The Winds of Westeros

Sansa Stark will always be regarded as the Stark daughter who has the genteel breeding that was traditional of a young girl in a medieval society, like Westeros. She is accomplished at needlepoint, poetry and chatelaine duties. It seems to me that her sole duty is to marry well and into a high born family, as befits her own family's station and status in the Seven Kingdoms. She is elegant and poised and to quote her directly, "Courtesy is a lady's best armor." Really?! How about armor is your best protection against the enemy - both protective to your body and your wit?! Sansa may be the perfect daughter, but she lacks the ability to see through people's motives and has no thought to the idea that people have the ability to be malevolent. However, Sansa's biggest priority is getting engaged to a dreamy prince of the realm and making her parents happy.

This bugs me. As in to no end. Yes, I understand that she wants to make her family happy but what about how she is going feel, think and act? It bothers me to such a degree that women are regarded as the silent gender in A Song of Ice and Fire and Sansa embodies this well. Be seen but not heard. No thought to your own wishes and will, but the will of your lord and master.

I think that perhaps a little cunning and intelligence are the order of the day. Let's face it: Sansa dreams of a world where everybody is kind and gentle and they all adhere to the notions of courtly love. Being betrothed to Joffrey Baratheon was no picnic and for viewers of the show and readers of the books, we all know how she was mentally and psychologically abused. She was isolated and used as a pawn by others who had plenty of power over her. In short, Sansa is a victim and has no real power over her own life. Choices are made for her. When Sansa chose that spoiled wretch, Joffrey, over her sister and Mykah in Season I, that is when I lost all respect for her. Joffrey was a maniac and I thought to myself many times, "If that was a preview of what your married life was going to look like, good luck with that one. You deserve that pompous ass for a husband." That and - Arya is YOUNGER than you and can see through people's b.s. and you can't?! (shaking my head right now)

Season II and III fare no better for her - but we do catch small glimpses where Sansa is beginning to understand that people in King's Landing can be duplicitous and it doesn't hurt to have a protective mask in place and perhaps...even lie once in a while! Everyone else at court is a liar and a user, so you might as well try to beat them at their own game.

Being married off to Tyrion Lannister, in my opinion, was the safest thing that could've happened to her. As the wife of Tyrion Lannister, she had the protection of the Lannister family, plus the wealth to go along with it. And Tyrion is not Joffrey, not by a long shot. He might be a "half man" but by the Old Gods and the New, he is an experienced man and ladies, you get my meaning. Sansa could have had a chance to be happy with him, if she allowed herself to look past the fact that he wasn't so golden like one of the Tyrell sons or that he wasn't her perfect picture of a man. In those days, it was rare enough to have a true love match. However, having the Lannister name was an ace up her sleeve.

Will Sansa develop a stronger sense of worth? Will she develop a back bone and start to see all the dangers and intrigue around her? Or will she always be that ignorant little girl who dreams of courtly love, from Winterfell? Or will she surprise all of us fans and end up seated on the Iron Throne, with an army to back her up?