The Image of Mother in the fantasy novel "A Game of Thrones" by G. Martin.

Polyanskaya Arina Igorevna ORCID: 0000-0001-5291-4531 Postgraduate student, Department of English Philology, Moscow City Pedagogical University, Institute of Foreign Languages 5B Maly Kazenny str., Moscow, 105064, Russia arina.safronova.mgpu.mka@yandex.ru

There are various recurring images in the works of world fiction, but the image of the mother is one of the most iconic. As you know, literature is a reflection of the cultural and historical experience of the people ^[1-2], and the image of the mother is an important component of the worldview of almost any country that one or another author shows ^[3]. In addition to the culturally specific features of this image, it is impossible to ignore the canonical figure of the Virgin Mary or the Virgin Mary, who is perhaps the main mother in European and American cultures and is perceived as part of religious consciousness. At the same time, we emphasize that the veneration of the saint merges with pagan beliefs and the image of Mother Earth in pre-Christian cultures ^{[4, p. 223]}. The mother plays a key role in the context of cultural perception and worldview attitudes. In other words, an individual may not find a mate, leave no offspring, but he always has parents, in particular a mother.

The image of a mother is invariably associated with certain characteristics, the set of which may vary slightly depending on the context, and the study of cultural codes plays a significant role in modern literary studies ^[5]. At the same time, "a person <...> always occupies a place between reality <...> and language" ^{[6, p.9]}. An attempt to generalize such components was made, for example, by the Swiss psychologist and psychiatrist C. Jung (1875-1961), who identified the following features inherent in the analyzed image: caring, empathy, wisdom, fertility, magical resurrection, secret, dark, mysterious ^[7]. Let us clarify that the term "archetype" is used in the works of the scientist. In this context, it makes sense to consider its interpretation proposed by a psychologist, since it incorporates the dominant features of a particular concept. In Christian culture, the epithets "pure" or "sinless", often used in relation to the Virgin Mary, can also be added to the characteristics listed above.

It should be noted that the image of the mother has a certain ambivalence. It combines both obviously positive features and something mystical. The latter was probably preserved from pagan beliefs, in which the cult of Mother Earth was associated with fertility, but at the same time with supernatural, otherworldly forces. The remaining elements of such religious interpretations have been preserved both in the cultural heritage and in the language of many peoples ^[8], and dualism in pagan beliefs is characteristic of many cultures ^[9].

This article will consider the image of a mother in the work of the American writer J. Martin (1948 – present), namely in his novel "Game of Thrones" ("A GAm of Thrones", 1996) from the cycle "A Song of Ice and Fire" (A Song of Ice and Fire, 1996). This novelist is a popular author working in the fantasy genre. His works have been awarded several influential literary prizes, including Hugo and Nebula, which are awarded for achievements in the field of fantasy and fantasy literature. It is important to emphasize the specifics of the narratives of the series of works under study. The American novelist adheres to the manner of narration in the third person, however, each chapter of the work in question is devoted to a specific character. In addition, the novel "Game of Thrones" is characterized by the fact that it demonstrates "radical forms of human behavior" ^{[10, p. 194]}. The action of the work takes place in a pseudo-medieval reality, and the author pays special attention to the realism of the narrative and even its naturalness. In the text, one can find both a colorful depiction of feasting scenes and a reliable description of execution by beheading ^{[11, p. 192]}.

The novelist does not ignore the political features of the fictional world. For example, the governance structure in the state of the Seven Kingdoms resembles the classical feudal system of the Middle Ages ^{[12, p. 120]}. These features have a certain influence on the worldview and behavior of the characters themselves. In some cases, the actions of the protagonists may cause confusion to the modern reader, however, with proper awareness of the realities of a particular cultural period, the recipient does not have difficulties in correctly interpreting the root cause of a particular plot twist. In addition, the author creates characters who, unlike many protagonists of other fantasy works, are not uniquely "good" or "evil". Each of the characters in the novel under study acts according to his code of honor or a set of concepts about good and evil, which, as in our reality, do not coincide with different people and depend on many conditions.

