Proceedings of the Third International Seminar on Recent Language, Literature, and Local Culture Studies, BASA, 20-21 September 2019, Surakarta, Central Java, Indonesia

Research Article

White Saviorism in Game of Thrones Series

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  • @INPROCEEDINGS{10.4108/eai.20-9-2019.2296720,
        author={R  Firdaus and S R Rusdiarti},
        title={White Saviorism in Game of Thrones Series},
        proceedings={Proceedings of the Third International Seminar on Recent Language, Literature, and Local Culture Studies, BASA, 20-21 September 2019, Surakarta, Central Java, Indonesia},
        publisher={EAI},
        proceedings_a={BASA},
        year={2020},
        month={6},
        keywords={game of thrones white saviorism savior},
        doi={10.4108/eai.20-9-2019.2296720}
    }
    
  • R Firdaus
    S R Rusdiarti
    Year: 2020
    White Saviorism in Game of Thrones Series
    BASA
    EAI
    DOI: 10.4108/eai.20-9-2019.2296720
R Firdaus1,*, S R Rusdiarti1
  • 1: Universitas Indonesia
*Contact email: roihatul.firdaus@ui.ac.id

Abstract

Game of Thrones (GOT) is an adaptation series from a novel by George R. R. Martin entitled A Song of Ice and Fire. GOT tells about the struggle for the throne between clans which resulted in an endless war. As one of the people fighting over the throne, Daenerys Targaryen has her own strategy in winning the battle. She repeatedly tried to save the slaves, so she was dubbed the Breaker of Chains and Mhysa. In the context of the rescue, Daenerys appeared to be most prominent among the non-whites she rescued. The emergence of Daenerys as a savior of non-white people implies that the GOT series is loaded with the implementation of white saviorism. This study aims to describe the identity of the character Daenerys, and reveal the concept of white saviorism contained in the film. The analysis revealed that Daenerys was considered to have more power than others who were not white. The prominence of the character in this film is not only a strategy of white domination, but is also closely related to her political interests, especially the title Breaker of Chains and Mhysa which support her image as a just and powerful queen.