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What makes a female character likable? Good hair? Good clothes? A killer smile? In the two big-name franchises, Game of Thrones (GOT) and His Dark Materials (HDM), female likability and leadership capacity are directly correlated to their motherly instincts. But as the year 2021 slowly blinks open its eyes like a newborn babe, it’s worth asking the question: are women-only valuable to others when they exhibit stereotypical femininity? Or should feminist progress be measured in something other than mere presence in pop culture?
Female representation and agency have come a long way in TV and movies. In increasing frequency, women are both starring in and directing popular media. However, even though it is 2021, true representation of women as full, well-rounded characters has yet to take hold. Instead, female characters are plagued by classic ideas of femininity and motherhood if they want to succeed both onscreen and in the minds of viewers. Once a character steps out of those roles and demonstrates more masculine qualities, all too often, she falls into the role of a villain or anti-hero.
Celebration Of A Female Character’s “Motherhood” Is Often Mistaken For Power
In the series Game of Thrones and His Dark Materials, female characters who embrace stereotypical traits of femininity and motherhood are rewarded by other characters and are shown to be extremely likable. The characters Daenerys Targaryen “Khaleesi” and Lyra Bellaqua are prime examples of motherhood’s pervasiveness for female characters. Although Lyra and Daenerys are leading female protagonists with strong personalities, much of their identity hinges on being a “mother” figure to others. Daenerys’ title is “Mother of Dragons,” conveying motherhood as the first quality about herself to others.
Similarly, in His Dark Materials, the witches of Lake Enara run around proclaiming Lyra’s importance as “Eve, the Mother of all.” Both Daenerys’ and Lyra’s value and strength are tied to their compassionate motherhood.
Sometimes Their Motherhood Results In Soft Power (How Others Relate To Them)
When Lyra runs around Jordan College, getting dirty and acting boyish, the male scholars behave with a begrudging responsibility and duty to her father. Outside of breaking the rules, Lyra has very little say in what her day looks like. While children as a whole often have little autonomy, in Lyra’s case, the scholars do not seem to respect the kind of life Lyra wants to carve for herself. Instead, they repeatedly try to mold her into how society deems a lady should behave. Reinforced in the relationship is the idea that girls can’t act like tomboys and hold respect in society.
On the other hand, once Lyra begins to use her innate skills to help others, she begins to gain allies and influence. According to 45 Master Characters, for the nurturer, “a sense of duty to help others is essential,” and “the Nurturer cares about the welfare of her children, whether there’s danger present or not.” (( Victoria Lynn Schmidt. “Demeter: The Nurturer and the Overcontrolling Mother,” in 45 Master Characters: Mythical Models for Creating Original Characters. (Cincinnati, Ohio: Writer’s Digest Books, 2011), Kindle Cloud Reader. )) Lyra’s compassion for others, including those who are shunned by society as undesirable or abnormal, is what endears her to the other characters she meets along her journey.
For example, while traveling with the Gyptians to track down the child-snatching “Gobblers,” Lyra is told by the Alethiometer to travel to an abandoned town where something terrible happened. Everything in the scene, from Pan’s whimpering to the ominous music and the visually dark lighting, conveys to the viewer the unnatural state Lyra is confronting. It is here Lyra discovers the horror of Billy Costa alone in a fishing shack and severed from the physical representation of his soul or “daemon.” (( His Dark Materials, season 1 episode 5, “The Lost Boy,” directed by Otto Bathurst, aired December 2, 2019, on HBO Max, https://play.hbomax.com/page/urn:hbo:page:GXan8HgQaHMMcQQEAAAyz:type:episode. )) In the scene, Lyra is determined not to show fear in front of Iorek Byrnison (a male polar bear). There is a strange subtext that Lyra wants to prove her value to a respected male authority figure. But fear is a human emotion, as easily felt by women as it is by men. Needing help does not make someone weak or less valuable. If Iorek and the Gyptians are going to respect Lyra, it should be as a person and not contingent on her ability to help them.
