[Commlist] Special Issue on Game of Thrones - Canadian Review of American Studies

/*New issue now available online!*/

/**/

/*Canadian Review of American Studies */

/*Volume 49, No. 1, Spring 2019*/

/*CRAS *//*Online: */*http://bit.ly/cras491*/**/

/**/

/*Special Issue on Game of Thrones*/

/**/

/*Articles*/

//

/*Introduction—High Fantasy, Political Dreams, and the Mainstream: 
Reflections on *//*Game of Thrones*//**/

/Jonathan Chau, Chris Vanderwees/

*Read at CRAS Online >>>**http://bit.ly/cras491a***

*Affective Proximity: Tracing Jaime Lannister’s Moral Progression in 
HBO’s /Game of Thrones/*

/Matthew Cormier/

Jaime Lannister is one of the most intriguing characters in HBO’s /Game 
of Thrones/ due to his important role in the show’s chief area of 
conflict, King’s Landing, as well as his incestuous relationship with 
his sister and, because of this relationship, her strong influence on 
his character. What makes the dynamic of Jaime and Cersei’s relationship 
so compelling is the manner in which Cersei’s influence on Jaime seems 
to grow weaker or stronger depending on where he is travelling in 
Westeros, how far away he is from her, both physically and emotionally, 
and which characters he spends time with during these travels. An 
effective means of analyzing Jaime’s moral development in relation to 
his relationship with his sister is by way of /affect 
theory/—specifically the affect of proximity, which authors such as Sara 
Ahmed and Lauren Berlant discuss in /The Promise of Happiness/ (2010) 
and /Cruel Optimism/ (2011), respectively. By mapping out Jaime’s 
travels during the series, as well as through close reading of several 
key moments of his journey, I argue that Jaime’s ever-changing 
“affective proximity” to Cersei strongly affects his moral character, 
ultimately resulting in his heading to Winterfell to help fight the last 
war.

*Read at CRAS Online >>>**http://bit.ly/cras491b***

*The East Is Least: The Stereotypical Imagining of Essos in /Game of 
Thrones/*

/Mat Hardy/

While /Game of Thrones/ may appear to offer an avenue of escape to an 
imaginary realm, in its representation of race and geography, this 
fantasy universe simply reinforces existing preoccupations of our actual 
world. An example of this is in the representation of the Eastern lands 
and cultures in the story. The link between Eastern cultures and 
depravity has been part of Western imagining of the “Orient” for 
centuries, and the peoples of the Middle East are generally depicted as 
“fallen” compared with the more honourable denizens of the West; this 
occurs in fantasy literature, as well. This article examines the 
dynamics of ethnic and geographic representation in /Game of 
Thrones/ from the perspective of Edward Said’s /Orientalism/ and the 
historical foundations of Western depictions of the Middle East. It 
argues that despite the reputation of the series as ground-breaking 
escapism, its depiction of Eastern peoples is anything but.

*Read at CRAS Online >>>**http://bit.ly/cras491c***

*Power and the Denial of Femininity in /Game of Thrones/*

/Diana Marques/

Being inspired by medieval history and culture, /Game of Thrones/ may be 
regarded as a work of neo-medievalism, depicting a world where several 
fantasy and medieval literary characteristics are subverted. One of them 
is the portrayal of women who are strong and violent, and who disrupt 
gender norms, such as Brienne of Tarth, Arya Stark, and Yara Greyjoy. 
Accordingly, it seems that in order to wield male power and to engage in 
traditionally male activities, these women have to deny their 
femininity. Thus, the aim of this article is to understand why women 
must deny their femininity to be taken seriously in traditionally male 
roles, and whether that denial transforms as effective power or 
undermines them in the eyes of Westerosi society.

