Way of Kings and Dragons

Some might say that history is written by the winners, and that is most definitely a reality in Brandon Sanderson’s epic, the Way of Kings. However others can say that history can be forgotten if those in power try hard enough, as a case in Christopher Paolini’s own epic fantasy book, Eragon. Eragon shows us that history and the past are the important fundamental building blocks of the future and our choices. Eragon follows the story of a boy(of the same name), who hatches a dragon, the last of her species and sets out to redeem a lost golden age a century before. To recreate the Dragon riders. Differently, the Way of Kings are about three very different characters. Kaladin, a very unique slave, Shallan, a nobleman’s daughter looking to save her family and Dalinar, a prince of Alethkar seeking to avenge his brother’s death. This trio through their past become the Knights Radiant, a group in the deep past who protect the world. The Way of Kings is similar in the emergence of old history long forgotten starting with the protagonists, but reveals more on the topic. The book shows in many ways how even if history is important to the choices made now, history is ‘never set in stone’ and the book showcases that the real past hides in the shadow’s of too many lies, too many betrayals. History is always written by the winner’s, and too find the answers of a problem seen last in the deep past, the protagonists are searching for the truth behind the myths and legends. The history of our past is important to the opportunities of the future and while the past is useful for the choices you make, it is important to realize that the winners write history and the whole story is never revealed.

In Paolini’s debut novel, he uses Eragon and his dragon Saphira as a symbol of hope and an opportunity for those around the world to take back their homes and inheritance. The symbolization takes on many forms, of those being the possibility to change the world again in a new fashion. Taking into account the wrong choices and achievements of the past in the hopes of not making the same mistakes again. However the Way of Kings expands into the past and it’s importance to the future. The Way of Kings also uses symbolization in a number of ways. Similarly to Eragon, the main protagonist for this book, Kaladin, opens the way for new hope and opportunities. The hope sparks first in the most unlikely of groups, the bridgeman. The bridgeman are the worst of slaves, but are given hope through the miracles Kaladin performs. He is their role model. But he uses and adapts, with the experiences of his past and accepts what he once was. This gives the bridgeman the incentive to take back their previous identities before becoming a slave and with their past, to move forward into the future and never making the same mistakes they once made. However Kaladin was different to Eragon in that he inspired people through his actions to face their past behind them. Eragon inspired people to move forward into the future while taking the past into account.

The past is also quite important to building people and their personalities and events in the past can affect them for years to come. Eragon has never known his parents and that history has haunted him since he was born. His dragon Saphira has never known another of dragon before and she has to live with strangers, ‘aliens’ for her whole life. However, even if their past has built them as a person, they change and adapt, by not making the same mistakes they did ages back. With inner thinking, the author shows that adapting and living with the reality of the past is an important step to moving towards the future and without the past, we walk ‘as blind as a bat’. When it came to Eragon, “the realization that Garrow and Marian were not his real parents had disturbed him greatly. Eventually he had learned to live with it.” He had adapted but at first, a change in the real truth of the past changed the way he lived and thinked. “Things that had been permanent and unquestionable were suddenly thrown into doubt.” Kaladin used to be a surgeon’s son, but when a noble tries to hurt Kaladin’s father, Kaladin and his little brother Tien are sent to the army. The author shows Kaladin’s past in grim and gritty moments with dialogue and tone to build a mood. Kaladin is betrayed by his commander, sold into slavery and ends up as a bridgeman. Kaladin learns to adapt through his experiences of his past, in caution when it came to the nobles, referred to as lighteyes, and the powerful. “I’ve seen plenty of lighteyes with that same reputation, and I’ve been disappointed by them every time.” His experiences affect him years later, guiding his actions and opinions. Kaladin’s past haunted him throughout the book, not being able to save his little brother Tien. But, viewing the past in a different light can help him empathize and understand. Kaladin came to a moment when making a decision about saving or destroying a disillusioned king, Dalinar’s nephew Elhokar. The realization that “Elhokar is Dalinar’s Tien!” spurred him into choice and action to not let someone else have the same mistake as he did. The author boldly state that inner thinking of someone’s experiences and past can help move that person forward.

