Introduction
There is a trend in the representation of the contemporary politics of the American
two-party system in the politics of Westeros in HBO’s Game of Thrones. Despite the preconceived notion of many viewers that the dirty politics of Game of Thrones (or GoT) are wholly unrelatable to those of the Democratic and Republican Parties, there are many similarities and there may even be a hidden message regarding the state of American politics within the show (Blake). The competition between the largest and most prominent Houses (refer to the Appendix of terms related to Game of Thrones, found at the end of the paper for clarification on some aspects specific to the fictional world in which the television show takes place in)’such as the Starks and the Lannisters’ can reflect the competition for political dominance between the democrats and republicans in a variety of ways ( i.g. that the two struggles occur at the detriment to the common people of both respective worlds). This trend has mostly gone unnoticed among average viewers, despite its cultural relevance and the potential solutions it could represent. The audience’s ignorance of this reflection can be linked to the fact that most people who watch the show are not closely examining Game of Thrones at a symbolic level. Despite this, there is sufficient and credible evidence to support the notion that film can influence public opinion, as Johanna Blakley, Deputy Director of the Norman Lear Center (a think-tank originating from the University of Southern California) states in her TED talk entitled ‘Movies for a Change.’ George R.R. Martin, the author of the books of the A Song of Ice and Fire Series of which Game of Thrones is based upon, is largely critical of America’s political elites (Somin), and after close examination of his books, one could argue that the A Song of Ice and Fire books contain many parallels and allegories towards the modern world and contemporary issues. Therefore, in order to closely examine and interpret the hidden allegories and possible comparisons between Westerosi politics and America’s two-Party system’s politics, a film analysis method of research along with a critical Marxist approach allows for much deeper analysis of the television show and the book series to a much lesser extent. The trend is important to identify because it could raise awareness to the issues that the two-party system carries with it in modern American society.
Literature review
The research did not identify all the ways in which Game of Thrones (which will be
renamed to GoT for time-saving purposes through this review) mirrors the American political landscape because many have already discussed plenty of the ways in which GoT mirrors modern American politics to great lengths. All of the literature discussed must be of or relating to the political and social situation in America and/or Westeros (the land in which w is primarily set in). The research focuses heavily on Game of Thrones, as the television show is the one to provide useful parallels and similarities to American politics in the modern day.
America’s Two-Party System
America’s two largest and most prominent political parties’the democrats and
the republicans’are in control of the USA’s government, collectively. David A. Dulio and James A. Thurber, Professor and Chair of the Political Science Department at Oakland University and University Distinguished Professor of Government, Founder (1979), and Director of the Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies at American University’respectively’argue in their literary work, ‘AMERICA'S TWO-PARTY SYSTEM: FRIEND OR FOE?’ (published by the Administrative Law Review) that the two-Party System is ultimately beneficial for Americans as the two parties are fairly flexible in beliefs. The democrats and republicans have maintained dominance for so long because they are quite flexible with their ideals, incorporating people who would have been on the fringes of politics otherwise, as Howard R. Penniman’s frequently-discussed ‘The State of the Two-Party System’. Conversely, many experts argue that the Two-Party System has slowed down progress and is ineffective in operating a government. Some like Daniel R. Ortiz’who graduated from Yale University as a summa cum laude with degrees in English and history, argue that the system harms the major parties in play because it distorts voter choice as the parties essentially present the ‘only’ choices that the voters have to choose from (Ortiz 753). Although this is a very divisive and complicated issue, Dulio, Ortiz and Thurber could all agree that the two-party system has both negative and positive effects on American politics. Separately, the two parties could, in theory, manipulate voters through film to change their political opinions to suit theirs, as studies suggest.
