I was curious to do a class analysis of https://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/POV_character

The books keep passing the narrative baton from one landlord to another landlord.

312 of 354 chapters are narrated by a Lord or Lady or their immediate family:

  • Tyrion Lannister 49
  • Jon Snow 42
  • Arya Stark 34
  • Daenerys 31
  • Catelyn Stark 25
  • Sansa Stark 25
  • Bran Stark 21
  • Jaime Lannister 17
  • Eddard Stark 15
  • Theon Greyjoy 14
  • Cersei Lannister 12
  • Brienne of Tarth 8
  • Victarion Greyjoy 5
  • Arianne Martell 4
  • Asha Greyjoy 4
  • Aeron Greyjoy 3
  • Jon Connington 2

25 more chapters are narrated by Knights (who under the feudal system were landlords):

  • Davos Seaworth 13 (who wasn’t born a knight, was socially mobile)
  • Barristan Selmy 6
  • Quentyn Martell 4
  • Arys Oakheart 1
  • Kevan Lannister - 1

The remaining chapters are also mostly narrated by high-ranking professionals, nominal exceptions:

  • Samwell Tarly 10
  • Areo Hotah 2 (Captain of the Guard)
  • Melisandre 1 (former slave who became an influential Rasputin)
  • Cressen, a maester of Stannis Baratheon 1
  • Chett, a steward of the Night’s Watch - 1
  • Pate, a novice at the Citadel 1
  • Varamyr, a skinchanger 1
  • アイス@lemmy.zip
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    0
    ·
    8 days ago

    Well, historically the nobility and clergy made up a mere ~1% of the populace, and almost no records survive that were written by peasants since they were (essentially) all illiterate and had no time to write. [Comes from acoup by Bret Devereaux]