However things just get more complicated further in the book. In Eragon, the world is built around oppression, civil war, racial tensions and the tyranny of a mad king. The whole world at that point is under the control of the ‘mad king’, Galbatorix. The whole story is based around how Galbatorix destroyed the order dragon riders who kept peace in the past and built the world again through his empire. But the plot goes deeper and Galbatorix built the world in his image, completely ignoring the society and order of the past that had brought a golden age of peace and prosperity. The world was changed without the print of the past and has left it in a lot of uncertain chaos. On the other hand, Way of Kings is quite similar, but also different. In the land of Roshar, the world is very much the same as it was thousands of years. The same wars and problems continually appear and no change has been made through learning the mistakes of the past. However the world is now plagued with new problems that could herald a long lost evil in the deep past. Using dialogue and inner thinking, Sanderson has illuminated the fact that the past is definitely important to the choices you make now, but cannot be left without any thought. The past is never written by the normal people or people who don’t exist anymore but by ‘winners’, those who survived and have a lasting legacy. But looking at events of the past through one perspective gives too much power too them. They can control how the past is perceived by the ‘now’. The whole book revolves around secrets in the past that have been buried through lies and deceit, by those who had a lasting impact on history, but very important to how the world would be shaped now. The author utilizes flashbacks and dialogue to reveal those secrets and how they came to be ‘secrets’ and the impact those lost pieces of history have on the world at the moment. “ ‘But the legends lie about one thing,’ Jasnah continued. ‘ They claim we chased the Voidbringer off the face of Roshar or destroyed them. But that’s not how humans work. We don’t throw away something we can use.” The book shows us that the whole story is never revealed when it comes to history, you need to interpret and study the context, even if the past is important to the decisions and society of the present.

Kaladin and Eragon have been presented with “a legacy of tradition and heroism stretching back to antiquity” with the emergence of the Knights Radiant and the Dragon Riders respectively. Their stories though are an example of the past and it’s profound effects on the present. History are the important building blocks of society as Eragon highlights in the legacy of it’s golden age and the mistakes of the mad king. However that past is never certain and the whole story is never revealed. The individual person is also affected. Through experiences of the past, people learn to adapt, empathize and face the mistakes they might have made. Spurring them forward into choice and action. Individually and as a group of humans, the past affects albeit differently. In experience or in learning through the past. The history of our past for the individual is important to the opportunities of the future and while the past is useful for the choices you make, it is important to realize that in society the winners write history and the whole story is never revealed.

The Battle of the Hierarchy of Hogwarts and Westeros

     In the top 0.01% of the world, the population of the earth competes for power in our world today. Esteemed authors JK Rowling and George RR Martin have written the well-established books series Harry Potter and A Song of Ice and Fire. Both books series explore the themes of the upper class’s power dynamics and relationships within complicated worlds and characters, just like in our world today. Martin writes about the families in control of Westeros, the threat of the beings behind the ice wall and the rise and ambition of Daenerys Targaryen and others in their pursuit for the Iron Throne. The upper class of Westeros long for the Iron Throne, the magic of Dragons, the strength that comes with these objects. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix in written in the eyes of protagonist Harry Potter in his 5th year at wizarding school Hogwarts. While he explores becoming his own person and his relationships with his friends, he has to deal with notorious, professor Umbridge on her pursuit to take over Hogwarts and kick Dumbledore out of power. A prominent theme which stands out throughout both books is the idea of what woman have to rise to power within the dominantly male hierarchy. As accomplished authors both Rowling and Martin use craft moves such as first person narrator, multiple plot lines and metonymical symbols in their books. They both use metonymical symbols, like the Iron Throne and the Ministry of Magic to show woman antagonists motivation as well as elevate the theme of a woman rising to power. Characters such as Dolores Jane Umbridge and Cersei Lannister use innocence and female stereotypes to gain power and authority. Strong headed woman such as them can be compared to women in the 21st century today such as Elizabeth Warren and Hillary Clinton. You may be thinking, but these women aren't crazed for power and insane, but just like Professor Umbridge and Cersei they have the ambition to get to the top, be the best, and become powerful in the world. They may not take extreme measures like Cersei and Umbridge but they push the limits and work to gain power and the highest level using their smarts and achievements.