Given the rules of her society, it would be completely reasonable for Lyra to react in horror or disgust to the sight. Pan expresses this sentiment when he says, “I know we should help him, but I’m scared” (( His Dark Materials, season 1 episode 5, “The Lost Boy,” directed by Otto Bathurst, aired December 2, 2019, on HBO Max, https://play.hbomax.com/page/urn:hbo:page:GXan8HgQaHMMcQQEAAAyz:type:episode. )). As a physical representation of Lyra’s subconscious, Pan is voicing the fears and prejudices Lyra has absorbed as part of her societal framework. However, rather than give in to that voice, Lyra responds by saying, “Come on. Come on, Billy Costa. Your Ma’s been waiting for you. Let me take you to her.” (( His Dark Materials, season 1 episode 5, “The Lost Boy,” directed by Otto Bathurst, aired December 2, 2019, on HBO Max, https://play.hbomax.com/page/urn:hbo:page:GXan8HgQaHMMcQQEAAAyz:type:episode. )) Though she is horrified and terrified, Lyra overcomes her own fear and prejudices to do the compassionate thing by treating Billy with love and bringing him back to his family. Lyra’s actions are later rewarded by Lee Scoresby, her father figure when he says that he is proud of her and that she did a good thing. Lyra’s actions are commendable, but the larger question remains why it was on her alone to complete the task. Not a single Gyptian offers to go with Lyra, and once Lyra brings Billy back to the Gyptian camp, the men stand around and watch Billy’s grieving mother with pity and perhaps trepidation.
Perhaps dating all the way back to Greek mythology, mothers are the ones who often suffer for the welfare of their children. In this case, Lyra is tasked with suffering the trauma of coming across the daemon-less Billy Costa so that the Gyptians can begin to heal. However, Lyra has every right to acknowledge and value her emotions and reactions as valid.
Will & Lyra
In Season 2 Episode 1, “The City of Magpies,” Lyra and Will explore a city that is haunted by specters who eat the soul of anyone past puberty. As they explore, Lyra spots an older boy who has been attacked by the specters and is now a shell of a person. Rather than shy away or regard the boy with disgust, Lyra approaches him with visible compassion and love, placing a hand on his shoulder and gently telling him to “go on,” (( His Dark Materials, season 2 episode 1, “The City of Magpies,” directed by Jamie Childs, aired November 16, 2020, on HBO Max, https://play.hbomax.com/page/urn:hbo:page:GX42Z4wT8lsPCdwEAAAS4:type:episode. )). By contrast, the other remaining children of the city resemble something from The Lord of the Flies and barricade themselves inside at night. Lyra is compassionate towards those who are unable to look after themselves, and who are otherwise shunned or relegated to society’s margins.
Despite being present, Will, a boy, noticeably hangs back. Realistically, it would have been more appropriate for Will to approach the boy, given his boxing background. There is no real reason for Lyra to assume responsibility for the well-being of the boy. However, given her history with the Gyptians and Billy Costa, it is logical that Lyra would believe that caring for others is what others value in her. Motherhood and caring for others is all well and good, but when it is Lyra’s only character trait, it limits her character growth and stunts the larger portrayal of young girls as complex human beings.
Sometimes Their Motherhood Results In Explicit Power (They’re Elevated To A Specific Role)
Game of Thrones’ Daenerys Targaryen “Khaleesi” is a female character whose motherhood elevates her to a position of power. For most of her life, Khaleesi had no power or autonomy. First, she was at the whim of her brother, and then she was the wife to Khal Drogo. Being pregnant with the Khal’s son gave her additional power amongst the Dothraki, but once the Khal and her son have died, that power is stripped from her. The next time Khaleesi gains power is when the dragons are hatched, and she becomes their mother. Furthermore, Khaleesi’s title “The Mother of Dragons” sounds fearsome, but “mother” is the operative word in that title. Motherhood is the first thing other characters learn to associate with Khaleesi.
The effect of Khaleesi’s compassionate motherhood is on full display in Game of Thrones Season 3 Episode 10, “Mhysa.” In this episode, Khaleesi encourages the slaves of Meereen to free themselves. In response, she is rewarded with a mass of people reaching out for her and calling her “Mhysa” which literally translates to “Mother.” (( Game of Thrones, season 3 episode 10, “Mhysa,” written by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, aired June 9, 2013, https://play.hbomax.com/page/urn:hbo:page:GVU28XQKO6oNJjhsJAWEr:type:episode. )) The images of Khaleesi physically being elevated above a crowd of hundreds who are reaching out for her is a visual representation of Khaleesi as the female messiah archetype. According to 45 Master Characters, the Female Messiah can have a “message that’s about the feminine traits of love and compassion, but her message may be much harsher than that. This can cause trouble for her unless women are viewed as equals.” (( Victoria Lynn Schmidt. “Isis: The Female Messiah and the Destroyer,” in 45 Master Characters: Mythical Models for Creating Original Characters. (Cincinnati, Ohio: Writer’s Digest Books, 2011), Kindle Cloud Reader. )) Khaleesi may represent the female messiah at this moment, but it is wholly dependent upon the femininity of her message. Going into Meereen, Khaleesi had an army of unsullied. She could’ve chosen to take the city by force but refrained. It is not until Khaleesi shows the feminine traits of compassion and love towards the slaves of Meereen that she is rewarded with power and status. Furthermore, by calling her “mother,” the people of Meereen verbalize Khaleesi’s value in a patriarchal society, where women are not even close to being seen as equals. As a result, once Khaleesi’s message becomes less feminine, it becomes a liability for her due to her gender.
