The East Is Least: The Stereotypical Imagining of Essos in Game of Thrones

Abstract

While Game of Thrones may appear to offer an avenue of escape to an imaginary realm, in its representation of race and geography, this fantasy universe simply reinforces existing preoccupations of our actual world. An example of this is in the representation of the Eastern lands and cultures in the story. The link between Eastern cultures and depravity has been part of Western imagining of the “Orient” for centuries, and the peoples of the Middle East are generally depicted as “fallen” compared with the more honourable denizens of the West; this occurs in fantasy literature, as well. This article examines the dynamics of ethnic and geographic representation in Game of Thrones from the perspective of Edward Said’s Orientalism and the historical foundations of Western depictions of the Middle East. It argues that despite the reputation of the series as ground-breaking escapism, its depiction of Eastern peoples is anything but.

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