Stigma In Winterville

Broadly speaking, it seems true that “members of a social category may strongly support a standard of judgment that they and others agree” which does not directly apply to the ‘normal’ (Goffman 133). At Winterfell, being a bastard was a big issue for Jon while he could be anyone at the Wall. I suggest that Jon does not simply represent the ‘fair unknown’ stereotype. Jon’s journey is far more complex, starting as a confused escapist he recognizes that his options are limited by his illegitimacy and that his power lies in working behind the scenes – as a steward of Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch. He becomes more of a protagonist than others as the epic unfolds. Instead of being stigmatized, he helps Sam – who is more stigmatized than Jon – to deal with the humiliation. Moreover, he confronts his fate and
Therefore, regardless of their difference, these three characters help each other to survive, to overcome their disability and stigma. Starting their journey as cursed members of the society, they end up becoming (super)human beings surviving against all odds. Indeed, stigma is a social construct that is normalized by society and the stigmatization process is a powerful and pernicious social tool, which is why Coleman articulates that “[t]he inferiority/superiority issue is a most interesting way of understanding how and why people continue to stigmatize” (143). Some stigmas are more physically salient than others, and depending on their tolerance, some people are more capable of concealing their stigmas or escaping from the negative social consequences of being stigmatized. Therefore, he explicates that despite of discrepancies, stigmatized and non-stigmatized people are “tied together in a perpetual inferior/superior relationship. This relationship is key to understanding the meaning of stigma”