Many Game of Thrones fans have found Arya Stark’s sex scene to be quite controversial, either thinking it was awkward to watch or laughed at it online.
Personally, I don’t see any reason for the controversy that it’s had, especially considering the entire show as a whole and how it isn’t afraid of sex scenes. I guess it’s because Arya is one of the younger main characters of the show and we have seen her grow from a child to an adult, which may make the scene appear more shocking or awkward to watch because of her age. However, I think it was a good decision, because Arya has always seemed closed-off from her feelings and I felt it was nice for her character development.
Normally girls are seen as submissive or forced into sex, but Arya made this decision herself.
I literally don’t understand why there’s such a huge fuss over the scene when in the show there have been many, many incest scenes, yet when a young woman consents to sex to someone she is attracted to before she could die, the fans are conflicted. Maybe it’s the fact that she was so upfront about her desires? But then I still don’t see an issue; Arya is a strong character and has never been one to be secretive in her intentions or waver over decisions. She was direct, as she has been throughout the entire series.
She is empowered by her sexuality rather than being ashamed of it.
Or maybe it’s the timing of the scene rather than the scene itself. Perhaps it isn’t that Arya wants to have sex, but the fact that it’s seen as her ‘in the face of death’ dying wish, wanting to know what it’s like in case she does die during the Battle of Winterfell and could appear random or humorous. However, I think Arya’s thought process is completely rational. In a show that has many references to sex and relationships which become a focal point of the narrative, I can imagine that Arya feels isolated from these conversations or is curious, as many girls are within our own society. Is it so weird that in the face of death she wants to have sex with Gendry, a character that she is attracted to?
And not only that, but literally speaking Arya is on top and has the power. She is a young woman in control of her decisions and her sexuality, something that isn’t represented enough within the media. Normally girls are seen as submissive or forced into sex, but Arya made this decision herself and feels empowered by her sexuality rather than being ashamed of it. Is this what makes people feel uncomfortable? Since young female sexuality is such a taboo subject, perhaps the power that Arya has and certainty in her decision can throw people off guard. If so, then the decision to have this scene is even better in my opinion as more representation is needed, and it also embodies Arya’s self-certainty and power as a character. I think it was a good scene to include, not only for young females watching, but for Arya Stark’s development.
