#characternegativity

Did Littlefinger’s death leave a sour taste in anyone else’s mouth?

I’m not sure I subscribe to the whole ‘the one who passes the sentence should swing the sword’ thing, but you’d think one of Ned Stark’s kids would speak up for conducting an execution in an honourable way?

[I’m just going to tag this with #characterhate and #characternegativity for now, but if you don’t think this should be appearing in the main character tags and I should tag #Stannishate and #Theonhate instead, please do say so.]

Okay, so while reading A Game of Thrones I drew a comparison between Theon Greyjoy and Renly Baratheon, mainly based on physical characteristics: dark haired, young (pretty much the same age, I think?) and perpetually amused.

But when I read A Clash of Kings, I realised that there was a much deeper comparison to be drawn between Theon and Stannis. I considered making a post about it at the time, but due to the tendency on tumblr to drag one character down in order to raise another up, I was wary that this would be interpreted as a hate post.

But earlier today, I was searching on google and happened to come across Shmoop. And their interpretation of Theon and Stannis’ actions through ACOK mirrored a lot of rhetoric I have seen on tumblr about these characters:

Shmoop on Stannis Baratheon in ACOK:

[...] Since Joffrey is not Robert's true son, Stannis is technically the rightful Lord of the Seven Kingdoms[...]

[...]

If we had to come up with a nickname for Stannis—we don't, but we will—we'd go with Stickler Stannis because this guy is all about following the rules. To the letter. [...] nobody likes having the rulebook constantly cited in his or her face. As such, most of the lords and knights who should have claimed allegiance to Stannis have thrown their support behind Renly, the guy who doesn't have a fondness for the rules and finger fillets.

[...]

Devil's in the Deeds

Despite his love of the rules, Stannis begins to cut corners in the morality department to secure his crown.[...]

Shmoop on Theon Greyjoy in ACOK:

Theon Greyjoy is the only living son of Balon Greyjoy, Lord of the Iron Islands. [...]

Case of the Gimmes

You remember the seagulls from Finding Nemo, the ones that were always squawking mine? That's basically what we hear when considering Theon Greyjoy's character.

[...] he believes the world is his for the taking, and the sooner everyone realizes this fact, the better life will be—most of all for Theon.

[...] ambition quickly turns to greed within him time and time again.

[...] 

Frustrated and having lost any sense of home in the world, Theon doubles down on his mistake to take Winterfell. When Bran and Rickon run away, he kills the miller’s boys [...]

If Stannis is “technically the rightful Lord of the Seven Kingdoms”,

Theon is not just “the only living son of Balon Greyjoy”, he is technically the rightful heir of the Iron Islands

If Stannis is a “stickler” and “all about following the rules” for what he does to Davos,

why is Theon not called the same when he punishes his men?

If Theon is “greedy” for pursuing his rights,

why is Stannis not greedy for doing the same?

This is a disconnect I also often see in tumblr discourse on these characters. But they have a similar narrative in A Clash of Kings: Their actions are both driven by a sense of entitlement, and, in particular, in response to the feeling that their siblings are usurping their legal rights. In this quest to secure what is legally theirs, they begin to do immoral things. They both regret this to varying degrees. 

There are, of course, differences between Stannis and Theon, but there are an awful lot of similarities at this point of ASOIAF.

Yes. The Starks are now no better than the Lanisters, the Freys, or anyone else who betrays and murders someone without a proper trial.