The action of the first novel from the series "A Song of Ice and Fire" takes place in a fictional kingdom divided into seven regions, headed by Great Houses, subject to the king. The plot centers on House of Stark, House of Lannister, House of Baratheon, and the deposed Targaryen royal dynasty. Most of the chapters of the novel are written on behalf of representatives of the Starks, which causes great sympathy for them from readers.

The analyzed image of the mother can be seen in the three heroines of the novel, two of which are POV characters (from the English point of view), that is, the narration is conducted on their behalf. These are Catelyn Stark, Daenerys Targaryen and Cersei Lannister-Baratheon. Let's explain the peculiarity of writing the generic name of Cersei. She is the queen of the state, being married to the ruler of the Baratheon family, but all the characters in the book mention her by the name of the House to which she belongs by birth: "Cersei Lannister entered behind him, a jeweled tiara in her hair" ^{[13, p. 290]}. In almost all episodes, the woman appears precisely as Cersei Lannister.

Let's briefly describe each of the heroines, mentioning also their background. The peculiarity of the analyzed novel is that the most important events that influenced the current state of affairs of each key character occurred about thirteen years ago. During the rebellion of Robert Baratheon, which put an end to almost three hundred years of Targaryen rule, the destinies of many characters were destroyed: Cersei was supposed to marry Prince Targaryen, the current king was to marry Eddard Stark's sister, and Catelyn was to marry his older brother. However, all these characters, only casually mentioned in the pages of the novel, died during those events.

Catelyn Stark, destined for the deceased Brandon, the eldest son and heir, meekly accepted her father's will and married Eddard, who immediately after that went to war and left her a newborn baby. The woman, separated from her husband from the very beginning of marriage, directed all her love to her son: "Her thoughts were more of Robb, the infant at her breast, than of the husband she scarcely knew" ^{[13, p. 44]}. Subsequently, she was able to understand and love, in fact, the Lord Stark imposed on her, but it was her love for children that had always been a constant of her existence. Throughout her life, Catelyn Stark remained faithful to the motto of her native Home – "Family, duty, honor." Already a mother of five children, she continued to strive to fulfill the task dictated by her social position, namely childbirth: "She [Catelyn] was not too old. She could give him another son» ^{[13, p. 40]}. In other words, she wanted to give Edward another child.

All the characters celebrate Cersei's splendor: "She was as beautiful as men said. A jeweled tiara gleamed amidst her long golden hair, its emeralds a perfect match for the green of her eyes» ^{[13, p. 34]}. In various episodes of the novel, the author pays attention to her beauty: ""Cersei is lovely to look at, truly"" ^{[13, p. 210]}. After the birth of the child, the queen managed to maintain her external attractiveness. It is sensuality and beauty, sexuality and physical attractiveness that are dominant in the image of Cersei. She's a mother, like Catelyn, but she's used to having children obey her. This certainly applies to the behavior of the younger ones. Besides, the woman probably doesn't pay too much attention to their personal development.

The Queen's relationship with her eldest son Joffrey is completely different. The boy inherited his mother's beauty, but under the mask of attractiveness hides his pathological tendency to cruelty and, possibly, psychopathy. In this regard, Cersei cannot suppress her eldest son, as evidenced by his behavior towards Eddard Stark. Instead of the promised pardon, the young man orders the executioner to execute the lord. In the subsequent books of the series, Cersei confesses to her brother that she could not do anything, although she understood that such an act by her son would lead to an internecine war.

Cersei's depravity is also determined by the fact that all her children are the fruit of incest with a twin brother: ""Your brother?” Ned said. “Or your lover?” “Both.” She did not flinch from the truth. “Since we were children together. And why not?”» ^{[13, p. 331]}.  Adultery and incest are condemned in the described society. The Queen, on the other hand, puts her relationship with her brother above her own safety and the well-being of her children. She is ready to risk her life for the sake of satisfying lust: it is for this criminal act that the twins are caught by Catelyn's middle son, Bran. The queen's brother pushes the boy out of the window, as a result of which he is seriously injured and remains unconscious for a long time. Catelyn nurses her son after spending several days without sleep: ""You haven't left this room since Bran was hurt" <...> "I can't leave him, even for a moment, not when any moment could be his last"" ^{[13, p. 89]}.  She is very afraid of losing him. Even when her two daughters leave their home, accompanying their father and the king, Catelyn does not accompany them, paying all her attention to the crippled boy. When an attempt is made on Bran's life, Lady Stark does not hesitate to try to stop the killer with her bare hands. The image of a selfless, loving, devoted and honest mother contrasts with the image of a lustful, deceitful and hypocritical queen.