Audience Manipulation
Studies’like the one conducted by Johanna Blakley (Deputy Director of the Norman Lear Center) using ‘Food Inc.’ to test if viewers had changed opinions about food in the US (Blakley)’have shown that media, regardless of form, can impact one’s perception of the real-world. Few people outright contradict this claim, as Sheri J.Broyles provides other experts’ research on the topic of subliminal messages and advertising and how it has proven to influence viewers’ minds in her much-discussed work ‘Subliminal Advertising and the Perpetual Popularity of Playing to People's Paranoia’. Given that film has basically been proven to be able to influence opinions, HBO’s Game of Thrones is no exception to this rule. GoT (otherwise known as Game of Thrones) is a fantasy drama, yet the series has some uncanny parallels to the modern American political landscape’which have been discussed at length by people like John Blake (who managed to get his work published by CNN) in ‘How Game of Thrones is Like America’. One such parallel is prejudice present in both GoT’s and America’s society, albeit to varying degrees.
Racism, Prejudice, and Oppression
Racism, prejudice, and oppression are prevalent throughout both the world of GoT and in America. As George R.R. Martin wrote in his A Song of Ice and Fire Series (in particular the first book, A Game of Thrones), the Dothraki’the nomadic horse-riding gigantic clans’are looked down upon by Westerosi people such as Viserys Targaryen and others (A Game of Thrones, Martin 35). Another example is in Clash of Kings, where throughout the novel, the Wildlings are constantly looked down upon by the Northerners (Martin). Meanwhile, America has its fair share of racial issues plaguing it throughout its history. The election of President Barack Obama represents an indication that white Americans have perpetuated their history of political dominance and are more essential to winning elections than any other ethnic group currently as Obama had to vigorously appeal to whites through his biracial birth to secure the election, as the professor of political science at the State University of New York-Albany’Julie Novkov’indicates in ‘Rethinking Race in American Politics’. Obama was also working against the latent racism commonly found among low-income whites (649). GoT’s (arguably) main protagonist, Jon Snow, realizes that the ongoing prejudice against the Wildlings will get them killed when the White Walkers arrive, so he sets out to unite the two people against a common enemy. He also remarks that the two people do not even have to like each other, only form a shaky alliance to survive. This could indicate that racial tensions will never be cooled in America, but they must cooperate in relative harmony if they wish to endure as a country.
America’s Two-Party System’s state is in heated debate currently, and Game of Thrones can provide some useful tips in enduring as a nation. Some experts argue that the Two-Party System is sturdy and ultimately beneficial to this country’s politics, while others argue that it is restrictive and in need of dramatic change. To those who are dissatisfied with the current political structure, Game of Thrones provides solutions that can be applied in a more general sense to America, one of them being racism and how it stifles pol”tical progress. GoT is important to consider because, as it is viewed by millions around the world (Dockterman), and many studies have proven that viewers are susceptible to subliminal messages in film, whether the subliminal messaging is intended or not. So, some viewers may end up slightly and gradually altering their political views after watching Game of Thrones, which means that more Americans can awaken to the fact that America’s political landscape is at a crossroads and there must be a decision to change or remain the same in the years to come, because Winter is Coming.
The primary research relating to the research topic’ ‘How Game of Thrones’ politics mirrors those of America’s Two-Party System, and what solutions does it offer for contemporary American politics’ ‘ is synonymous to the secondary research due to the fact that the chosen method is that of film analysis. It consists of collecting various sources relating to the topic of America’s two-party system and the fictitious politics of GoT, as well as closely viewing all six seasons of GoT. The results’so far’indicate that the two political worlds are connected in various ways, and GoT provides some possible solutions to the various issues present in America’s contemporary political system. The approach that allows for a narrowed, specific, yet detailed analysis is that of Marxist Theory.
