Daenerys Targaryen analysis (part 2 of 2)

A Dance with Dragons

Ruling Meereen

A Dance of Dragons sees Dany’s first taste of ruling in Meereen as she battles to carve her identity as Queen. It is clear that Dany has no interest in Meereen and its people once she has freed them. It is spite, stubbornness and a desire to prove herself that keep Dany here, playing as Queen in a city whose customs she does not know and does not appreciate: ‘I must don my floppy ears and become their Queen again’, ‘A crown should not sit easy on the head’. Dany is losing herself, which is reflected in her inability to control her dragons (who she subsequently locks up). She finds ruling to be boring and has little patience for her subjects:

 ‘You would think they might be happier, Dany thought. They have what they came for. Is there no way to please these people?’

This comes in spite of that fact that Dany has once again failed to implement policies to support the city. Dany has instead become somewhat of a white saviour symbol, and this is jarring for many readers who up until this point surely rooted for Dany to rule the Iron Throne. This is why I love GRRM, every single character is flawed and dimensional and real- our alliances and wishes as readers change frequently and at no point can I pin point exactly what will happen. It is when Daenerys challenges the cities customs, particularly banning fighting pits that she encounters deep hatred. She is kind and- I’m sure anyone now would say- right, but she is politically inexperienced. This backlash heightens Dany’s loneliness and uncertainty, as she begins to realise that her faith- her dragons- can bring her power, but not good leadership. She experiences imposter syndrome and a self-loathing which cannot be tamed by faith in her dragons.

‘Mother of dragons. Mother of monsters. What have I unleashed upon the world? A queen I am, but my throne is made of burned bones, and it rests on quicksand. Without dragons, how could she hope to hold Meereen, much less win back Westeros? I am the blood of the dragon, she thought. If they are monsters, so am I’.

I love the parallels to Jon at this point, in his own feelings of grief, doubt and isolation. I’d love to go more into them as a pair but it’s just so hard to get a good grasp on everything in these books because GRRM has written so, so much to be analysed! We really do start to see parallels to Jon and Daenerys story and experiences in the later books, and I think GRRM is beginning to show how Jon’s upbringing and influences have grounded him and primed him to potentially rule in contrast to Dany- he has become a remarkable leader. (Also, parallels to the connection to their animals and own wellbeing).

Dany becomes increasingly worn by this backlash, and dilutes her own morals as she begins to listen to her subjects: ‘It was blood the Meereenese yearned to see’. ‘If this is truly what my people wish, do I have the right to deny them? It was their city before it was mine, and it is their own lives they wish to squander’. Her doubt is worsened by her interactions with Xaro, who acts to develop Dany’s character. She is beginning to accept that she must change her ideals and leadership, but still lacks the knowledge and cannot find the place for the gentle ideals she upholds in the barbaric world she is part of. Xaro has disillusioned Dany and shattered the identity that she has been striving to achieve:

‘He was too eloquent for her. Dany had no answer for him, only the raw feeling in her belly. ‘Slavery is not the same as rain,’ she insisted. ‘I have been rained on and I have been sold. It is not the same. No man wants to be owned.’

 ‘A poor city that was once rich. A hungry city that once was fat. A bloody city that once was peaceful.’ ‘His accusations stung. There was too much truth in them.’

Daenerys is defensive and uncertain. At this point, there is significant foreshadowing and dramatic irony should Dany take the path of the show and die at the end:

‘You will only bring it destruction, as you did Astapor’.  ‘Do not close your eyes to your peril, Daenerys… ‘Have you forgotten? I have dragons.’ ‘That would make me very sad, my sweet delight… for young and strong as you now seem, you shall not live long. Not here’. ‘You have grown suspicious, Danerys. Always. ‘I have grown wise, Xaro’. ‘I am no butcher Queen’.

Marriage and proposal

There is definite growth in Dany’s character as she stops running for the first time and faces her doubts. Her decision to marry Hizdahr Zo Loraq marks Daenerys choice to rule seriously and show her respect for the customs and interests of Meereen’s people. It is in this dutiful marriage that Dany becomes truly disenchanted, similarly to Sansa and Cersei: ‘it may be that this is the best end we can hope for’. This is possibly the first time Dany has acted from duty rather than impulsion (of her own free will, not the will of Viserys) and here Dany’s actions are similar to choices Jon would make. I also enjoyed the contrast in Dany’s selfless decisions to Cersei’s current refusal to remarry (although I 100% would do a Cersei). Dany  is also learning- as have Sansa and Cersei- to use her beauty and perception as youthful/naïve to give her an advantage where she can. This is essential due to the sexism in this world .There are some nice Cersei parallels/contrasts throughout this book, particularly how Dany deals with the plague that infects her people in contrast to Cersei shutting out and hating the subjects of Kings Landing. Still, even this decision reflects Dany’s overall flaws; she decides to feed the dying despite knowing that she does not have enough resources for the healthy. This shows the contrast between Dany’s kind nature and actions, and her often poor judgement. Her fatal flaw is her desire to fix her wrongs only after it’s too late and has the potential to cause more harm.

