There are three really bad instances of that

though none is explicit.

One is Theon, who has his meat and two veg removed as part of a prolonged torture sequence.

The one that never seems to get much discussion, and I don't understand why, is against Dany in season one. She is raped (in the show) by her arranged husband Drogo. In the books it's very different - he is hesitant, and she says "yes" (explicitly). In the show she is clearly, horribly raped - yet ends up meekly falling in love with her rapist. You can colour this as her gaining agency and using her femininity as power but that's bulls**t, really - it's not in the books and I don't know why it was put into the show.

The one that everyone discusses is the rape of Sansa. I think this is much more justified (in terms of it being in the story, not in terms of it as an act!) in narrative terms, both in terms of Ramsay (he would not do anything different) and in terms of Theon being shocked to the extent he starts to remember who he is again. Sansa knows what she's getting into to a degree (in the show - in the books this happens to a different character and no-one seems that concerned about her - which I find quite difficult but there you are).

The whole story takes place in a very male-dominated society; yet the strongest and smartest characters are usually women; or, if they're men, either the victims of sexual violence (Varys) or of other prejudice (Tyrion).

For sure the show has more breasts than the books demand, to the extent that I find it a little uncomfortable in the early seasons (and I'm not someone who takes objection at the female form). But overall there is sexual violence (towards both genders) reflective of what was typical in Tudor times. That may be uncomfortable but this aspect is so often glossed over in what we read about those times as to become invisible.

Posted By: Old Man, Apr 25, 23:43:13