However, as different as the heroines are, they are so similar. When Eddard Stark reveals the secret of the origin of the queen's children, she begins to plot against him, because she is ready to defend the rights (albeit illegal) of her son to the throne: "Cersei did not look away. <…> “You love your children, do you not?” “With all my heart.” “No less do I love mine”» ^{[13, p. 332]}. She herself approves of the use of force, but does not accept the slightest violence against her children.

Interestingly, readers' perception of this character is quite controversial. Since the narration is conducted on behalf of representatives of the Stark clan, it is not surprising that the recipients who read the text begin to feel great sympathy for them. If you look at the situation from the Queen's point of view, you can see that Eddard Stark's assumption threatens both her well-being and the life and health of her children. Narcissistic and selfish people like Cersei are practically unable to admit their guilt, and, in her opinion, as long as the romantic relationship with gemini remains secret, nothing untoward happens. At the same time, as a mother, Cersei, as well as Catelyn, is ready for any immoral acts to protect her flesh and blood.

The vicious image described above is complemented by a noble desire to protect their offspring. As a furious lioness rushes at the offender of her cubs, so Cersei is ready even for infanticide in order to strengthen the rights of children. When her men discover the king's bastards, Lannister orders them to kill the baby without hesitation: ""I've also heard whispers that Robert got a pair of twins on a serving wench at Casterly Rock, three years ago when he went west for Lord Tywin's tourney. Cersei had the babes killed, and sold the mother to a passing slaver» ^{[13, p. 258]}. Surprisingly, such cruelty is explained solely by the desire to protect their own children from possible competitors.

Lady Stark, in turn, also has her dark side. A wonderful wife and mother, she cannot accept and love her bastard husband John (Jon), whom Eddard Stark brought with him after the end of the war. J. Martin is extremely attentive to the reliable depiction of pseudo-medieval realities, and therefore illegitimate children are also not unusual. Researchers confirm that treason in a genuine medieval society, although condemned by the church, was present at all social levels. Moreover, illegitimate people of noble origin received certain privileges ^{[14, p. 73]}. The situation is similar in the fictional world of the novelist.

Catelyn adores her children, but is not ready to accept and love the orphan John, whose mother has passed away. She is jealous of her stepson's husband because of their external similarity - legitimate children are much less like their father. The woman also fears a possible threat to her eldest son from John in matters of transfer of power. Moreover, before leaving the castle forever, the bastard comes to say goodbye to his half-brother, who is in oblivion due to a fall. Catelyn tries to drive John away, and at the end of the conversation declares that he should have been in her suffering son's place: ""It should have been you," she told him. Then she turned back to Bran and began to weep, her whole body shaking with the sobs» ^{[13, p. 66]}. Such outright hatred of an innocent child shows that Catelyn is not perfect either: she could not give the orphan a drop of maternal care.

The above analysis allows us to see that in the work of J. Martin, the image of the mother is characterized by extreme ambivalence, and not only in relation to different heroines. Both Catelyn and Cersei carry both light and dark beginnings. The first one can include unconditional love for their own children, the desire to protect them from any potential threat. These are generally accepted characteristics of the image of a good mother, caring and devoted nature. Indeed, perceived by readers as a negative character, Cersei has exceptional devotion towards her children. The dark principle, which is not characteristic of the generalized image of the mother, but inherent in the characters in the narrative of J. Martin, takes the form of aggression towards those who threaten the children of mothers in any way.

In Catelyn's case, this is a refusal to understand that John honors the rules of the transfer of power and will not interfere with the legitimate heir who grew up with him, since the stepson was raised by Lord Stark as an honest and noble man. Moreover, the young men are bound by brotherly feelings, and everyone understands and accepts their place in life. Lady Stark's cruelty to the bastard is explained precisely by the ambivalence of the mother's image, which the author decided to emphasize. Cersei, involved in an incestuous relationship of her own free will, is presented as the personification of lust. However, her unconditional love for children, even for her sadistic eldest son, and her unconditional desire to protect them by any means show her bright side as a mother. It is interesting to note that the reader can justify one character and denounce another for completely identical motives of behavior. As noted above, this is due to the author's narrative style and his strategy of describing the characters in the narrative.

