Essay Question and Answer Plan
How has George R R Martin created one of the most popular fantasy franchises?
Key words: Morality, Characters, Originality, Success, Difference, Books, Show, Shock, Unpredictable, Affection.
Structure:
Intro: A bit about George R R Martin and what this essay is discussing- 100 words
Para 1:Biographical data - summary of his writing - success
Exceptional characters
Why are his characters exceptional?
Realistic - morality is more complex lots of grey areas.
Text - give an example of his description or an exchange between characters.
Find evidence (critics) who would back up your claim.- 270 words
Para 2: Sadistic attitude
Avoids the dichotomy of good versus evil - more realistic. Sadism towards his audience. He convincingly builds characters and then destroys them.
Text - give an example
Find a quote from a critic- 270 words
Para 3: Deep universe full of lore
History to the story - rich historical texture to the writing.
Give an example
Find a quote from a critic
Argument is clear - but what is based upon.- 270 words
Conclusion: Summary of who he is, what he's accomplished and why- 100 words
Notes:
Intro: George R R Martin author of A song of Ice and Fire, consultant on the TV show adaptation of the series, his franchise is arguably the highest grossing fiction series (books/show) right now. In 2005, Lev Grossman of Time called Martin "the American Tolkien"
Para 1: began writing in 1991 and published first book in 1996, Epic, medieval, fantasy, so far there are 5 published books to the seven part series, the latest of which was published in 2011."I have only come across two authors who have come close to envisioning and successfully carrying out their literary creations to match Tolkien; Steven Erikson and George R. R. Martin."- Floresiensis and Joshua S Hill. Each chapter adopts the perspective of an individual character, which allows us to attach ourselves to numerous characters all over the fictional world, it gives us deep insight into not only individual characters but different families, groups, etc. Character development both in the show and the books, doesn't follow the linear story structure of fantasy stories: good doesn't always conquer evil, and most of the time the morality of characters isn't that black and white. (A Game of Thrones chapters 29/Game of Thrones Season 1 Episode 4) We are introduced to Bronn, a rough around the edges sellsword, who sells his room in the inn to Tyrion before Catelyn Stark arrests Tyrion. Through out the following seasons Bronn becomes Tyrion's personal hired sword and friend, having an iconic Laurel and Hardy dynamic through out their money fueled relationship. Tyrion Lannister: I don’t pay you to put evil notions in my head. The ones already there don’t need company. Bronn: You pay me to kill people who bother you. Evil notions come free. (Game of Thrones – Season 3 Episode 7: ‘The Bear and the Maiden Fair’) (A Storm of Swords Chapter 66/Game of Thrones Season 4 episode 7)- Bronn refuses Tyrion plea to champion for him in his trial by combat, choosing not to risk his life for his friend, rather, to leave Tyrion and live his new found life of riches and comfort.
Para 2: Just as soon as you're attached to one of your favourite characters and they seem to be safely on their path to achieving their goals, they die. As quickly and bluntly as that. He gets you so invested in a characters motives and feelings, and then he takes them away from you. This is truly a unique feeling you don't really find in any other franchise. The most popular example of this is in A Storm of Swords Chapter 51 or Season 3 Episode 9 when Robb Stark, son of Ned Stark (Another fan favourite character who was killed at the end of the first season), all his men, his pregnant wife and his mother were murdered at a wedding. This infamous event is known as the Red Wedding, and is a key example in displaying what George R R Martin does to his audience and why his work is so unique and so incredibly popular. "It was, in a real way, television as assault. I'd imagine there are a number of viewers who are done, done, done with this show now, because it's difficult to endure, or to risk enduring again. But that's as it should be."- Sean T. Collins Rolling Stone June 3, 2013
Para 3: George has built a world as deep, intricate and full of lore, culture and history as our own, if not more so. The story begins about 17 years after a huge civil war known as Robert's Rebellion, and this era alone has so much information throughout the books and the series, and yet we only hear about it through dialogue. All of the houses in Westeros have history and their own cultures, origins and relations to others. There's probably more information on the houses in Westeros than there is on the big families of the 14th Century. "And so ended both the reign of House Targaryen and Robert's Rebellion—the war that put an end to nearly three hundred years of Targaryen rule and ushered in a new golden era under the auspices of House Baratheon." -The World of Ice and Fire. And this is just the century before the story begins, and one country in the world; we haven't even gotten into magic and dragons and white walkers. "The ‘Song Of Ice and Fire', on which HBO's ‘Game Of Thrones' is based, is one of the best epic fantasy novels the modern world has seen. Wars and politics, dragons and dead armies, witches and wargs, spells and prophecies, clans and bannermen – it's a universe as vast as ours" - Nishi Jain, MensXP Staff Writer.
Conclusion: George R R Martin is arguably the most revolutionary writer in the past decades, using his sadistic attitude, his expansive, deep universe full of lore and his exceptional characters to pull you and millions of others into his own little world full of pain, anger and sadness; and you love it.
Word count
Bibliography
http://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/Bronn#Quotes_by_Bronn
https://www.waterstones.com/book/a-game-of-thrones-reissue/george-r-r-martin/9780007448036
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bronn_(character)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_of_Thrones
http://www.fantasybookreview.co.uk/George-RR-Martin/A-Game-Of-Thrones.html
https://www.quora.com/Which-has-been-the-best-Game-of-Thrones-episode-so-far
http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/news/game-of-thrones-recap-red-red-red-20130603
http://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/Robert%27s_Rebellion#Quotes
https://www.mensxp.com/entertainment/celebrities/39185-the-story-of-george-rr-martin-the-man-behind-the-game-of-thrones-universe.html
Key words: Morality, Characters, Originality, Success, Difference, Books, Show, Shock, Unpredictable, Affection.