Despite her sense of duty, Dany’s decision to marry is an unpopular one, particularly to Selmy, who tries to appeal to Dany by telling her that she is unwanted in Meereen but anxiously awaited in Westeros. The fact that Dany will not be convinced even after being compared to Rhaegar marks how lost she is at this point in time: ‘Prince Rhaegar’s sister has come home at last’. ‘If they love me so much, they will wait for me.’

It is at this point that Quentyn offers a marriage and alliance to Dorne. This is an exceptional opportunity, which Selmy tries to emphasise, but which highlights how stubborn and scared Dany is. She chooses to marry Hixdahr despite being told that the Dornish alliance is the key to ruling Westeros. Daenerys is at this point plagued by prophecy and mistrust:

‘Sometimes there is truth in dreams… The sun’s son. A shiver went through her. ‘Shadows and whispers.’ What else had Quaithe said? The pale mare and the sun’s son. There was a lion in it too, and a dragon. Or am I the dragon?… Dreams and prophecies. Why must they always be in riddles? I hate this. Oh leave me, Ser. Tomorrow is my wedding day.’

Selmy keeps trying, but she’s exhausted, defeated and in denial as to the significance of this opportunity. ‘One day I shall return to Westeros to claim my father’s throne, and look to Dorne for help… I may die before I see my seven Kingdoms. Westeros may be swallowed by waves. Come. It’s time I wed.’ Dany marries, yet admits to herself that she feels restless and overwhelmed. She is left full of regrets, having sacrificed so much to be stubborn.

I’ll also briefly (hopefully) mention here that Dany is significantly influenced by Daario at this point, whom she believes she is in love with. Daario manipulates and promotes Dany’s more impatient and ruthless qualities, and uses this influence to oppose Selmy’s council. Dany has never allowed herself to grieve Drogo, and compares Daario’s relationship to her marriage: ‘Daario had helped her to remember. ‘I was dead and he brought me back to life. I was asleep and he woke me.’ Selmy is frustrated by the careless way Daenerys acts around Daario (we forget she is so young) and dismays the influence Daario holds. This is evident when Dany suggests Selmy help her to find someone to ‘remove’ Brown Ben, a direction with which Selmy is very uncomfortable and Dany is uncharacteristically callous . ‘You are too honest and too honourable’.  This could be interesting foreshadowing for the relationship she will have with Jon and the contrasting views of opinion and action, leading to her downfall. Daenerys then asks that Quentyn accompany her to see the dragons: . ‘A flicker of doubt passed across the long, solemn face of Barristan Selmy. ‘As you command.’ Dany’s lack of trust is deepening and those around her are losing their grip on her actions. Dany listens to what Hizdahr says and compromises her own morals more as time goes on and she gets more tired. However, there is a scene in which she does at least forbid dwarves fighting without consent. I believe this is here to foreshadow how she might treat Tyrion.

Drogon and prophecy

‘When the sun rises in the west and sets in the east,’ she said sadly. ‘When the seas go dry and mountains blow in the wind like leaves. When my womb quickens again, and I bear a living child. Then you will return, my sun-and-stars, and not before’.

When Dany is finally reunited with and carried away by Drogon, she finally begins to grieve, relearn who she is and accept her nature. Drogon marks Daenery’s sense of self and helps her to remember:  ‘He is fire made flesh, she thought, and so am I’.

She feels physically ill and is burned following this journey, but Dany feels free and content: ‘Dany knew the lure of home’. She is hesitant at first, but gives in to Drogon and trusts him ‘On Drogon’s back she felt whole’. Drogon attempts to revisit Dragonstone, but seems to accept that Dany is not yet ready for this. He brings her back to Dothraki lands, and reminds her of the hope that she felt there:

 ‘Not since those half remembered days in Braavos when she lived in the house with the red door had she been as happy’.