Marxist Critical Theory can be defined as the analysis of ideologies that heavily revolve around societal standing (i.e. proletariat vs bourgeois) and how said ideologies can blind or awaken the common people to real issues happening right before their eyes. Marxist Critical Theory allows for the analysis as to why the Two-Party System is so prevalent in America today. Lois Tyson’author of ‘Critical Theory Today: A User-Friendly Guide” defines an ideology as a belief system (56). Therefore, the belief in our government’s current informal political system (the TPS, or Two-Party System), can be defined as an ideology according to Tyson’s definition. Why does labeling the middle and lower classes’ belief in America’s political system matter, and how does it aid me in my research? To address the first point: labeling it as an ideology matters because Tyson also indicates that ideologies blind people’particularly the lower and middle classes’and distracts them from the oppression which they suffer at the hands of the upper and rich classes (56). One major reason why the poorer classes are more susceptible to being blinded by ideologies is the fact that they tend to receive education of lesser quality. As James Murphy explains in his piece ‘Class Inequality in Education: Two Justifications, One Evaluation but No Hard Evidence’ (published by the British Journal of Sociology) many people invested in the field of education conclude that since class disparity exists in schooling in developed nations, so too does class inequality in the classroom (182). Thus, the TPS is a system that was created to manipulate the minds of middle and lower-class Americans into believing that there are only two options for them to choose from, politically. Marxist Critical Theory’as an approach to my research’allows for deeper understanding and analyzing of the TPS; specifically, why the TPS is so successful, why the lower and middle classes (who receive the brunt of the damage when things go awry) haven't already rebelled against this system in a greater scale, etc.
Returning to Lois Tyson’s definition of ideology, Consumerism can be placed under that category (60). It is extremely commonplace in American society, both by the ruling political elites and the middle and lower classes. As Tyson explains, the lower classes feel empowered when they shop what they imagine the wealthy would shop for. Comparably, the noble houses are generally very exuberant and live lavishly (i.e. The Lannisters, specifically at King Joffrey’s wedding to Margaery Tyrell), so much so that they indebt the entire kingdom to the Iron Bank of Braavos. Using Marxist Critical Theory’specifically looking at ideology, class structure, and consumerism’as an approach to my research is a logical inclusion to my paper in that these lens can be explored in great ways detail in both sides to this research paper. Any other approach, such as a quantitative method or even a Psychoanalytical approach (as explained by Tyson), would not allow for deep understanding and analyzation of the content and situation or would not be the correct approach of examining the given research question, respectively.
The tools that will enable me to conduct this exploration into the connection between the contemporary American political landscape and GoT are JSTOR.org and other internet databases for peer-reviewed journals and complete and access to all six seasons on HBO’s Game of Thrones and to a lesser extent the A Song of Ice and Fire Series (for additional background).
The chosen approach best suits my research on how the American two-party system is
comparable to GoT (and what solutions does GoT present to make American politics more effective) in that it allows me to explore the economic aspects of the issues’such as perpetuated class inequality’as well as divulge into how the political elites continue to maintain power in a society that professes socioeconomic mobility. Furthermore, it allows for the analysis of how the feudal system of the major houses in Westeros continue to maintain dominance over the common people.
Data Analysis
As mentioned before, major theme present in Game of Thrones is the repetition of
history, which leads to slower political progress. This, while possibly not intentionally done by producers David Benioff, D.B. Weiss or George R.R. Martin, sends a strong signal about human nature and how that affects politics, which can be applied to American politics. What we know of the history of the world in which GoT occurs in is observable in George R.R. Martin’s book, A World of Ice and Fire. Martin describes Aegon ‘The Conqueror’ Targaryen’s conquest of Westeros, in which he and his sisters relied on three dragons to unite the Seven Kingdoms under their rule and establish a dynasty that would last approximately 300 years (89-124). This is uncannily paralleled with Daenerys Targaryen’the last of Aegon Targaryen’s bloodline’begins her conquest of Westeros with the aid of her three dragons in GoT (Season 6 Episode 10). Given that American history has been known to repeat itself due to the very nature of its Two-Party System and how Democrats and Republicans have struggled for domination of the political structure since 1856 (Abramson, et al), there is a correlation between GoT’s major Houses and the Democrats and Republicans of contemporary American politics. GoT and American politics are similar in this way in that their are general trends that repeat every so often in the history of each respective world. Another possible connection between GoT and contemporary American politics is the occasional emergence of an ‘outsider’ that forces their way into the political ‘inside.’ Although this was pure coincidence, Daenerys Targaryen resembles President Donald Trump in that they were both foreigners to their respective systems, and they both amass enough support to force their way in (as of season six, Daenerys is en route to Westeros with her massive army). Donald Trump has used the notion of him as an ‘outsider’ as a major campaign point (Schnabel) to a great deal of success. Martin’s work could be unintentionally signaling that political outsiders are both unpredictable and successful in rising to power. In America’s case, the ‘outsider’ is a Donald J. Trump, who has proven his campaign tactics to be extremely potent in winning his presidency. In Game of Thrones’ case, it is Daenerys who is more than equipped to sweep through Westeros, conquering it in a fashion surprisingly similar to the way her ancestors did roughly 300 years ago.
