#saw this on quora and had to share because it was pissing me off the amount of people saying this

[anyataylordelrey]

TLOU YAP

“But I don’t understand why Ellie was so annoyed with Joel when he literally saved her life out of love.” etc etc

Ellie wasn’t “annoyed.” She was broken, and devastated by what Joel did.

You gotta remember; this little girl watched her best friend get turned into a monster. And the very same virus that did that to Riley, spared Ellie.

It only spared Ellie. And it’s been killing the whole damn world for 20 years.

Can you even imagine, how that would make you feel? She was supposed to die with Riley. She was supposed to die, period. Or turn. Because everyone does

But she didn’t. And then, Marlene gave her hope that, maybe, there was a reason for that.

Maybe the weird twist of viral fate that saved her, could save everyone else.

She’s grown up in a shattered world. Born six years after society collapsed. It’s all she’s ever known. But she’s young (so terribly young) and we see that she carries hope. Hope that things can be better, again. That what she’s known isn’t all there is.

She’s literally surrounded by reminders that life wasn’t always like this. The world-that-was lies in ruins, but it’s still there. All around her. And she’s still enough of a kid to hold onto dreams. Hell, she wants to be an astronaut, for Chrissakes. Talk about an impossible thing to want to be, given her situation!

She can, maybe, make sure that no one has to die like Riley did. She can, maybe, give humanity a fighting chance to return to the stars. What she carries within her, the immunity it grants her, it would matter. It would mean something, that she (and only she) didn’t die when she should have.

She can save the world. For a fourteen year old hopeful dreamer, who still believes in superheroes, who is dealing with survivor’s guilt, who has in no way processed the trauma of her best friend (who she was in love with) dying, it’s a lot to hold onto.

Then, through the journey. Tess, bitten, dying. Trying to get Ellie to the Fireflies so they can turn her into a cure. Sam, bitten, turned. Killed by his brother to save Ellie’s life, before Henry turns that gun on himself. All the people she and Joel had to kill, to get to where they were going through this awful, bloody world. All the Infected she saw. Then, David. Would-be seducer of children, cannibal…..and his people’s best hope for survival. This fucked up world that made them rely on him. How easy it was to lose herself to the rage, when she took his life.

People she cared for died, to keep her alive. She feels like she owes them. But it’s more than that. So much loss and pain. If she can be turned into a cure then people like Tess, Sam, Riley, they would survive. They wouldn’t need to keep turning, dying. People like David, they would be in jail. Instead of free to pursue their own sick interests, in a world where nothing matters.

She can’t save them. But she owes it to them, to the trail of bodies she and Joel have left in their wake, to make it all mean something.

Before they go to the hospital, and Joel tells her they don’t need to if she doesn’t want to, she literally says “After all we’ve been through. After everything I’ve done. It can’t all be for nothing.”

That’s the heart of it. All this blood and sacrifice, it has to have meaning. Why so many have died while she’s survived, there has to be a reason.

She’s still waiting on her turn. For madness. For death. But it would be worth it, if her death could save others.

When she has her “confrontation” with joel in the second game she says “I was supposed to die in that hospital. My life would have fucking mattered. But you took that from me.”

Every person who gets infected now, she feels like that’s on her. Because if Joel would have just let her die, they’d survive. Everyone who gets torn apart or murdered, she feels like that’s on her. Because if Joel had just let her die, the world would have a chance to be more than it is.

She’s stuck. Unable to be Infected like everyone else, but entirely unable to do anything about all their pain and suffering. Because Joel chose her life over the world.

She believes her life mattered, that she survived, solely to save others. It’s the only way she’s been able to deal with it being her and not Riley. She made it through, so that she could end up on that operating table.

She could handle it, when she could hold onto her purpose. Joel told her, basically, that she had no purpose. He didn’t mean to, but he made her survival….useless, as far as she was concerned.

More than that, he looked her in the eye and swore that there was no hope.

And there wasn’t. Not anymore. Because of her. Because Joel loved her, and couldn’t let her die.

