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Mathematicians mapped “Game of Thrones” relationship to find the main character

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Re: Mathematicians mapped “Game of Thrones” relationship to find the main character

#61

Post by wheat7420 »

FnuGk wrote: post #51
wheat7420 wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Readers of the books know that is definitely not the case. For instance Areo Hotah is a repeated point of view character who is merely there to provide prospective on the court of Dorne as a silent body guard. Fans of the series call him "the camera who rides." On the other hand GRRM has said characters like Littlefinger and Varys will never have chapters because their plans are too revealing of the end of the book.…

His chapters is called "The captain of guards" and not "Areo" as is the way chapters of the main POV characters is named.

Numerous characters both major and minor get chapter names like that. Asha gets a chapter where she's "the sacrifice", Victarion gets a chapter where he's "the iron suitor" and chapters that just go by their name as well. Arya has been "the ugly little girl" in the chapter title. Theon has been "the ghost of winterfel".

Regardless, he's still a point of view character that isn't central to the plot.

Re: Mathematicians mapped “Game of Thrones” relationship to find the main character

#62

Post by zem »

talmand wrote: post #25

This is only a popularity contest among the known characters and their known interactions. For instance, Littlefinger started out seemingly as a small player but then we learn later he was actually a rather significant player in almost all aspects of what has been happening so far. Granted his obvious interactions are with rather important people but by appearances the number of interactions seem low while actually b…

> For instance, Littlefinger started out seemingly as a small player but then we learn later he was actually a rather significant player in almost all aspects of what has been happening so far. Granted his obvious interactions are with rather important people but by appearances the number of interactions seem low while actually being quite large.

i would argue that that makes him a significant plot device, rather than a significant character. tyrion is a major character not because he influences events the most, but because a lot of the book focuses on how events relate to him and vice versa.

Re: Mathematicians mapped “Game of Thrones” relationship to find the main character

#63

Post by talmand »

zem wrote: post #62
talmand wrote: post #25

This is only a popularity contest among the known characters and their known interactions. For instance, Littlefinger started out seemingly as a small player but then we learn later he was actually a rather significant player in almost all aspects of what has been happening so far. Granted his obvious interactions are with rather important people but by appearances the number of interactions seem low while actually b…

> For instance, Littlefinger started out seemingly as a small player but then we learn later he was actually a rather significant player in almost all aspects of what has been happening so far. Granted his obvious interactions are with rather important people but by appearances the number of interactions seem low while actually being quite large. i would argue that that makes him a significant plot device, rather tha…

But I see that as a difference of a character being significant to the reader versus significant to the story.

Re: Mathematicians mapped “Game of Thrones” relationship to find the main character

#64

Post by repsilat »

talmand wrote: post #45
repsilat wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> [Tyrion is] not so significant He was essentially responsible for the successful defense of King's Landing at the Battle of the Blackwater. If he hadn't been there, Stannis would be on the Iron Throne -- I'd call that high-impact. I agree that Littlefinger's impact is under-represented by this measure, though. And obviously Arya has had no impact on anything important at all ti date...

Defense of King's Landing? You mean the event that everyone immediately dismissed and took credit away from him? How many characters even recall it that way? It was significant at that moment, but dwindled away to next to nothing almost immediately. Other than that one thing, Tyrion has mostly gone along for the ride, which fits his character. As for Stannis being on the Iron Throne, it would makes some things differ…

> would not make a huge difference in the overall storyline so far as to what's coming

If you mean Daenerys I mostly agree. Stannis would not recognise her claim, and would fight her invading forces like whoever's left will do. On the other hand, he'd likely have rather more resources to do it with -- an earlier end to the fighting, possibly ending the war with Robb etc etc.

If you mean the Walkers, though, I rather disagree. Stannis is about duty, and he knows that defending the wall is a big and important job.

Essentially I think the point of most of the action in the books is to leave Westeros as unprepared as possible for the invasions of Dani and the Walkers, and Stannis quickly on the throne means less fighting and dying for everyone.

Re: Mathematicians mapped “Game of Thrones” relationship to find the main character

#65

Post by kyriakos »

talmand wrote: post #27
kyriakos wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

you are right but the aim is to find who the writers consider the "main" character and not who had the most impact on the GoT universe. If we take it in that sense the white walkers are probably the most significant.

I would say there is no single main character to the story.

that's also the most likely reason the story (book or TV) is so popular. the fact that there is no distinct good or evil, no main character, no main villain etc. everyone is grey, everyone can die etc

Re: Mathematicians mapped “Game of Thrones” relationship to find the main character

#66

Post by possibility »

kyriakos wrote: post #65
talmand wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would say there is no single main character to the story.

that's also the most likely reason the story (book or TV) is so popular. the fact that there is no distinct good or evil, no main character, no main villain etc. everyone is grey, everyone can die etc

There are obviously evil characters, obviously good characters, and ambiguous characters. Mostly ambiguous.
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