I love this chapter so much and the way Drogon helps to reunite Dany with her identity. We feel as exhausted with and as Dany by this point and crave this point for her. She finally takes the time to delve into her psyche and remember what has brought her to this moment, abandoning her mantra ‘if I look back I am lost’. During this time, Dany dreams of Viserys, seeing and accepting the dualities of truth; she loves him, she recognises his terrible nature. Daenerys grieves the chaining of her dragon, and grieves the loss of Jorah. It is through a vision of Jorah that Dany decides it is time to look forward to Westeros. She again accepts that she is both angry at Jorah and ready to accept him back in her council:

 ‘Your War is in Westeros, I told you’. ‘Lost because you lingered in a place you were never meant to be, murmured Ser Jorah, softly as the wind. ‘alone because you sent me from your side’. ‘You are a queen, her bear said. In westeros’.

‘I was tired, Jorah. I was weary of War. I wanted to rest, to laugh, to plant trees and seem them grow. I am only a young girl’. ‘No. you are the blood of the dragon.’

This (Hamlet, Lion King, Jesus/God type exchange) solidifies Dany’s change, and let’s her move forward. She hears the bells of Kahl Drogo, smiles and recalls the prophecy. It is at this point that we leave Dany- hopefully for now and not forever (pls let Winds of Winter appear) and the Khalasar who have found her.  

This was an absolute ramble for no reason other than I love these books with all my heart and wanted to revisit them. I have so much more to say and there’s so much I’ve missed. I’d love to read any comments you have and any of your own theories or perspectives. Thank you so much for reading this!

Mythology/religion

I really don’t have the energy at this point to analyse fully haha, but my true love is mythology and I wanted to mention just a wee bit of the Greek myth references I’ve noticed- I’ve done a whole blog post on this before 😊. Again, I’ll have missed loads and would love to read your comments. I think Daenerys is intentional named (by GRRM) after Arys, due to the fact that character names often parallel their influences and personality- others are Arya/Artemis, Cersei/Circe etc. Dany was born of destruction and brings War wherever she goes. She- and Targaryen’s in general- is a symbol of the War and conquering.

I also think Dany parallels Aeneas and the Aeneid, but I would have to do a lot more research on this subject (I read this book a good few years ago now and don’t know how much of it I took in!). From what I have noticed: Dany’s protection from fire and disease parallel Aeneas protection given by the Gods throughout his journey. It is also similar to Jesus’s miracles, and the death of the pale mare in the Dany plague chapter definitely has some religious and mythological symbolism that I can’t fully remember. ‘The comet mocks my hopes, she thought, lifting her eyes to where it scored the sky. Have I crossed half the world and seen the birth of dragons only to die with them in this hard hot desert?’- religious symbols, doubt they are for her, doubts herself, feels fear. Similar to religious prophets.

Dany’s reasoning and purpose are also similar to my memory of Aeneas’; she strives to find love and peace yet battles between these personal wants and a desire to rule and immortalise her name- led by prophecy, destiny and family legacy. She wants to match Rhaegar (and Aegon the conqueror) as Aeneas tries to match the feats of the Trojan heroes and his Goddess mother Aphrodite.

The epiphany Hamlet vibes last chapter also reminded me of religious symbolism that I can’t place just now because my mind is frazzeled, and the epiphany’s that he has throughout his journey. Also, significance of the underworld!! (Really wish I had the energy to research all this properly!). Also, if I can one day be bothered, I’m definitely going to look at what the end of the Aeneid can tell us about Dany’s possible future, because I’m sure we still have a significant amount of time before Winds of Winter, never mind A Dream of Spring. I’m just going to end here with one more quote, which I have taken to mean we will see her and Jon meet sometime in the future:

 ‘Off in the distance, a wolf howled. The sound made her feel sad and lonely’.

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November books

The Aeneid- Virgil: Robert Fagles translation (physical book, new read)

‘’Robert Fagles’s latest achievement completes the magnificent triptych of Western epics. A sweeping story of arms and heroism, The Aeneid follows the adventures of Aeneas, who flees the ashes of Troy to embark upon a tortuous course that brings him to Italy and fulfills his destiny as founder of the Roman people. Retaining all of the gravitas and humanity of the original, this powerful blend of poetry and myth remains as relevant today as when it was first written.’’ (The Aeneid synopsis)

I’ve never studied literature or classics so I definitely don’t get as much from books like this as others, however, I’ve finally binge read enough mythology retellings to be able to read and keep up with The Iliad, Odyssey and Aeneid. I knew little about this book, but I found it interesting and fairly readable, although I did prefer the early chapters with Dido and the underworld, and I began to feel a bit restless by the end of the story as wars and battle scenes are not my favourite unless I’m extremely invested in characters. The most striking thing I did find was the parallels between ASOIAF, particularly Aeneas and Daenerys and to a lesser extent Jon (unsurprising as Dany/Jon’s stories parallel in themselves). I’m extremely interested in ASOIAF mythology parallels and already made a blog post about some Greek/Norse parallels if you’re interested 😊. I recently bought the illustrated Game of Thrones (I do enjoy wasting money hahaha) and I’d love to reread the series (maybe one character at a time?) analysing anything that interests me and looking for parallels. I think next year (woohoo goodbye 2020) I’ll definitely give this a go and incorporate it into some rambly blog posts in a way.