Daenerys is different from the characters discussed above. It should be noted that at the beginning of the story she is only thirteen years old, she is under the control of her domineering brother. The girl does not have the strength of mind to resist his decisions. He is, in fact, selling her to the nomad leader in exchange for military support. Being innocent and inexperienced, she marries and submits to Khal Drogo. Her first pregnancy occurs only at the age of fourteen, when she herself, in fact, is still a child. Gradually, Daenerys begins to feel affection for her husband – this is a natural psychological reaction, the so-called Stockholm syndrome, in which the wife justifies the behavior of the spouse imposed on her ^{[15, p. 42]}. A chain of tragic events leads to Drogo's severe injury. A witch from a tribe captured by nomads agrees to help him on the condition that an unborn child will be sacrificed. She intentionally performs the ritual so that Drogo is cured physically, but remains in a vegetative state forever, and the child is stillborn. The heroine decides to take revenge on the witch.

One of Daenerys' wedding gifts was three petrified dragon eggs. The Targaryens came from Ancient Valyria, the land of the dragon lords. The ancestors of the young woman captured and united the Seven Kingdoms thanks to these winged creatures. By the beginning of the story, they are considered extinct, but Daenerys immediately begins to feel a strange affection for dragon eggs, feeling the warmth emanating from them. When the time comes to take revenge, she orders a funeral pyre to be built for her husband, ties a witch to it and, taking dragon eggs, goes there herself. A miracle happens: Daenerys remains unharmed, and her dragons hatch.

In fact, the heroine never becomes a mother to a human child, but he is replaced by three supernatural beings: «The cream-and-gold dragon was suckling at her left breast, the green-and-bronze at the right. Her arms cradled them close. The black-and-scarlet beast was draped across her shoulders, its long sinuous neck coiled under her chin» ^{[13, p. 552]}. In subsequent works, Daenerys takes the title Mother of Dragons and calls them her children, because she is sure that she will not have others. The special connection between her and her peculiar children, dangerous fire-breathing monsters, which she nevertheless cares about, allows us to see in this image the personification of the mysterious and mystical characteristics of the mother.

The ambivalence of images typical of the author's creative style, especially the image of the mother, is also found in the case of the character Daenerys. On the one hand, she is an innocent, immaculate child who never became a real mother. Marriage undoubtedly makes her grow up, but her worldview remains naive and, in a sense, childish. This becomes obvious if we recall the request for help from the sorceress, whose people suffered cruelly at the hands of the Khal. On the other hand, the image of Daenerys clearly reveals mystical elements that have been preserved since the time of paganism. In these beliefs, the mother is both a wise and omnipotent goddess. It is the power that the heroine receives with the rebirth of dragons, symbols of her power. 

Thus, it should be noted that in the work of fantasy writer J. Martin, the image of the mother is presented very ambiguously. On the one hand, the sacredness of motherhood can be traced in each of the heroines, however, like most people, they have their own flaws and vices. Ambivalence of images is a characteristic feature of the writer's work. The polarity of the mother's image can be traced not only in relation to different characters, it can be seen really in each heroine. All of them, having seemingly opposite characteristics, nevertheless make up very similar and holistic images. Moreover, both Catelyn and Cersei are guided by the same motives in relation to their children, but the peculiarities of the narrative and the presentation of the characters to the reader have a significant impact on the perception of their actions. The image of Daenerys as a mother is somewhat different from what is typical for the other two heroines. First of all, this is due to their plot remoteness from each other, but also due to the various characteristics that the writer put into these images. Daenerys is a mystical mother, she is more like pagan goddesses with their dark origin. J. Martin highlights the mysterious connection between the dragons and the Targaryen heiress.

Summing up, we note that in the analyzed work, extremely diverse and contradictory images of mothers were identified and described, which, nevertheless, have certain similarities among themselves. This allows us to conclude that in some fantasy works the traditional image of the mother undergoes a significant transformation, which is associated with the conventions of the plot and the creative personality of the author.