     Martin and Rowling both explore the world in which women struggle to gain importance, which in turn leads them to use their seen innocence as woman and sexuality to gain what they want. In “A Game of Thrones” Cersei Lannister uses social expectation, in this case, woman is sexual objects, to gain what she wants. Similarly in “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” Umbridge uses physical exaggeration of girlishness, which makes her seem innocent, to gain what she wants within Hogwarts. Sexuality and innocence are facades for both the woman to eventually achieve their goal of power within the hierarchy. Cersei is a proud woman who won't stop at anything to get what she wants, to protect her children. Umbridge is a powerful woman who will do anything in her power to get what she wants, what's best for her. Professor Umbridge is described as “Somebody's Maiden aunt” with a “Horrible pink alice band that matched the fluffy pink cardigan”. Rowling describes her with classic woman stereotypes right down to the constant use of pink, the original stereotypically colour for a woman. Her clothes are used a physical facade for her true intentions. Who would ever expect an innocent woman dressed in pink to have such cruel intentions. “In “A Game of Thrones” Cersei sleeps with people to not only gain power in Westeros but also to protect the mistakes she made and the people she loves. She made the conscious mistake of having children with her brother, instead of the king. Due to those mistakes, she has to work even harder. That again was a choice she made because she could have chosen to not protect her brother and her children, but she wants to keep the power. If she came out with the truth she wouldn’t be in the upper level of the power of hierarchy. Cersei is described as “blonde hair, brilliant green eyes, fair skin, and a slender, graceful figure”, beautiful as well as cunning. She resents the customs put on her because of her gender but uses her beauty to fight those stab those customs in the back. Cersei often a hypocrite as she disapproved of Robert Baratheon hedonistic lifestyle, she as well uses sex and alcohol to avoid true leadership. Which is ironic because she both uses sex to gain what she thinks is “power” but as well as uses it to avoid her true leadership and power. Her and Umbridge are similar in the way they both want more and more, ignoring what they already have. They're trying to reach the highest cabinet without a stepping stool. They only want the most, whether it's hand of the king or minister of magic, they are ignorant of anything in between and feel weak in other positions. Even though both women are in places of power they use further femininity and copulation to reach the highest point in power, evidently failing and falling behind.

     Both characters, Cersei and Umbridge and books, A game of thrones and Harry potter and the order of the phoenix, have their similarities as well as their differences. The world of Westeros and Hogwarts are very different places with different societies. The books being set at different times to have different expectations for women and what their job is in the world “A game of thrones” is set in a magical era in which women are seen as unimportant and sexual objects. “I swear, women lose all modesty in the heat.” Every chance for fewer clothes or modesty, even due to something such as heat, is seen as an opportunity for men or done for men. Men are supposed to be strong and fierce “while women sew dragon banners” Sewing, cooking, and being there to sleep with are all woman are seen good for. When women do anything other than that, they are ridiculed and banished by society. Men are also superior even if a woman is better, they get priority. Nothing in the wizarding world has ever seen to be primarily male eccentric. Woman and men educators are of equal balance at Hogwarts, and at Harry's Trial “Dolores Jane Umbridge, Senior Undersecretary to the Minister” And Amelia Bones proceed over the trial. But just like in today's world women never have the opportunity to be in the highest positions of power, always one step down. Having a society, such as Westeros, which limits what woman can do puts barriers in front of the steps woman such as Cersei have to take to gain the highest form of power. Which is also why Cersei never achieves to gain power, she is always seen as lesser whereas Umbridge ends up gaining power within the ministry of magic. Which is why Cersei has to take more extreme measures like using her sexuality, unlike Umbridge who can get away with just using her girlishness innocence. Umbridge as well is dedicated to the values of the ministry of magic and is loyal whereas Cersei hates king's landing and everything it stands for, which is ironic because she is in a way the embodiment of king's landing corrupt and rich, but she pretended to like it in order to keep her children safe. Cersei cares about her children more than anything else, which in a way legitimizes her reasons for her actions. Whereas Umbridge has no one mentioned that she cares about. Someone may say that how can caring about someone being legitimate reasons for being crazy and controlling people. But even though Cersei may be controlling and insane, caring about children makes you do crazy things. People say you love your children more than anything else in the world, they are born from you and are a part of you and us as a society do everything possible to keep them safe. So why if that wrong when done to the extreme, she lives in a society of extremes. Umbridge controls her position of the power from the front lines like a general whereas Cersei controls the power from backstage. Even though both women are controlling and evil they are not the same, they have different opportunities and are placed in different places of power. 