There is no question that being a mother requires a certain kind of strength. (If you don’t believe me try pushing a small human out of you.) However, it is not the only thing women have to offer. Lyra and Daenerys have all the opportunity in the world to be as cunning, as great of military leaders, as strong, as celebrated, and as [insert descriptor here] as their male counterparts. Yet, what both the show writers and other characters choose to place value on is their motherhood.
Breaking From Their Identity As “Mothers” Results In A Loss In Power
When previous likable characters, like Daenerys and Lyra, start to exhibit characteristics outside their predetermined roles in ways that are less feminine, they are critiqued and rebuked by other characters. (And sometimes the critique bleeds from the screen into the real world.) When I read The Golden Compass as a child, I connected with Lyra’s bold, headstrong nature and her silver tongue. In watching HDM, however, I was struck by the lack of emphasis on these qualities.
This comes from the onscreen characters and the way I felt the show was asking me to react. Of course, Lyra’s compassion for others deserves to be celebrated. However, if Lyra is to be a fully formed and well-rounded female character, the full spectrum of human emotion, including negative qualities, should be equally validated. Unfortunately, once Lyra acts outside of what is considered appropriately feminine, she is swiftly rebuked by others.
Season 2, Episode 5, “The Scholar”
For example, in Season 2, Episode 5, “The Scholar,” Lyra and Will are on a mission to retrieve the Alethiometer from Boreal. In the process, Lyra is surprised by the presence of her mother. In a rage, Lyra uses Pan to inflict harm on her mother’s daemon, and by proxy, her mother. (( His Dark Materials, season 2 episode 5, “The Scholar,” directed by Leanne Welham, aired December 14, 2020, on HBO Max, https://play.hbomax.com/page/urn:hbo:page:GX5mzWAYLjZ6aoQEAAAA4:type:episode. )) It is a role reversal from Season 1, where Marisa used her golden monkey to hurt Pan and Lyra. After the conflict, Will tells Lyra,
“I’ve never seen you like that before”
(( His Dark Materials, season 2 episode 5, “The Scholar,” directed by Leanne Welham, aired December 14, 2020, on HBO Max, https://play.hbomax.com/page/urn:hbo:page:GX5mzWAYLjZ6aoQEAAAA4:type:episode. ))
— to which Lyra admits, “— It might sound strange, but I hope I’m like neither of my parents. It didn’t feel good, acting like she did.” (( His Dark Materials, season 2 episode 5, “The Scholar,” directed by Leanne Welham, aired December 14, 2020, on HBO Max, https://play.hbomax.com/page/urn:hbo:page:GX5mzWAYLjZ6aoQEAAAA4:type:episode. )) Through Lyra’s sentiments, the viewer understands that the aggressiveness displayed by Lyra towards her mother is an undesirable quality that should be repressed or shunned. However, in reality, Lyra’s action is understandable and arguably warranted given the strained relationship between mother and daughter. Furthermore, Marisa’s actions towards Lyra until this point directly contradict her professed sentiment of loving her.
What happens when a little girl is told that her only value is in caring for others? Lyra has no one to help her process her mother’s role in her best friend’s death, let alone their very toxic and sometimes abusive relationship. Furthermore, when Lyra finally does express human emotions like rage towards her abuser, she is quickly shut down by those around her. Will’s solace is middling at best, and the fact he was cowed by Lyra’s aggression in the first place speaks volumes. Women should be able to express anger just as easily as men. Having been abandoned, abused, and emotionally manipulated, quite frankly, Lyra has every right to react the way she does towards her mother.
