A Dance With Dragons

What role does gender play in Daenerys’s struggles to maintain power in Meereen? How are her struggles different from those of male figures, and what steps does she take to counter sexism?

What role do revenge and betrayal play in A Dance with Dragons? What overall point does Martin make about the exercise of power driven by revenge?

Discuss Martin’s use of the dragons Drogon, Rhaegal, and Viserion as symbols in the book. Include details about what the dragons symbolize for Daenerys, Quentyn, and other characters.

Consider the many names important characters go by in the novel. Why are names important to characters like Daenerys, Arya, and Jon Snow? How does Martin use names as characterization? Support your response with a detailed discussion of one character.

Focusing on one character with power, discuss the impact of the conflict between duty to others and satisfying individual desires in the novel. What do characters gain by doing their duty? What do they lose?

Several of the characters in the novel, including Bran, Arya, and Young Griff/Aegon are quite young. Discuss the coming of age of one or more of these characters. What inspires the characters to become more independent? How do their circumstances and guides shape their coming of age?

Does power inevitably corrupt the person who pursues or holds on to it? Using support from the novel, develop an argument to support your stance on this issue.

Animals—dragons, direwolves, crows, and cats—are ubiquitous in A Dance with Dragons. How do they help Martin in his worldbuilding and characterization? Select one animal or compare and contrast two or more animals in your discussion.