     Rowling and Martin both use places and objects metonymically to show symbols of hierarchy and power. In Harry potter and the Order of the Phoenix, it's the first time we have a glimpse of the Ministry of Magic and what they are capable of. As well as in ‘A Game of Thrones” we learn about the Iron thrones and it's capabilities. Martin uses the Iron Throne to symbolise power within Westeros, and how it destroys people's relationships. In the beginning, the Iron Throne is talked about as a superior object. What everyone in Westeros aims to be near or be on. “At times, he even sat upon the Iron Throne to dispense king’s justice” Martin uses language such as “At times” which makes it sound like an honour to be seated on this object of elite authority. It is seen as the ideal source of power. “Let them make their case before the Iron Throne” like the person on the Iron throne is irrelevant put the throne itself is the source of judiciary and establishment. "Rebellion against the Iron Throne" Not against the king or the Monarch but against the Iron Throne, an object. We see this similarly used by Rowling when she talks about the Ministry of Magic. “How much power did Dumbledore have to override the Ministry of Magic?” Rowling uses the words “override the ministry of Magic” not a specific person but the source of the power. She consciously doesn't say the Minister of Magic but the ministry of magic as it gives us the idea that the ministry has a whole has the power, not just the individual human being. In other scenarios as well, the Ministry of Magic like it was written as a person has done things. “the Ministry of Magic has revised its decision to destroy your wand forthwith.” Unlike in “A game of Thrones” where the Iron Throne is metonymically used to symbolise the person on the Iron Throne and the power they had to dispense, the Ministry of Magic is metonymically not only as a singular person's form of power and what they can do as an individual but what the system can do in terms of power. Within these contexts the symbols help us understand who and what is the highest on the food chain within these societies. And when comparing the two helps us understand the differences in society. While the Iron Throne is used as a singular object, which in turn shows us that the power is held by one person, the Ministry of Magic is used as a whole, which shows us that it's a system as a whole, not an individual. A system of bureaucracy versus a system of Monarch. Even though Bureaucracy and Monarchy are very different systems of government they both don't put any power in the hands the people. Since Westeros in a monarchy, it makes it even more difficult for Cersei to gain power as there is only a singular source, whereas in the system of bureaucracy everyone has a chance to have control. 

     You may be wondering how on earth does this matter in the 21st century we live in now. What do power-crazed women who use innocence to gain power have anything to do with our society today. Even though it may not be obvious because we are not in that hierarchy, but the top 0.01% of our society compete for the reigns of power every day. Woman politicians such as Elizabeth Warren and Hillary Clinton sign documents, do interviews and voice their opinion every day in order to gain control of the power from the predominantly male population. Without power in our world, what would we do? Where would we be? No matter how much we don't want to believe it without those power struggles in our world, our society would get nowhere. The reigns of power are always moving from one hand to another in the world. It's constantly changing, moving and flowing like a river. You may be thinking, why do I matter, I’m not in that top 0.01%, What different does it make in my life. The people who have the reigns of power affect the way in which you live your life. They control the actions you take and the things you are allowed to say. You can support your community by being involved and integrated into your local population. Voting and supporting the leaders you think will improve your society and the way in which you live your life. Unlike “Harry Potter” and “A Game of Thrones” we have the opportunity to live in a system of democracy where we matter. Elizabeth Warren, Hillary Clinton, Dolores Umbridge, and Cersei Lannister and strong and powerful women, you often have to take extreme measures and risks in order to protect those they love and gain rank in the system of hierarchy. Women matter in this world, they make up half the population of the world. Support women leaders who want to change the system of male dominant hierarchy and voice their ideas and opinions to the world.