Game Of Thrones‘ Daenerys Targaryen
Khaleesi also faces harsh judgment in a similar vein once she starts acting less maternal and more like a male leader. In Game of Thrones Season 7, Episode 5 “Eastwatch,” Khaleesi gives a subdued Lannister army a clear choice of either bending the knee or facing death. Both the head of House Tarley and his son refuses to bend the knee. Tyrion then directly undermines Khaleesi’s authority in front of both the enemy and her generals by twice asking her to refrain from killing them. (( Game of Thrones, season 7 episode 5, “Eastwatch,” written by Dave Hill, aired August 13, 2017, on HBO, https://play.hbomax.com/page/urn:hbo:page:GWTghiQTNQr84hwEAAABQ:type:episode. )) The events of Eastwatch are a significant factor in Tyrion’s ultimate decision that Khaleesi is no longer fit to rule. However, Tyrion’s misjudgment comes from a place of patriarchal power. It is largely assumed that Khaleesi is unnecessarily cruel in this situation and that she should have spared the Tarleys. Yet, literally moments earlier, Lord Tarley acknowledged that there are no easy decisions in war.
I find it extremely hard to believe that Tyrion would have behaved the same way had Khaleesi been a man. Look at the way he was mute when Joffrey humiliated him in front of essentially the entire court? Tyrion acted deferentially. Personally, I find a grown dragon more terrifying than a whiny teenage boy. Using logic, if Tyrion regarded them with equal stature, he should have reacted in the opposite.
“Bend The Knee”
Furthermore, Khaleesi gave the Lannister forces a clear choice: bend the knee or die. What would have happened if, immediately after ordering that directive, she capitulated to Tyrion’s guilt and allowed the Tarleys to live? There would have been no reason for the rest of the Lannister forces to obey. In all likelihood, there would’ve been a resumption of conflict. Worst of all, sparing the Tarley’s lives would make Khaleesi look weak in front of her Dothraki and Unsullied generals. Why on earth would anyone fight and die for someone who can’t stand by their decisions? Once a leader shows their words hold no weight, they cease to be a leader. It is unquestionable that if a man had been in Khaleesi’s position, there would have been no discussion on the ethics of enemy death by dragon.
In fact, if a male military leader had shown mercy to insubordinate enemies, he would have immediately been seen as ineffectual and weak. To hold Khaleesi to a different standard simply because she is a woman is ridiculous. However, this highlights a larger problem female characters face: is it better to be liked or respected? Generally, women have a much harder time being both liked and respected by their peers. Once a woman starts behaving more like a man, she may be begrudgingly respected, but she is certainly not liked.
To be liked, a woman often must be classically feminine. In pop culture, we tend to give men credit when they are capable of being both fierce leaders and also show compassion for others. The same standard should apply to female characters. We need to stop being afraid of women in positions of power, and we need to stop portraying female characters in power as anti-heroes.
Characters Whose Identity Is Separate From Motherhood Have To Work Twice As Hard
The portrayal of female anti-heroes on screen is also revealing. Despite overwhelming odds, Cersei Lannister and Marisa Coulter in Game of Thrones and His Dark Materials have managed to flourish in strict patriarchal worlds. Yet, neither character is particularly likable to either viewers or fellow characters. Cersei and Marisa are perceived to be cunning, ruthless, and cold. Their sole redeeming quality is their dedication to and love of their children — in other words, when they act maternally.
Unlike Lyra, Marisa Coulter is not meant to be an aspirational character. In contrast to Lyra, Marisa undermines others as a means of retaining respect from her male peers. In this way, Marisa Coulter is best represented by the “Scorned Woman” archetype. According to 45 Master Characters, “the Matriarchs rage and power tend to come out when she feels abandoned by her family,” and “She needs to be in control of things. Chaos isn’t acceptable to her. She can justify any action taken to preserve the integrity of her family. She is inflexible, impulsive and unpredictable at times” (( Victoria Lynn Schmidt. “Hera: The Matriarch and the Scorned Woman,” in 45 Master Characters: Mythical Models for Creating Original Characters. (Cincinnati, Ohio: Writer’s Digest Books, 2011), Kindle Cloud Reader. )). Marisa demonstrates these qualities in the way she deals with societal outcasts and how she relates to Lyra. Marisa uses motherhood to justify the existence of Bolvangar and severing children from their daemons on the basis that she wants to protect Lyra from sin and create a better future for her.
His Dark Materials, Season 2
Additionally, at the beginning of Season 2, Marisa tortures a witch of Lake Enara to the brink of death by ripping the cloud pine out of the witch’s body and causing her great pain. (( His Dark Materials, season 2 episode 1, “The City of Magpies,” directed by Jamie Childs, aired November 16, 2020, on HBO Max, https://play.hbomax.com/page/urn:hbo:page:GX42Z4wT8lsPCdwEAAAS4:type:episode. )) Marisa is desperate to learn the whereabouts of her daughter, but rather than have compassion or pursue other methods, Marisa exhibits dark, ruthless tendencies despite the outwardly tender goal of finding her daughter.
