Empowered Femininity in George R. R. Martin's A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords and A Feast for Crows

Abstract

This current research analyzes empowered femininity represented in George R. R. Martin’s A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords and A Feast for Crows through the character of Sansa Stark. She is a proper noble lady that thrives in her femininity and use it to gain various forms of power—especially survival. The goal is to reveal the ideas of the representation of empowered femininity through the character of Sansa Stark with all her feminine traits in the eyes of postmodern feminism. This current research is a qualitative research that uses Hall’s representation theory and Irigaray’s postmodern feminism theory. The data are collected through focused and intense reading of both the primary data (dialogues and narratives in the novels) and the secondary data (information from books, journals, articles, essays, internet sources, mass media, etc.). There are three problems that are discussed in this current research: (a) the conception of a noble lady and her historical parallels as represented by Sansa Stark in A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords and A Feast for Crows, (b) the representation of Sansa Stark's empowered femininity in A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords and A Feast for Crows revealed through the perspective of postmodern feminism and (c) the critical position of the author. The result shows that Martin's conception of a noble lady represented by Sansa Stark is similar to noble ladies in medieval era. Furthemore, by adopting non-threatening personas related to Irigaray’s method of mimicry in her postmodern feminism theory, Sansa adapts and utilizes diplomacy to gain power that allows her to survive a hostile environment. She is an example of a female character that represents noble ladies in medieval era; using femininity to gain power and be empowered. In addition, the author shows how femininity can be used as a mean to gain power and be empowered—by which through the character of Sansa Stark and her traditional feminine modes of power, he projects the feminist spirit of postmodern feminism.