Film Study and Analysis
In contemporary American society, GoT is one of the most heavily viewed shows on air,
with millions tuning in each episode (Shepherd). Given that Martin, the man responsible for writing the book series GoT is based on and a producer/consultant on the television show, indicated his upbringing as a poor, inner city child influenced how he wrote the series and directed the television series (Gilmore). The 23 million viewers of each of season six’s episode (Dockterman) attest to the cultural relevancy of the show, making it self-explanatory as to why GoT is an important television show to compare to real-world issues (many people are heavily invested in it given the large amount of recurring viewers, making it a great platform for subliminal political and social messages). Furthermore, Martin’s childhood’s as a poor inner city child influence over his writing (and, in turn, the television series) is of interest because it led to the portrayal of the ruling class’s neglect of the common people; this led to the socioeconomic allegory that GoT is. Also, Martin has been vocal in his political beliefs, most recently on the 2016 US election in which he stated, ‘Trump was the least qualified candidate ever nominated by a major party for the presidency. Come January, he will become the worst president in American history, and a dangerously unstable player on the world stage’ (Fallon). Martin’s past, coupled together with his political affiliations and beliefs, influenced how the A Song of Ice and Fire Series was written and as a result, the television show based off these books. Therefore, Marxist Theory’s’as defined by Lois Tyson’s book ‘Critical Theory Today: A User Friendly Guide”aspects are commonly linked to the economic and political spheres of GoT, as economic, political, and social interaction between the noble Houses of Westeros and the common people are frequently depicted (specifically during Arya Stark’s storyline as she moves through the country undercover). One such aspect of Marxist Theory is the emphasis on economics as the foundation of social and political structure (53). In Martin’s A World of Ice and Fire, the last official Targaryen king’Aerys ‘The Mad King’ II’was extremely suspicious of his Hand of the King, Tywin Lannister, due to the fact that he was the richest man in Westeros and was a better ruler than he was (315-317). Furthermore, when Tywin Lannister admits to his daughter (the Queen) Cersei Lannister that the Lannisters are in debt (as displayed in Figure 1 below), he devises a plan to essentially leech onto House Tyrell (a rival House of similar economic power) through diplomatic marriage (‘First of His Name’, Game of Thrones).
Fig 1. ‘Tywin admits to Cersei to being in debt’. Season 4 Episode 5. HBO, 2014. Author’s screencap.