In Season 2, Episode 6, “Malice,” Marisa comes across a man who has been ravaged by the specters. Unlike Lyra, Marisa has a taunting and coldhearted response. At first, Marisa attempts to scare the soulless individual, as one might sneak behind a close friend. Once she realizes that whatever the specters have done is stronger than the severing capabilities on her own world, Marisa callously says, “We could learn from this” (( His Dark Materials, season 2 episode 6, “Malice,” directed by Jamie Childs, aired December 21, 2020, on HBO Max, https://play.hbomax.com/page/urn:hbo:page:GX5mzWAQvBJ6aoQEAAAA2:type:episode. )). Part of what makes the scene disconcerting is the jolting and intentional contrast to how Lyra handled a similar situation. The scene highlights the way viewers are meant to associate Lyra’s gentle compassion with “goodness” and reject Marisa’s behavior as surgical and cruel.
Game Of Thrones‘ Cersei Lannister
Similarly, Game of Thrones’ Cersei Lannister is an unlikable character. Like Marisa Coulter from His Dark Materials, Cersei is seen as someone who is cold and ruthless. In her article, “Is Cersei Lannister A Villain Or The Product Of A Male-Dominated World?” TDF’s Elizabeth Aranda writes, “Cersei Lannister isn’t interested in the hidden power in the books—she wants the visible power that the men around her hold,” but the trouble is, “…this visible power will never be available to her because of her status as a woman.” (( Elizabeth Aranda, “Is Cersei Lannister A Villain Or The Product Of A Male-Dominated World?” The Daily Fandom, Jan 11th, 2021, Accessed Jan 20, 2021, https://thedailyfandom.org/cersei-lannister-villain/. ))
Cersei Lannister: “High Sparrow”
With limited outlets for self-expression, Cersei’s reacts in destructive ways. In Season 6, Episode 10, “The Winds of Winter,” Cersei is meant to face her “trial” in front of the High Sparrow, but instead, she blows up the Sept of Baelor. Cersei’s only reaction is to watch as she sips her wine calmly. (( Game of Thrones, season 6 episode 10, “The Winds of Winter,” directed by Miguel Sapochnik, written by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, aired June 26, 2016, on HBO, https://play.hbomax.com/page/urn:hbo:page:GVw1caQpI4MPDw5gJAAMQ:type:episode. )) It’s a chilling moment.
Honestly, though, who can blame Cersei for wanting revenge? Earlier, she was forced on a walk of atonement through King’s Landing streets, where she was utterly denigrated and humiliated to appease a religious zealot. (It’s also worth noting that she is also essentially punished for the crime of doing what she must to survive in a patriarchal system.) Facing that kind of humiliation would be enough for anyone to snap. Although drastic, Cersei blowing up the Sept of Baelor should be seen through an eye of understanding rather than judgment.
Both Marisa and Cersei are portrayed as mothers who have abandoned their “motherhood,” and the void that is left in that space makes them behave in unlikeable ways. It’s also important to note that these characters are often set in opposition to the “compassionate mother” figures of Lyra and Daenerys. Viewers are meant to cheer for Lyra and Daenerys to orchestrate Marisa and Cersei’s downfall. But if this is the case, it once again enforces the idea in viewers’ minds that women are only valuable, likable, and heroic when they behave in a specific way. While it is easy to root against characters like Marisa and Cersei, it’s more important to acknowledge what factors into a viewer’s reaction.
For better or worse, female villains and anti-heroes are given less screen time to explore the underlying factors contributing to their behavior than the compassionate heroines. Furthermore, when characters like Marisa and Cersei are shown to have emotional complexity, it revolves around them regaining their motherhood.
Redemption Means Embracing A Rejected Part Of Their Identity
Both Cersei and Marisa have been told that to have power is to be male. For men, childrearing is seen as a sign of benevolence, not a necessity. Therefore, if Marisa and Cersei want the world to take their accomplishments seriously, they have to reject the feminine in favor of the masculine. However, the choice is a catch-22. Characters who make a choice to reject their motherhood are punished by patriarchal systems (both onscreen and off) who chastise them for stepping outside their predetermined role. It is only by reclaiming the part of their identity they were initially forced to reject that these characters are granted any leniency by fellow characters or viewers alike.
