Daenerys is such an important character in the show, and it is so interesting to see her development throughout this first season. In our last discussion, we spent a great deal of time talking about how Daenerys was raped in the beginning of her marriage, and how she comes to power reveals her strength. This struck me as the opposite of Shasta's journey to becoming king: Shasta had someone guiding him, so he really did not have to do that much, whereas Daenerys had to suffer to get where she landed. I think this reveals a lot about the power dynamics between men and women. In these types of stories, men get handed things, whereas women have to work tirelessly just to prove they are worth something. Without eating to horse heart, the Dothraki would not have seen Daenerys as worthy. She is constantly having to prove herself to Drogo and his people because she is a woman. Similarly, other female characters, such as Cersei and Sansa, have to prove themselves to the men in the show. The men are constantly getting things without having to work for them, like Joffrey receiving the throne after his father died because he was his son. I think this nature of women having to fight to prove themselves worthy of power is very interesting, and is present throughout the course of this show.
That is interesting that you draw the storyline of Daenerys and Shasta together with how each got their power. In the show, her story line is the most compelling to me. As you said, it shows how women constantly have to prove themselves and their strength to be taken seriously. Your post also reminds me of a scene with Cersei said she would make a better king than Robert, which is definitely true because she is constantly making things happen behind the scenes.
I like how you point out the differences between the sexes. It is very much part of who Daenerys is and getting to see her grow into someone the Dothraki look up to is interesting. I took a different approach in my post, talking about how she is receiving respect and power, but I enjoy the contrast and never really thought about the beginning as far as how her relationship started with Drogo. I also like that this allows for her growth to be seen as more of a success (instead of her being a woman that is rising to power, she is a woman who fought and struggled in order to get there).
This is so insightful, Madison, and really well put. I think the comparison to Shasta here (and we might even rope in King Arthur too) is fascinating. It reminds me here of one of the most enduring tropes (and one we see a lot in medieval literature), which is a good woman = suffering woman.