Tyrion Lannister: The Scapegoat


Game of Thrones is a popular HBO series based off the books written by George Martin.  This popular book and television show series is a gritty, medieval fantasy-based work. Therefore, it is obviously centered around violence, blood, sexual violence, rejection of clear definitions of good and evil, and pseudo-medieval settings. Basically, it is a lot of war, rape, killing, and violence. Fantasy is often criticized for the racial inequalities and bad morals it broadcasts but is never holds considering it is “not the real world.” However, many people study medieval-based fantasy to see popular culture as well as the thoughts individuals possess. This is due to the fact that authors can write about whatever they want because it “is not real.” Tolkien, the author that invented the genre, had Eurocentric works based off of the four features of race theory. Therefore, fantasy works are typically patriarchal and White. In fact, most fantasy has all or the “good” as White. Often the non-white races are a mix of “middle-eastern and eastern” languages that have all the typical eastern stereotypes (even though they aren’t ha ha).
Game of Thrones, however, is a little better about being completely White. Although it is not perfect by any means, it is a little closer in the direction away from the White-dominant Tolkien. There are often still eastern stereotypes and Eurocentric ideals, but it is not as dominant. Tyrion, a character in Game of Thrones, is an interesting example of how it is not completely there yet. Tyrion in a nut-shell is a White male who is the scapegoat for all the White man’s problems. He is a dwarf that does not represent the “White eliteness.” To begin, he is the last of the children of a royal, White family that not only is the youngest but killed their mother upon his birth. So from the beginning he is already set up for failure. On top of that, any time anything happens, it is his fault. If there is a need for someone to be the fall man or the scapegoat, it is Tyrion. He is the “dark-skinned” version of the White man. In order to be “White” in fantasy, one must be powerful, upper-class, good, chivalrous, and not a dwarf. The fact that he is a dwarf automatically sets him up for failure. For example, he got hand of the king and helped win an attack on the iron thrown that was being done by Stannis Baratheon and he woke up to getting fired from his job and locked in a room. His father (the powerful White warlord) took his position and cast him aside like he was nothing. He even hinted that it was Tyrion’s fault that there was a battle to begin with. Often dark skinned characters in fantasy are the scapegoats and have “lesser” roles. However, this is case where being “imperfect” in the eyes of the Whites can cause you to be on the “same level” as the dark skinned people but yet still have the power to hold positions above them.




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