Trigger warning: This article contains some discussion that readers may find upsetting.
Game Of Thrones has a long history of producing shocking and even disturbing content. But have they crossed the line?
HBO
Jessica Chastain Slams 'Game Of Thrones' For Using Sexual Violence To Empower Sansa
Actress, Jessica Chastain has taken to Twitter to slam "Game Of Thrones".
Instagram | @jessicachastain
After the last episode, Jessica found one scene to be particularly controversial and unsettling to her.
Sophie Turner's character, Sansa, addressed all of the times she was subjected to sexual violence over the course of the entire series.
HBO
"Without Littlefinger and Ramsay and the rest, I would have stayed a little bird all my life," she said.
This led some viewers, including Jessica Chastain, to believe that Sansa was crediting her attackers for making her the strong person she is today.
Instagram | @jessicachastain
She believes that the writers of Game Of Thrones are suggesting that in order to be strong, you first need to be a victim.
"Rape is not a tool to make a character stronger," she wrote.
Instagram | @jessicachastain
"A woman doesn't need to be victimised in order to become a butterfly. The #littlebird was always a Phoenix. Her prevailing strength is solely because of her. And her alone. #GameOfThrones."
While many fans agreed with Jessica's stance on the issue, applauding her for speaking out — others found that she may have intentionally misunderstood Sansa's line.
And some agreed with her, but not entirely — offering alternative points of view.
This fan agreed with Jessica, and pointed out that the writers of "Game Of Thrones" are men.
Twitter | @CarineK
Insinuating that they couldn't accurately portray the actions of a sexual assault survivor since they've probably never been one themselves.
Other fans have stopped watching "Game Of Thrones" and other shows like it because of instances like this.
This person shared that they read genres, like romance, that tend not to use rape as a character-building tool.
Some fans agreed that Sansa has definitely been strong all along, but that feeling stronger after an assault is often a coping mechanism for survivors, in real life.
They wrote that it is a very valid and healing way to move on from one's traumas.
This fan defended Sansa's line by looking at it a bit differently.
They explained that Sansa made the choice not to let the things that happened to her define her — and instead, let them make her stronger.
Another fan partially agreed with Jessica's initial tweet, but said they aren't angry at the writers for writing Sansa in this light.
They went on, explaining that it's common for victims of sexual assault to look for strength and positivity as a coping mechanism.
This fan tweeted that Jessica was misconstruing Sansa's line.
They pointed out that Sansa wasn't boasting about being sexually assaulted or promoting it as a way to improve internal strength.
She was revealing that she didn't let her attackers dictate her ability to "rise above".
This person spoke more generally on the topic, saying that all experiences, good and bad, shape everyone.
They called out Jessica for making a show for her fans — taking the moral high ground, when really, Game Of Thrones is entirely fictional and set in a "brutal world".
Other fans that related to Sansa dragged Jessica for taking an empowering moment away from them.
This fan revealed that Sansa is a character that they were able to relate to and felt empowered by when she spoke on her sexual assaults, but that Jessica diminished that moment for them.
This person tweeted that they understood Jessica's point of view, and offered another one.
HBO
They asked if Sansa would have realized her own strength if her life was spared from tragedy entirely — pointing out that good and bad things shape people.
What do you think of Jessica Chastain's tweet?
YouTube | Hanna A.G
Did the writers of Game Of Thrones accurately depict a sexual assault survivor?
Or were they using sexual assault as a mechanism to develop Sansa's character?
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