Jessica Chastain calls out Game of Thrones writers for controversial Sansa Stark scene: 'Rape is not a tool to make a character stronger'
Jessica Chastain is calling out Game of Thrones writers for a controversial scene in Sunday night's episode involving Sophie Turner's Sansa Stark.
The scene in question featured a reunion between Sansa and The Hound (Rory McCann), who tells her that none of the bad things that happened to her, would have happened if she left with him early on in the series.
Sansa responds by telling him she would have 'stayed a little bird all my life,' if those things never happened to her, including her gruesome wedding day rape by her then husband Ramsay Bolton (Iwan Rheon), which many have denounced, including Chastain.
Calling out: Jessica Chastain is calling out Game of Thrones writers for a controversial scene in Sunday night's episode involving Sophie Turner's Sansa Stark
No butterfly: 'Rape is not a tool to make a character stronger,' Chastain began. 'A woman doesn’t need to be victimized in order to become a butterfly'
'Rape is not a tool to make a character stronger,' Chastain began. 'A woman doesn’t need to be victimized in order to become a butterfly.'
The #LittleBird was always a Phoenix,' she continued, in what may have been an homage to the film she stars in with Sophie Turner, X-Men: Dark Phoenix, where Turner plays the Dark Phoenix.
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'Her prevailing strength is solely because of her. And her alone. #GameOfThrones,' Chastain concluded, while including a GIF of Turner on the Iron Throne.
Little Bird: The #LittleBird was always a Phoenix,' she continued, in what may have been an homage to the film she stars in with Sophie Turner, X-Men: Dark Phoenix, where Turner plays the Dark Phoenix
Sophie Turner's Sansa Stark is one of the few characters to have survived all the way from the pilot episode in the first season through this final season.
Her character arc is also one of the most brutal on the entire series, having been manipulated by Petyr 'Littlefinger' Baelish (Aiden Gillan), married off to the nefarious King Joffrey Baratheon (Jack Gleeson) and later forcefully married to Ramsay Bolton.
Her wedding night rape by Bolton in the sixth episode of Season 5, titled (ironically) Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken, continues to be one of the show's most enduring controversies.
Sansa the survivor: Sophie Turner's Sansa Stark is one of the few characters to have survived all the way from the pilot episode in the first season through this final season
Speaking out: Chastain was definitely not alone in voicing these rape concerns on Twitter, with several women speaking out shortly after the episode aired on Sunday
Chastain was definitely not alone in voicing these rape concerns on Twitter, with several women speaking out shortly after the episode aired on Sunday.
'I still love #GameOfThrones but this show proves over and over again they have no idea how to write about rape,' said Australian reporter Alex Bruce-Smith.
'Sansa just shrugging off what happened to her by saying she's stronger for it?? do any women write for this show, or...?' she added.
Sansa concerns: Chastain was definitely not alone in voicing these rape concerns on Twitter, with several women speaking out shortly after the episode aired on Sunday.
Another fan, Amy Collier, added, 'Sansa didn't need to go through all that trauma to become a powerful, intelligent person, and the show implying she did is just...ugh.'
Writer Alanna Bennett added, 'Remember when Sansa was like "you know, it actually was a good thing I got raped and otherwise assaulted and abused all those times, bc now I am a Strong Woman." Interesting. #GameofThrones.'
There are just two episodes of Game of Thrones left, with the fifth episode airing Sunday, May 12 and the sixth and final episode debuting Sunday, May 19 on HBO.
Sansa's strength: Another fan, Amy Collier, added, 'Sansa didn't need to go through all that trauma to become a powerful, intelligent person, and the show implying she did is just...ugh'
Sansa: Writer Alanna Bennett added, 'Remember when Sansa was like "you know, it actually was a good thing I got raped and otherwise assaulted and abused all those times, bc now I am a Strong Woman." Interesting. #GameofThrones'
More statements: More fans chimed in on Sansa's reunion scene with The Hound
Sansa strong: Fans have had vocal opinions about a scene in last weekend's Game of Thrones
