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
The question is not whether a peasant could be an interesting character. Obviously they could. A talented writer could make almost anyone’s life compelling. The question is whether that perspective serves the story being told.
ASOIAF is a story about political power. The people who have the ability to affect those outcomes are the obvious focus.
A peon’s POV would be telling a different story and shift the focus from the people competing to the people living with the consequences of the competition. That could be a great novel, but it would not advance the retelling of the dynastic struggle for control of Westeros.
This is why I asked why you find the absence of lower-class POVs surprising. It seems like an obvious consequence of the scope and focus of the story.