Tyrion Lannister and Brandon Stark: Living with Disability or Disfigurement by Zoe Hearon

Game of Thrones

20hearonz — 2017-12-11 03:53:15 UTC

A Clash of Kings

20hearonz — 2017-12-11 03:53:19 UTC

Tyrion Lannister

20hearonz — 2017-12-11 03:54:46 UTC

Pictured: Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister. (Source: HBO)

Brandon Stark

20hearonz — 2017-12-11 03:54:53 UTC

Pictured: Isaac Wright as Bran Stark. (Source: HBO)

A Song of Ice and Fire

20hearonz — 2017-12-12 14:10:56 UTC

Likely the most recognizable series by George R.R. Martin, A Song of Ice and Fire follows the story of the aftermath of a great war between The Mad King Aerys Targaryen and his subjects, most notably including the Starks, The Baratheons and the Lannisters. The first book follows the story of eight characters: Eddard Stark, Catelyn Stark, Sansa Stark, Arya Stark, Brandon Stark, Jon Snow, Tyrion Lannister and Daenerys Targaryen. This allows the reader to experience several sides of the same story with the unique personalities the characters provide. Each character experiences a different side of the conflicts, and while Bran and Tyrion deal with very different sides of the conflict, they're connected by the simple fact of their disabilities.

Theme

20hearonz — 2017-12-12 14:11:06 UTC

Though it's not as explicit as other themes are, I believe the theme this series tries to portray is that you can't trust anyone until you know their agenda, because nothing is free. And that truly does show up on a number of occasions in Bran and Tyrion's stories.

Tyrion Lannister

20hearonz — 2017-12-12 14:11:43 UTC

Tyrion is described as having an enlarged head, short legs and short arms that all make it hard for him to move around, and to fit in. Tyrion's struggles begin at birth, with his genetic disease that caused him to have unusually short arms and legs, as well as an enlarged head that earned him the hate of his own family. His life was limited from the moment he was born, because although he was a highborn and able to still have many more opportunities than someone of the lower, his options were still limited by prejudice.

Brandon's Responsibilities

20hearonz — 2017-12-12 14:12:15 UTC

Achondroplasia

20hearonz — 2017-12-12 14:12:50 UTC

Also called achondroplasia dwarfism, Achondroplasia is a birth defect and is characterized as unusually short arms and legs, an average-sized torso and an enlarged head. This condition is caused by the body being unable to convert growing cartilage into strong bones that give the legs and arms their length, due to the FGFR3 gene being mutated. This condition is one of the the most common types of dwarfism, occurring in 1 in 15,000 to 40,000 newborns (ghr "Achondroplasia"). While Achondroplasia is not fatal, it does cause numerous health issues, such as apnea, recurring ear infections and obesity. It's common for children to develop permanent spine deformities, such as lordosis or kyphosis, as well as bowed legs.

Brandon's Paralysis

20hearonz — 2017-12-12 14:13:03 UTC

Paralysis

20hearonz — 2017-12-12 14:13:13 UTC

Works Cited-Achondroplasia

20hearonz — 2018-01-03 15:42:05 UTC

Reference, Genetics. "Achondroplasia." Genetics Home Reference. N.p., 2018. Web. 3 Jan. 2018 . .
"Lordosis: Causes, Treatments, And Risks." Healthline. N.p., 2018. Web. 3 Jan. 2018 . .
"Kyphosis - Symptoms And Causes - Mayo Clinic." Mayoclinic.org. N.p., 2018. Web. 3 Jan. 2018 . .
Herrwee1. "The Most Famous Little People In The World." Ranker.com. N.p., 2018. Web. 3 Jan. 2018 . .

Works Cited- Photos/Videos

20hearonz — 2018-01-03 15:43:25 UTC

Works Cited- A Song of Ice and Fire

20hearonz — 2018-01-03 15:43:35 UTC

Works Cited-Paralysis

20hearonz — 2018-01-03 15:43:48 UTC

Achondroplasia Today

20hearonz — 2018-01-03 15:58:17 UTC

Many celebrities have types of dwarfism, a more famous case being Peter Dinklage, the actor who plays Tyrion in the show Game of Thrones based off of A Song of Ice and Fire. Tony Cox, Warwick Davis and Zelda Rubenstein are also actors who have some form of dwarfism (Ranker, "The Most Famous Little People in the World). Additionally, there is a show based on the lives of two people who have types of dwarfism that are similar to Achondroplasia, named Little People, Big World.
Genetic disfigurement like dwarfism used to greatly limit the opportunities of people born with them, but modern times have improved the lives of many and allowed them many more chances to live long and fulfilling lives.