Important/meaningful quote:

“Do the gods light this fire in our hearts or does each man’s mad desire become his god?”

Pride and prejudice- Jane Austen (audiobook, reread)

‘’Pride and Prejudice is one of the most cherished love stories in English literature; Jane Austen’s 1813 masterpiece has a lasting effect on everyone who reads it. The pride of high-ranking Mr Darcy and the prejudice of middle-class Elizabeth Bennet conduct an absorbing dance through the rigid social hierarchies of early-nineteenth-century England, with the passion of the two unlikely lovers growing as their union seems ever more improbable.’’ (Pride and Prejudice synopsis)

I read this in a very strange format, because I listened to Jen Campbell reading the book aloud. For those who don’t know, Jen is a writer with a youtube channel focusing on books. Over lockdown, she read Pride and Prejudice aloud and turned it into a youtube audiobook. This was a really interesting way to read this book! I’ve always loved the film, but I didn’t really have strong thoughts towards the book the first time I read it, around 6 years ago- I read wee bits at a time over a few months which made if feel a bit disjointed. I loved it a lot more this time around, I think with classics, audiobook can be the way to go for me to really bring the characters to life 😊. I’m sure everyone knows what this is about or has read it, but if you haven’t, I’d recommend giving it a go 😊. I love Lizzie as a character and the feminist themes throughout, particularly interesting due to the time period of the story. Also, not relevant to the book, but I’d recommend listening to the films score, especially ‘Your hands are cold’, it’s so beautiful.

Important/meaningful quote:

“I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading! How much sooner one tires of any thing than of a book! — When I have a house of my own, I shall be miserable if I have not an excellent library.”

Great Goddesses: Life lessons from myths and monsters- Nikita Gill (physical book, new read)

‘’Wonder at Medusa’s potent venom, Circe’s fierce sorcery and Athena rising up over Olympus, as Nikita Gill majestically explores the untold stories of the life bringers, warriors, creators, survivors and destroyers that shook the world – the great Greek Goddesses.
Vividly re-imagined and beautifully illustrated, step into an ancient world transformed by modern feminist magic.’’ (Great Goddesses synopsis)

I read this at the start of the month and my memory is fading haha, but I found it interesting 😊. The writing style is lovely and I’m glad that I found it enjoyable as I don’t always love poetry. The illustrations are absolutely beautiful, I’ve already stolen an idea to try and paint hahah. Again, it got me wanting to find more asoiaf parallels, such as Arya and Artemis, Stannis and Agamemnon. It’s a very engaging feminist retelling, however, there are trigger warnings for themes of rape and assault. The intention of these accounts is to shift the blame back to the men and Gods carrying out these horrific assaults, supporting woman to overcome trauma, however, it could nevertheless be triggering so it’s important to know going into the story. I would say, I enjoyed this book more before they started bringing the Goddesses into our modern world- apart from Percy Jackson, this seems to be a theme within my reading experiences of mythology, I don’t really enjoy reading about the Gods and Goddesses within the modern world.

Important/meaningful quote:

“Every woman is both match and spark, a light for each other from the dark.”

Athena’s Child- Hannah Lynn (physical book, new read)

‘’Gifted and burdened with beauty far beyond that of mere mortals, Medusa seeks sanctuary with the Goddess Athena. But when the lustful gaze of mighty Poseidon falls upon her, even the Temple of Athena cannot protect her. Young Perseus embarks on a seemingly impossible quest. Equipped with only bravado and determination, his only chance of success lays in the hands of his immortal siblings. Medusa and Perseus soon become pawns of spiteful and selfish gods. Faced with the repercussions of Athena’s wrath Medusa has no choice but to flee and hide. But can she do so without becoming the monster they say she is?’’ (Athena’s Child synopsis)

I can’t tell who this book was aimed for as it was interesting and fast paced but something about it felt young, it sometimes felt like YA but I’m not certain. Either way, it would be a good place to start in terms of myth retellings. This is a very glum story, but I enjoyed learning more about Perseus and his story (I knew quite a bit about Medusa already), particularly learning about his mother and I previously only knew what I’d read from Percy Jackson haha. I mentioned Jen Campbell earlier on, she has been discussing the use of disfigurement in characters as a negative trope being associated with ‘ugly’ or ‘evil’ characters, I’d recommend looking up her Instagram and reading her article. This is a very prevalent issue in stories and this book definitely equated disfigurement with ugliness and becoming evil or losing humanity in some way. This is not Lynn’s fault as this stems from early mythology itself, however, when retelling these stories, I think authors could be more conscious about this and use the opportunity to rewrite these tropes.