Structure:
Intro: A bit about George R R Martin and what this essay is discussing- 100 words
Para 1:Biographical data - summary of his writing - success
Exceptional characters
Why are his characters exceptional?
Realistic - morality is more complex lots of grey areas.
Text - give an example of his description or an exchange between characters.
Find evidence (critics) who would back up your claim.- 270 words
Para 2: Sadistic attitude
Avoids the dichotomy of good versus evil - more realistic. Sadism towards his audience. He convincingly builds characters and then destroys them.
Text - give an example
Find a quote from a critic- 270 words
Para 3: Deep universe full of lore
History to the story - rich historical texture to the writing.
Give an example
Find a quote from a critic
Argument is clear - but what is based upon.- 270 words
Conclusion: Summary of who he is, what he's accomplished and why- 100 words
Notes:
Intro: George R R Martin author of A song of Ice and Fire, consultant on the TV show adaptation of the series, his franchise is arguably the highest grossing fiction series (books/show) right now. In 2005, Lev Grossman of Time called Martin "the American Tolkien"
Para 1: began writing in 1991 and published first book in 1996, Epic, medieval, fantasy, so far there are 5 published books to the seven part series, the latest of which was published in 2011."I have only come across two authors who have come close to envisioning and successfully carrying out their literary creations to match Tolkien; Steven Erikson and George R. R. Martin."- Floresiensis and Joshua S Hill. Each chapter adopts the perspective of an individual character, which allows us to attach ourselves to numerous characters all over the fictional world, it gives us deep insight into not only individual characters but different families, groups, etc. Character development both in the show and the books, doesn't follow the linear story structure of fantasy stories: good doesn't always conquer evil, and most of the time the morality of characters isn't that black and white. (A Game of Thrones chapters 29/Game of Thrones Season 1 Episode 4) We are introduced to Bronn, a rough around the edges sellsword, who sells his room in the inn to Tyrion before Catelyn Stark arrests Tyrion. Through out the following seasons Bronn becomes Tyrion's personal hired sword and friend, having an iconic Laurel and Hardy dynamic through out their money fueled relationship. Tyrion Lannister: I don’t pay you to put evil notions in my head. The ones already there don’t need company. Bronn: You pay me to kill people who bother you. Evil notions come free. (Game of Thrones – Season 3 Episode 7: ‘The Bear and the Maiden Fair’) (A Storm of Swords Chapter 66/Game of Thrones Season 4 episode 7)- Bronn refuses Tyrion plea to champion for him in his trial by combat, choosing not to risk his life for his friend, rather, to leave Tyrion and live his new found life of riches and comfort.
Para 2: Just as soon as you're attached to one of your favourite characters and they seem to be safely on their path to achieving their goals, they die. As quickly and bluntly as that. He gets you so invested in a characters motives and feelings, and then he takes them away from you. This is truly a unique feeling you don't really find in any other franchise. The most popular example of this is in A Storm of Swords Chapter 51 or Season 3 Episode 9 when Robb Stark, son of Ned Stark (Another fan favourite character who was killed at the end of the first season), all his men, his pregnant wife and his mother were murdered at a wedding. This infamous event is known as the Red Wedding, and is a key example in displaying what George R R Martin does to his audience and why his work is so unique and so incredibly popular. "It was, in a real way, television as assault. I'd imagine there are a number of viewers who are done, done, done with this show now, because it's difficult to endure, or to risk enduring again. But that's as it should be."- Sean T. Collins Rolling Stone June 3, 2013
Para 3: George has built a world as deep, intricate and full of lore, culture and history as our own, if not more so. The story begins about 17 years after a huge civil war known as Robert's Rebellion, and this era alone has so much information throughout the books and the series, and yet we only hear about it through dialogue. All of the houses in Westeros have history and their own cultures, origins and relations to others. There's probably more information on the houses in Westeros than there is on the big families of the 14th Century. "And so ended both the reign of House Targaryen and Robert's Rebellion—the war that put an end to nearly three hundred years of Targaryen rule and ushered in a new golden era under the auspices of House Baratheon." -The World of Ice and Fire. And this is just the century before the story begins, and one country in the world; we haven't even gotten into magic and dragons and white walkers. "The ‘Song Of Ice and Fire', on which HBO's ‘Game Of Thrones' is based, is one of the best epic fantasy novels the modern world has seen. Wars and politics, dragons and dead armies, witches and wargs, spells and prophecies, clans and bannermen – it's a universe as vast as ours" - Nishi Jain, MensXP Staff Writer.
Conclusion: George R R Martin is arguably the most revolutionary writer in the past decades, using his sadistic attitude, his expansive, deep universe full of lore and his exceptional characters to pull you and millions of others into his own little world full of pain, anger and sadness; and you love it.
Word count
Bibliography
http://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/Bronn#Quotes_by_Bronn
https://www.waterstones.com/book/a-game-of-thrones-reissue/george-r-r-martin/9780007448036
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bronn_(character)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_of_Thrones
http://www.fantasybookreview.co.uk/George-RR-Martin/A-Game-Of-Thrones.html
https://www.quora.com/Which-has-been-the-best-Game-of-Thrones-episode-so-far
http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/news/game-of-thrones-recap-red-red-red-20130603
http://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/Robert%27s_Rebellion#Quotes
https://www.mensxp.com/entertainment/celebrities/39185-the-story-of-george-rr-martin-the-man-behind-the-game-of-thrones-universe.html
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