*Read at CRAS Online >>>**http://bit.ly/cras491d***

*“Yet I’m Still a Man”: Disability and Masculinity in George R.R. 
Martin’s /A Song of Ice and Fire/ Series*

/Amy Tarnowski/

This article examines three fantasies concerning representations of 
disability and masculinity within George R.R. Martin’s /A Song of Ice 
and Fire/ series. Specifically, I argue that within the fictional realm 
of Westeros, the treatment of Tyrion and Jaime Lannister reveals the 
cultural fantasies that influence how male characters with disabilities 
are defined, perceived, and treated by normate (non-disabled) 
characters. Tyrion and Jaime both subscribe to and challenge Westerosi 
fantasies that are projected onto individuals with disabilities—namely, 
the notion that individuals with disabilities are grotesque or 
monstrous, the belief that disability is a marker of immorality or 
divine punishment, and the stereotype that individuals who are disabled 
are emasculated or impotent. All of these cultural fantasies influence 
the marginalized status and positionality of characters like Tyrion and 
Jaime, and reveal normates’ anxieties concerning both bodily fragility 
and the maintenance of the hegemonic status of normate embodiment.

*Read at CRAS Online >>>**http://bit.ly/cras491e***

*Progression through Regression: The Inferno of Daenerys Targaryen*

/Sylva Sheridan/

A chief warning from George R.R. Martin is that the “night is dark and 
full of terror.” This article is a critical reflection on a moment from 
Martin’s masterpiece, /A Song of Ice and Fire/. Through a close reading 
of the series, I found that one of the most poignant moments is Daenerys 
Targaryen’s visionary journey through the House of the Undying. It was 
in this moment that I found the influence of the indelible Dante 
Alighieri. My article parallels Daenerys’s journey alongside Dante’s 
journey through hell in his /Inferno/. I begin by drawing a comparison 
between the warning Daenerys is given by Pyat Pree and the warning found 
outside of the gates of hell in /Inferno/. I finish by considering the 
prophecy of the three treasons experienced by Daenerys, mirroring 
Dante’s vision of Lucifer. While these experiences may seem dark, there 
are moments of light interspersed. Throughout this article, I also 
reflect on how /Game of Thrones/ interprets Daenerys’s visions as 
prophecy. Ultimately, I conclude that the true story of “ice and fire” 
is the story that leads one from bondage to freedom in the ultimate 
search for truth.

*Read at CRAS Online >>>**http://bit.ly/cras491f***

*“You Win or You Die”: The Royal Flush of Power in /Game of Thrones/*

/Priscilla L. Walton/

/A Song of Ice and Fire/ provides a plethora of ideologies and 
governmentalities, and, in this article, I explore their strengths and 
weaknesses. Using a Foucauldian analysis to trace the divergent modes of 
governmentality apparent in Martin’s texts, I demonstrate how fruitful 
the series is for conveying the complexities of various systems of 
governance, including feudalism, imperialism, and democracy.

*Read at CRAS Online >>>**http://bit.ly/cras491g***

*/Canadian Review of American Studies/** is the leading American Studies 
journal outside the United States and the only journal in Canada that 
deals with cross-border themes and their implications for multicultural 
societies. Published three times a year, the journal aims to further 
multi- and interdisciplinary analyses of the culture of the US and of 
social relations between the US and Canada. /CRAS/ is a dynamic and 
innovative journal, providing unique perspectives and insights in an 
increasingly complex and intertwined world of extraordinarily difficult 
problems that continue to call for thoughtful scholarly input.***

**

*For more information about the /Canadian Review of American Studies/ or 
for submissions information, please contact:*

**

*University of Toronto Press - Journals Division*

*5201 Dufferin St., Toronto, ON, Canada M3H 5T8*

*Tel: (416) 667-7810 Fax: (416) 667-7881*

*Fax Toll Free in North America 1-800-221-9985*

*(journals /at/ utpress.utoronto.ca)* <mailto:(journals /at/ utpress.utoronto.ca)>**

*http://www.utpjournals.press/cras*


---------------
The COMMLIST
---------------
This mailing list is a free service offered by Nico Carpentier. Please use it responsibly and wisely.
--
To subscribe or unsubscribe, please visit http://commlist.org/
--
Before sending a posting request, please always read the guidelines at http://commlist.org/
--
To contact the mailing list manager:
Email: (nico.carpentier /at/ vub.ac.be)
URL: http://nicocarpentier.net
---------------