The only soft qualities Marisa demonstrates revolve around her daughter Lyra. The first comes in Season 1, Episode 6, “The Daemon-Cages,” when Marisa stops Lyra from being severed from her daemon Pan. The extremely emotional moment is accentuated when Marisa tells Lyra “No one’s going to harm you Lyra, no one’s ever going to hurt you. You have my word on that,” (( His Dark Materials, season 1 episode 6, “The Daemon-Cages,” directed by Euros Lyn, aired December 9, 2019, on HBO Max, https://play.hbomax.com/page/urn:hbo:page:GXan8JwiELaCkmwEAAArZ:type:episode. )). The first-time viewers see Marisa demonstrate any sort of motherly characteristics towards Lyra, making Marisa slightly more sympathetic.
Letting Lyra suffer the same fate as the other children would’ve sealed Marisa’s status as a monster. However, one can argue that Bolvangar’s existence results from Marisa’s desire for her peers in the Magisterium to recognize her intelligence and capability as an experimental theologian. Her society’s inability to see her as anything other than a mother has forced her into an unwinnable loop. A desire for equality drives the creation for Bolvangar, while at the same time being the mechanism by which she is forced to reclaim her motherhood when Lyra crosses into her path. In reclaiming her motherhood over Lyra, Marisa must face the exact expectation she has tried to escape.
Marisa once again reclaims her motherhood when she meets a captive, Lee Scoresby. The two connect over their mutual love of Lyra and their tortured childhoods with abusive parents. Ultimately, Marisa frees Lee Scoresby, citing the fact they both want to keep Lyra safe. (( His Dark Materials, season 2 episode 3, “Theft,” directed by Leanne Welham, aired November 30, 2020, on HBO Max, https://play.hbomax.com/page/urn:hbo:page:GX5mx2weKpyx_wwEAAAeb:type:episode. )) The moment shows a mother doing what she can to protect her child from the same harsh reality she faced.
Why Should These Characteristics Stand Out?
But why are these the moments that are meant to resonate with viewers? Why should a glimpse of Marisa’s motherhood signal redemption over other character traits? For a woman in an extremely patriarchal religious society, Marisa Coulter is doing quite well. She knows how to hold her own against the Magisterium leadership, assassinates the Cardinal without repercussion, and manipulates Father Macphail to do what she wants. Given the circumstances, those skills seem more praiseworthy than some tortured love Marisa may or may not have for Lyra.
By the same token, though formidable, Cersei is rarely a tender mother figure, except when it comes to her children. Joffrey’s death in Season 4 Episode 2, “The Lion and the Rose,” is an explicit example. Cersei can be seen visibly distraught over Joffrey’s poisoning, and in a rage, accuses Tyrion of poisoning the King. (( Game of Thrones, season 4 episode 2, “The Lion and the Rose,” written by George R.R. Martin, aired on April 13, 2014, on HBO, https://play.hbomax.com/page/urn:hbo:page:GVU4aGQoi6lFvjSoJAcWt:type:episode. )) The viewer is meant to sympathize with Cersei’s loss. Any mother would grieve over the death of their child. (Despite the fact Joffrey was truly awful.) Furthermore, it is worth noting that this is the type of moment that is meant to convey Cersei’s humanity. Once again, the idea of a compassionate mother is held as a virtue above all others and one that is capable of redeeming even someone as cold and ruthless as Cersei Lannister.
What Does It Mean To Be A Mother Figure?
It’s worth considering whether the qualities exhibited by Cersei and Marisa are what truly make them cold. Are they perceived that way because they are more similar to the qualities a man typically demonstrates? Ultimately, are women acting as men more unforgivable than the actions themselves? Both Cersei and Marisa have risen to positions of power as women. Not only that, but they show themselves to be extremely adept at navigating complex political situations largely without jeopardizing their standing or their goals. It seems unreasonable that female characters cannot simultaneously hold power in society while also being likable. It’s also unreasonable that a women’s likeability should hinge on their motherhood.
The point is not to elevate cruel or ruthless characters. I dislike cold, ruthless people as much as the next person. However, to achieve true progress towards gender equality, there needs to be room for well-rounded female characters. Women and men should be equally celebrated for their battle prowess and leadership capabilities as they should for their compassion and love. Women should be able to express the full range of human emotions without being punished for it. As it stands now, female protagonists choose between being maternal and likable or powerful and disliked. Instead, why not give audiences a reason to cheer for characters who show the human complexities of womanhood?