Economic power is crucial to maintaining power in GoT, as it is to secure elections in America’s political system through the funding of Super PACS (Ferguson). For example, Newt Gingrich’s presidential campaign would have been ended much earlier had a Super PAC not provided critical support, extending the lifespan of the campaign (Lioz, Kennedy). Although Gingrich’s campaign ultimately failed for other reasons, it exemplifies the intensity of Super PAC involvement in US politics, and the effectiveness in political campaigns. In GoT, the Lannisters are the richest family in Westeros, which is why they are so involved with the king and maintain control of Westeros– for now (Martin, Garcia, Antonsson 521-523). Also an aspect of Marxist Theory is the oppression of the working class by the ruling elites; in the case of GoT, the ruling elites would be the noble Houses. This is tackled by Martin, Benioff, and Weiss by exploring the conditions the ‘average’ people are subjected to during the War of the Five Kings through Arya Stark’s journey through Westeros. As depicted in Figure 2, Arya Stark has to adapt to the savagery that is commonplace in the country during this war. The common people are often neglected by those in power, as can be seen in the book The World of Ice and Fire from Tywin Lannister’s sack of King’s Landing’the capital city of Westeros’in which thousands of innocents died from Lannister forces raping and pillaging just to overthrow the Targaryen's choke-hold on the city (Martin 349-350). This violence perpetuates a cycle of oppression of the common folk, one that is further amplified by the lack of education most of the peasantry receive.
Fig 2.’Arya Stark and the Hound survive an ambush in the woodlands after exploring a burned-down farm’. Season 4 Episode 7. HBO, 2014. Author’s screencap.
Similarly, the poorer classes of America ‘stay poor’ through each generation due to the fact that families prioritize the need to survive over furthering their socioeconomic condition (Tyson), something that allows politicians to easily sway the poorly educated masses.
Conclusions and Limitations
In conclusion, there are various aspects to the similarities between the
political structures of GoT and contemporary America, and GoT provides warnings regarding many potential pitfalls American democracy is susceptible to slipping into at times. Although there are many key connections and similarities, there is one issue: Some of these similarities between Game of Thrones and the modern American political scene were unintentional. For example, when Daenerys Targaryen is compared to Donald J. Trump when discussing political outsiders forcing their way into the mainstream, it is impossible for George RR Martin (or showrunners Benioff and Weiss for that matter) to have intentionally made Daenerys an allegory for Trump. Yet, she inevitably is made a viable comparison due to the shared similarities her and Trump have. Both have come from the fringes of the political sphere into the mainstream, both are ‘outsiders’, when in reality they have vast ties ,whether familial as Daenerys Targaryen, or political, as in Donald Trump. This example solidifies the notion that even unintentional similarities can shed light upon interesting similarities, providing a warning of the danger of outsiders to the political structure (as mentioned earlier). So, there is still much relevancy to the topic at hand and substantial credibility because of the logical reasoning presented for each connection made between GoT’s political events and structure and that of America.
Delimitations
The research grappled with two primary delimitations: the first was that a complete and meticulous analysis of hundreds of individual scenes from the television show was impossible to carry out given the limited timeframe available for research to be carried out, the second was that the amount of time permitted to conduct this research project hampered the reading and annotation of the five books which GoT is based on. Although the inability to examine every scene in the television show and the inability to read and annotate all five of the books proved to be nothing more than rather insignificant setbacks in the research as a whole, these would have been beneficial to the paper if enough time had been given for the completion of said tasks.
Implications
The connections between GoT’s and American politics and the warnings said-
connections foster has significant implications for further research. Overall, the research conducted has led to the conclusion that GoT presents the audience with general messages warning of the dangers of politics (for example, GoT implies a strong anti-war message by showing how the negatives of war greatly outweigh the benefits of it). This conclusion adds fuel to the fire of research regarding audience perception and subliminal messages in film, which is what Johanna Blakley discusses in her TED video regarding how viewers’ opinions and perceptions can be swayed by prolonged exposure to film with hidden messages regarding a given topic. Furthermore, the results of this research paper indicate that similarities between a fictional television show and the real world can and do provide useful warnings to certain issues, even if the connections are done unintentionally. To delve further into the issue of GoT, its connections to the contemporary American political situation, and what these connections imply one could not only research into GoT more closely after the series has come to an end for more conclusive results, but also search for unintended similarities between American politics and that of other well-known films or television shows of the political-fantasy genre (such as the Lord of the Rings). The findings of this research do not indicate an end to the discussion regarding what the fictional world can tell its audience about the nonfictional, yet it indicates that there are useful implications in these fictitious stories such as Game of Thrones.