Troy: The Siege of Troy Retold- Stephen Fry (audiobook, new read)

‘’The story of Troy speaks to all of us – the kidnapping of Helen, a queen celebrated for her beauty, sees the Greeks launch a thousand ships against that great city, to which they will lay siege for ten whole and very bloody years. The stage is set for the oldest and greatest story ever told, where monstrous passions meet the highest ideals and the lowest cunning. In Troy you will find heroism and hatred, love and loss, revenge and regret, desire and despair. It is these human passions, written bloodily in the sands of a distant shore, that still speak to us today.’’ (Troy synopsis)

I loved listening to this, you can feel Fry’s interest in the subject and his enthusiasm makes it even better to listen to. This was my favourite listen of the trilogy as I’ve always been slightly more interested in the Trojan War and the people involved than the stories of the Gods alone (and I’ve never been particularly interested in the heroes, I can never seem to retain much info about Hercules/Heracles despite reading lots). This trilogy is definitely a great place to start with mythology and I enjoy the humour and input from Fry throughout. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of reading the story of the Trojan War, I enjoy the different perspectives of each writer and I was happy to see Achilles/Patroclus mentioned as lovers in this account as this is the version of their story that I prefer. I’ve mentioned this before, but I love that in every single myth retelling that I’ve read (including the Iliad), Patroclus is consistently a genuinely good compassionate person (there are few others that I can say the same about, except Briseis and some of the Trojan women).

Love lessons- Jacqueline Wilson (e-book, reread)

‘’Fourteen-year-old Prue and her sister Grace have been educated at home by their controlling, super-strict father all their lives. Forced to wear Mum’s odd hand-made garments and forbidden from reading teenage magazines, they know they’re very different to ‘normal’ girls – but when Dad has a stroke and ends up in hospital, unable to move or speak, Prue suddenly discovers what it’s like to have a little freedom.

Sent to a real school for the first time, Prue struggles to fit in. The only person she can talk to is her kindly, young – and handsome – art teacher, Rax. They quickly bond, and Prue feels more and more drawn to him. As her feelings grow stronger, she begins to realise that he might feel the same way about her. But nothing could ever happen between them – could it?’’ (Love Lessons synopsis)

I wanted to finish my nostalgic Wilson binge with another book that I loved as a child/teen. This is another of her older, darker books with themes of authoritative fathers (potentially verbally abusive) and heavily features a grooming type scenario between a 14 year old student and her art teacher. I’ve always found the tone of this book to feel far different from Wilson’s other books, you definitely get the sense of alienation Prue feels around others her age and the strain within her family and environments. Again, I appreciate Wilson’s approach to discussing heavy topics and would recommend this book if you enjoy her others.

Office Girl- Joe Meno (physical book, new read)

‘’Set in 1999 – just before the end of one world and the beginning of another – Office Girl is the story of two youths caught between the uncertainty of their futures and the all-too-brief moments of modern life. Odile is a lovely 23 year-old art-school dropout, a minor vandal, and a hopeless dreamer. Jack is a 25 year-old shirker who’s most happy capturing the endless noises of the city on his out-of-date tape recorder. Together they decide to start their own art movement in defiance of a contemporary culture made dull by both the tedious and the obvious.’’ (Office Girl synopsis)

I don’t want to spend much time on this as I found it incredibly pretentious and want to roll my eyes even thinking back now. I can barely remember how it ended, the characters were manic-pixie dream girls and boys and the themes were so dull and pretentious, I bought this from a charity shop not knowing anything about it and the only reason I finished it is because it’s a quick read and I have a compulsive need to finish books haha. I’m genuinely getting annoyed thinking about it. I also mentioned the representation of disfigurement earlier, I can’t remember the specific quote but there was a disgusting comment from a character that was very anti-disfigurement. I would not recommend this book; I will be trying to forget it.

I hope you’ve been reading lots of good books recently, please let me know if you’ve read any of these and liked them! 😊 I’m currently on 91 reads this year so I now feel a compulsive need to reach 100 before 2021. I’ll see what happens because I’m lazy haha, but December is usually filled with childhood rereads. Anyway, Merry Christmas month!