds during times of crisis: Game of Thrones! Read below to figure out which character from the 26-time Emmy Award winning HBO original series makes your blind eye turn furthest away from the everyday travesties being faced by innocent citizens of America!
Bran Stark
Son of Eddard and Catelyn stark, Brandon follows his heart, which often gets him into predicaments. Bran’s playfully curious nature results in a crippling handicap early on in the series. He relies on the assistance of friends to help him keep him safe as they traverse Westeros. The fact that Bran needs the assistance of others may awaken some unexpected emotions regarding the current state of race relations in our fair country within. If your goal is to give racism the cold shoulder, it may be best not to think of Bran Stark!
Joffrey Baratheon
I know what you’re thinking: “Yikes!”, and you’re certainly correct for thinking that. A bratty man-child who gets off on causing others physical and mental harm. Such a loathable and inherently evil character is sure to make you think that no such evil could possibly exist in the real world, but deep down you know you’re wrong. Be careful when mentioning Joffrey -- you may just wind up caring about social injustices!
Daenerys Targaryen
Wow! What a strong, powerful character! Across the span of 6 seasons, Daenerys has freed hundreds of thousand of slaves from oppressive cities all over Westeros! Using her cunning wit, she outsmarts all adversaries to get what she wants. Not to mention, she has 3 dragons at her side! Dragons! Such an awesome and independent character will likely make you inclined to believe that any bad in the world is already being cleaned up by a person or people. All you have to do is sit back, enjoy storytelling at its finest, and watch the problems of the world resolve themselves around you! The Mother of Dragons may just be what you need to ignore those in need of help!
Arya Stark
What an incredible journey has been on! We wouldn’t want to be in her shoes, of course, but what an entertaining expedition we got to watch unfold! Swearing vengeance on those who did her wrong, Arya travels all over Westeros, making new friends and thrusting herself into perilous situations along the way. Such a fun character to watch develop, Arya makes us want to live a life of adventure ourselves (without any of that pesky hassle, of course!). Racism who?
Cersei Lannister
While Cersei may not be the nicest gal in town, we do have to commend her every now and then for being ruthless when she needs to be. Her undying love of her children remind us that she has respectable qualities, despite often being manipulative and cold. All things considered, she can’t necessarily be classified as a justifiably “good” character, which means that she should be considered sinister… just like some prejudices that, if you’re actively trying to forget them, shall remain unnamed for now.
Eddard Stark
A truly honorable man, Eddard Stark Always upholds the law and does what is best for his family and his people. He takes all sides of a story into consideration, and will fight for the annihilation of any unjust inequalities that may arise under his jurisdiction. It’s guys like these that make us realize it’s okay to put the suffering of others around us on the back burner, because there’s always a stand-up fella putting in their all to liberate that pain. Bigotry is certainly going out of style!
Jon Snow
Who doesn’t love this guy? We can never get enough of him! He’s determined, passionate, skilled, and absolutely filled to the brim with boyish charm! Not only is he great with a sword, but pets as well! However, the bitter rivalry between the Night’s Watch and the Wildlings north of The Wall may too-well reflect some unsettling reality. Unfortunately, reality is where we live, and we want to try our darndest to toss that fact asunder. While we love Jon, we’re gonna have to leave him behind for now if we really wanna dedicate ourselves to forgetting about statistical evidence that proves without a shadow of a doubt that races continue to be profiled and face life-threatening consequences because of it.
Tyrion Lannister
Born a dwarf and constantly the butt of everyone’s jokes, Tyrion is hardly taken seriously at all, despite being arguably the smartest character in the show. Using his sharp tongue and cunning, Tyrion outsmarts those who attempt to wrong him, often proving himself to be better than his aggressors. Tyrion may not be able to cleanse your palate of the notion of racism, but he will remind you of how probably easy it is for the oppressed to work their way out of any perilous situation they may find themselves in!
Jaqen H’ghar
A skilled assassin, Jaqen possesses the ability to trade faces with whomsoever he chooses. This proves useful in his craft, as he often uses this gift to spy on his targets. However, the very fact that his home is referred to as “The House of Black and White” raises more than a few red flags. If Jaqen comes into the scene, it may be time for a bathroom break!
Sansa Stark
We can’t help but feel sorry for Sansa. She’s been abused, nonconsensually wed to two sadistic maniacs, kept prisoner, stabbed in the back (metaphorically!), and watched as her loved ones disappear all around her. She has been subject to so much unjust torment across years of her life that we often can’t help but feel sorry for her! Of course, there may be people like that that exist in our world, that face similar mental and physical torment, that are just as scared for their lives and the lives of those close to them, that attempt to reach out for help but are overshadowed by the actions of others, but there’s no real way of knowing for sure!