Imagine carrying that. The guilt you’d feel. On top of the survivor’s guilt she was already only barely suppressing.

She wasn’t annoyed because he lied. She was absolutely devastated.

The way she sees it, he stole her purpose and made this entire broken world her fault. While making sure there was nothing she could do about it.

[kylandara]

Long live Queen Sansa

————-

When I hear people complain about Sansa, I ask them to list their grievances with her, and justify their complaints. Most of the time, they can’t. I’ll list a few I’ve heard.

It’s because in the first season she was spoiled and naive, a dull foil for Arya, romanticizing Joffrey, lying about Arya and Joff’s fight, and writing the letter of fealty to Robb.

Well, to that I say, she was a sheltered young girl. She was raised to be proper and polite by ned and Cat, but not taught to be worldly. It’s hardly her fault she is naive, and young people do stupid things when they have a crush, including blinding themselves to character flaws. As for lying about the fight? She was half drunk and terrified, And the letter? She was forced to write it under duress, and did so to save her father.

Another reason people complain about Sansa was because she was a weak, helpless, crying victim in seasons 2 and 3. She was still rude and entitled to Shae, and she was rude and dismissive to Tyrion on their wedding night.

Pretty pathetic in my opinion, resenting a girl, a lonely, terrified victim, constantly threatened and beaten and degraded. Not everyone can be Arya, or Daenerys. Sansa handled her situation with grace, even consoling the noble ladies during the Battle of the Blackwater. How is that not heroic? She also gets some shrewd jabs in at Joffrey, and attempts to manipulate him.

As for being rude to Shae? Cut the girl some slack, she’s in a perpetual Hell, and suddenly, a servant is providing piss-poor servitude. Sansa lashes out because a servant is the only person she has any degree of control and degree of power over. Oh, and she instantly makes amends. Christ, it’s not like she had her beaten. As for Tyrion and their wedding night She was forced the marry the ugly, scared dwarf, and a member of the vile family working against her family. She didn't want to marry him, she was forced to, and she made herself ready to consummate. Thankfully, Tyrion didn’t insist on it (as that’d be rape, by modern standards), but she still submitted. Should she have pretended to be happy about it? Who among you (complainers) would have handled the situation as well in her stead?

I’ve seen people complain in season 4 she backs Littlefinger.

This one makes no sense to me, because the same people that complain she’s weak, and foolish and used as a pawn somehow get upset she chose to play the game, and back the devil she knew rather than isolate herself again at the mercy of strangers. This was a huge step forward for her character. yes, she backed a bad person, but so what? It was within her best interests to DO so! Yeh, we all wanted justice done to Littlefinger, but, that DID happen later, now, didn’t it?

I’ve seen people complain she dismisses Brienne and because she reverts back to a victim when Ramsay’s wife.

As far as dismissing Brienne, rewatch the scene…it makes perfect sense for Sansa to chose to remain with Littlefinger and a dozen armored knights that are loyal to her safety, rather than risk going off with a stranger in Brienne, who had Pod, a Lannister man, as a squire. Additionally, Littlefinger cast doubt as to Brienne’s loyalties, or at lest her effectiveness. Sansa dismissing her was smart, and I also note that NO ONE criticizes Arya for being as dismissive as Sansa was. To her credit, Sansa SAW Brienne at Joffrey’s wedding!

The second complaint is partially warranted in my opinion. I was, originally, excited to see Sansa work from within, set herself up appearing to be a pawn and victim, and, secretly undermining the Boltons and sewing seeds of contempt and resentment between Roose and Ramsay. And, to a slight extent, she did. She did plant the seeds of doubt in Ramsay’s mind, and they may have contributed to his eventual betrayal of his father, and his subsequent murder. In a way, that means Sansa did, in a way, help avenge her brother Robb. As for Sansa crying and being helpless as she was raped, well, you’re blaming a rape victim. Plain and simple. What was she supposed to do?? Pretend to enjoy it? Ramsay not only disgusted her, he hurt her. Additionally, she and Littlefinger’s plan hedged on Stannis’ victory. When it became clear he might lose, her anxiety was justified, as the method of her liberation was now threatened. Despite this, she bravely chooses to die with dignity when threatened by Myranda, and, she bravely chose to escape with Theon.

