ALL HAIL SANSA STARK

 ALL HAIL SANSA STARK

By: Ranasia Rumley

At the beginning of the game of thrones, Sansa stark is introduced as the eldest daughter of Eddard Stark and sister of Rob, Arya, Bran, and Rickon Stark, and her half brother Jon. Unlike the rest of the stark family, Sansa is seen as a young and naive girl who lives in a fantasy world. Sansa was seen as someone who likes to sew and do other girly things like poetry and dancing, which is the reason many people dislike her. The time where the game of thrones took place was a time where women were seen as weak and fragile and were not supposed to do anything noble like. That’s why viewers seem to hate her compared to her sister Arya because she is exactly what the show portrays a woman to be. I believe that Sansa Stark is one of the strongest characters in the game of thrones because of her background, bloodline, and personality/hardships. 

Sansa followed the rules and has always dreamed of being a queen someday. The author wrote Sansa's character so girly and well mannered because they knew of the woman she was going to become later on in the series. I must admit when I first saw Sansa I didn’t like her because I felt like she was the type of person who would always choose her husband and the rules over her family, but later on, I started to better understand her character. Throughout the series, Sansa had a lot of obstacles thrown at her, which is one of the reasons why I believe that she is the strongest character. Sansa watched her father get executed right in front of her and was forced to see his head on a stick by the man whom she was supposed to marry. To me, that was the icing on the cake or like some people like to say the climax of her character's ascension. She needed to go through certain experiences for her to become the woman she truly was which is a fearless and brave leader. 

Sansa Stark grew up in Winterfell with a royal family of 7 and was raised around rules and discipline. She always did what she was supposed to and enjoyed proper etiquette. Everyone around her sees her as this beautiful girl who will one day make a perfect queen. The reason I believe her background is one of the reasons she's the strongest character on the show is that she knows where she comes from. Even though Sansa was raised in a chaotic environment with war and everyone fighting against each other, she still manages to maintain a positive outlook out of it. She is someone who was raised around people killing each other for various reasons yet she still walks with care and compassion for others even animals. For example, when her brothers found her an orphaned dire wolf instead of getting a mean and strong puppy that can grow up to guard and protect her she chose the most gentle one and named her lady. I believe that Sansa wanted someone whom she could relate to and discuss royal things since her sister was the complete opposite. On page 143 Sansa says to Arya “I'll go by myself then, it'll be ever so much nicer that way. Lady and I will eat all the lemon cakes and just have the best time without you “. I believe she said that because a part of her was disappointed that her sister didn’t want to attend but she knew that she would always have Lady by her side. 

Sansa has a very unique bloodline giving the fact that her dad is Eddard Stark “Warden of the North” and her mother is Catelyn Stark. She comes from a strong and brave family who is willing to fight. The Stark family has faced more hardships than any other family I have ever seen, they have been beaten, humiliated, and tortured just to come back and be on the top every time. This family is extremely loyal and I think that Sansa takes on a lot of those qualities throughout the show. Sansa's family is known for “Winter is Coming” and I believe that that motto is the reason the Starks stay fighting and prepared for battle. Their whole life has been a giant challenge and although fate is often against them it helps keep them strong and pure. The stark family is also known for the color white whether it’s for purity or the fact that they live in an area where it’s always snowing or even their dire wolves. I believe that white is the symbol of how even though they go through so much they remain pure at the end similar to how Sansa is. Sansa is the product of her family and she represents them in a great way. Sansa is a strong and powerful leader and she got those attributes from being a part of the Stark family. According to Bruce Crave: Author of Win or Die he stated that “ She managed to learn from very difficult, treacherous people and, at the same time, stay true to her values about protecting her family.”

Lastly, Sansa Stark's personality is what seems to catch people's attention when being around her. She is sweet and compassionate yet Powerful and skilled and has evolved more than any other character on the show. Sansa went from being this young girl who was into fairytales and princes and princesses to a smart political player who knows how to play her cards right and when to strike. Even though Sansa started as being sweet and naive, she later grew to become a strong and powerful leader mostly because of how Joffrey treated her. As a teenager to have to experience the death of your father and then to be humiliated and beat by the guards of your husband Sansa had plenty of opportunities to fall and crack under pressure, but instead, she learned from the experiences and adapted. Throughout the series Sansa lets people know that she isn't the woman to play with and that you will respect her one way or the other. Sansa is smart and skilled and knows how to tackle any challenge that the series throws at her. 

In Conclusion, I believe that Sansa Stark is one of the strongest characters in the game of thrones because she went through what most people would call “Hell” and still survived and came back on top. Although Sansa started young and naive every decision she has made up until now has put her in the right place at Winterfell and is the reason many don’t like her, but respect her. She did what no one else could and changed the way people view her as a “Stark”. Sansa Stark’s character was created for the sole intent to contrast her sister Arya but over time her character has evolved and turned into someone I don’t even think the book expected her to be. 

Citation 

• McDonald, J. (2019, May 05). Sansa is the best leader on 'Game of Thrones,' says Columbia Business School professor. Retrieved October 02, 2020, from https://www.cnbc.com/2019/05/03/sansa-is-the-best-leader-on-game-of-thrones-says-author-bruce-craven.html

• Gerblick, J., & Jordan Gerblick (17 Articles Published) Jordan is a Screen Rant contributor from Phoenix with a passion for horror films. (2019, April 27). Game of Thrones: 10 Best Sansa Stark Quotes. Retrieved October 02, 2020, from https://screenrant.com/game-thrones-best-sansa-stark-quotes/

• Abraham, D., Martin, G. R., Patterson, T., Molina, S., Nunes, I., & Dillon, M. (2015). A game of thrones: The graphic novel, volume 4. New York: Bantam Books.