Weekly Journal #8 (October 20, 2016)

     Aspects Game of Thrones's setting correspond with 19th century ideas and the settings of Jane Austen's novels, showing that these themes still influence the topics of modern works of fiction. The show's plot revolves around a group of five or six rich, well known families who vie for money and power. Like Austen's novels, while these families and their concerns make up only one part of a larger world and society, the focus stays on them and the way that the rest of the world is affected by their actions is not a major concern of the plot. Marriage in the show functions as a way to secure power, money, and status, and the show portrays a world with a rigid lack of social mobility. This is very similar to the workings of Jane Austen's early 19th century English settings. Certain characters, like Jon Snow, could be directly compared to some of Austen's characters, like Fanny Price. Jon Snow and Fanny Price are raised in high ranking, rich families, but because of the circumstances of their birth they are denied the privileges of and entry to this higher class.