People complain that after Sansa is brought to Castle Black, she undermines and lies to Jon.

Okay, for starters, Sansa was very kind to Jon, even apologizing for her nativity and snobbish demeanor. That’s character growth that often goes unnoticed by her critics. As for being critical of Jon’s stubborn insistence to fight the Boltons, despite being at a massive disadvantage, she was right to do so! Jon was being a damned idiot. Sansa called him out for being reckless, and her warnings to him went entirely ignored. And Sansa didn’t lie to Jon, she just withheld information, but, given HE was not giving HER her proper due/respect, paying no mind to her suggestions and not soliciting her advice, so, why should she offer him the card up her sleeve? Especially if she felt Jon would foolishly squander it? She was absolutely right to keep the information to herself, and only employ the Vale Knights when it was ideal. SHE WON THE BATTLE. Not Jon. Likewise, after HE gets named King, and accepts, usurping her rightful position as Lady of Winterfell, she shows her devotion supporting her brother, but she just voices her opinion when he makes critically erroneous decisions. Arya, fan favorite Mary Sue, seemingly resents Sansa for this, even viewing her as her season 1 personality (which is dumb given how far removed she is now from the girl she was) and even goes so far as to threaten her. Thankfully, Sansa realizes she was being manipulated by Littlefinger, and she outfoxes him, puts him on trial, and chooses her family over her useful ally. Somehow, however, some people still view Sansa as being stupid or annoying here.

Lastly, people have complained Sansa was ungrateful, unfairly rude and antagonistic to Daenerys.

Well, Sansa was again right to do so. Daenerys revealed herself to be an ambitious, power hungry tyrant in the making. Sansa recognized this. She recognized where she was manipulating Jon. And, she feared for the sovereignty and safety of her people/country. She was not unduly opposing Daenerys. Her pressing for Northern independence was right. Daenerys comes across far more petty and vicious in their little rifts anyway. Sansa may be snide, but Daenerys outright threatens her host, publicly and privately.

And, many people can’t even cite why they hate Sansa with examples. They simply articulate their opinion saying she’s selfish, rude, unlikable, weak or annoying. Even after I explain how she’s actually, by series end, benevolent and selfless, polite courteous, strong and inspiring, they concur my logic and examples are accurate, but, they remain steadfast in their dislike. When I encounter that I assume one of two things. One, people cannot move past their very first opinion of her. That she was all of those traits, initially, they cannot move past seeing her that way, and despite her years of growth and long, dynamic character arc, they choose to still see her negatively, and therefore magnify her flaws (real or imagined), and mitigate her strength and successes. The second is, some people (especially a contingency of women) resent her for being a character who overcomes her adversity and rises in power in a more traditionally feminine way. The same people that loved Daenerys for burning men alive and being “a bad bitch, the Queen Bee, empowering”, or cheering on Arya becoming a sociopathic killer because “she’s a bad ass, you go girl!”, or even rooting for Cersei cannot stand that Sansa suffered through the indignity and degradation that came with being a woman (and all subsequent gender role expectations) in a violent, medieval, patriarchal world. They hate her because she cried, or was raped, or was initially naive, or wanted to be a Lady, that she as dependent on men, and that she would submit to her brother, a man. Resenting her for these reasons speaks volumes about those that criticize her, as they choose to ignore or dismiss her ascent in power and skill because she was not, essentially, always dominant in doing so. Her more nuanced, and, realistic character arc/growth wasn’t as sexy, fun, and gratifying as say Arya’s or Daenerys’.

So, no, Sansa doesn’t annoy me. I find hers to be possibly the story best character arc, and I think she’s a woman of strength, wisdom and grace, who has come the farthest from where she began, suffered some of the worst hardships, persevered, and grown into a better person, and a fantastic and successful monarch.