Mr Robot Women

The Transformation of Women in a Male Dominated World

An Analysis of “Mr. Robot” and “Game of Thrones”

It can be argued that the consequences of patriarchal ideologies on society forces women to change the way they interact in positions of power. “Mr. Robot” is a drama about hackers, written in a time when producers are notorious for taking liberties to make the mundane, time-consuming work of hacking appealing and attractive to a jaded audience. However, since its debut, “Mr. Robot” has earned much praise for its creator Sam Esmail’s devotion to accuracy and his dedication to its realistic handling of technology, but one underappreciated aspect of the show is how “Mr. Robot” treats its female characters, as well as how it analyzes the kind

of traditional masculinity often valorized in antihero dramas.

In a radically different world, “Game of Thrones” takes place in a medieval land, where kings, queens, lords, ladies, warriors, knights, servants, priests, priestesses and prostitutes all play a role in a political battle of wills, but its hard to ignore the harsh reality of life for women in Westeros. Both shows depict the struggle of women navigating their way through a male dominated world and the lose of their morals and virtues along the way. (Thomas)

In “Mr. Robot” one of the lead female protagonists is Angela Moss. She is Elliot’s best friend, working alongside him as a cyber security worker at one of the largest businesses in America. She is a tall and beautiful blonde and her physical appearance sways the audience’s first perception of her. She is not only cunning, but defiantly resilient. She endures intense sexism at her workplace. When Angela discovers a scandal at her job, she meets

with the top of the company. When she tries to figure out a deal with the boss, she is brutally degraded and even sexually harassed. True realization for Angela sets in. She knows she can never make it as a woman in this job unless she starts playing dirty. Her only option now is to become ruthless, becoming an anti-hero, beating the men at their own game. Angela eventually ends up getting offered a reputable upper-level job at the company because of her new fierce identity. Because Angela’s morals have been compromised, she commits very questionable acts to gain status and power. A woman who is completely complex and represented in a tv show is not the tv norm. Angela’s character exposes how sexism and patriarchy in the workplace ultimately force women to decide between two extremes: giving up their dignity or throwing away their morality. The show argues that a patriarch forces many women to give into the system or become inhuman and evil. This system offers no true victory for any woman. Mr. Robot is a feminist work because it represents Angela as a complicated character who is not always likeable, yet the audience is still always rooting for her. Mr. Robot also uncovers a much larger truth about the detrimental and toxic effects sexism has on women. (Cruz)
Similarly, Cersei from “Game of Thrones” struggles with sexism in a medieval fantasy world with dragons and the undead. Cersei is far from a feminist character. However, she is a compelling character to examine from a feminist perspective, because her entire life and even much of her personality is a reflection of the misogynistic ways of Westerosi society. She's an aggressively ambitious woman who has had to fight against preset limitations her whole life, and who has been made bitter and cruel as a result. She is the only Lannister child with ambition, unlike her brothers. She is the only one who wants success and power, the only one after the throne, and yet she is the one that the world is least likely to taken seriously. Cersei is used as a political pawn by her father throughout her whole life. Though she considers herself to be almost the same person as her twin brother, she has been treated differently since birth. Much like Sansa, she dreamt of marrying Rhaegar and being queen and mother to his princes, of being loved and respected, but her dreams are destroyed by the harsh reality of life for women. She is sold like cattle to a man who does not want her, who beats her, who wants nothing do with her, and all for her father's political gain. Although she is determined to make the best of her situation and play her way to the top, she is incredibly bitter and full of wounded pride, and it feeds into every aspect of her character.
Another note to make is the same shared attitude that both Angela and Cersei have towards other women.

Their experiences do not make them sympathetic to women, with the mentality that if they survived and manipulated and came out on top, then other women must as well. The more power Cersei gains, the more vulnerable she feels, and she sees enemies in every shadow. She has been playing the game of manipulation her entire life, and she knows that everyone is waiting for the chance to beat her. The truth is she has been playing the game, and become so paranoid, because she is a woman. Not because women are naturally more inclined towards manipulation and other sneaky means, or any such nonsense like that, but because these are the only paths to power she has available to her. She must use her brains, and beauty, and her manipulative schemes and puppeteering to fulfil her pursuit for power, because if she ever went for the direct approach she would be shoved aside. (William

Clapton)
This is the way a woman has to play the game to be competitive, yet this is not considered proper behavior for a “good kind of woman”. No good path is available to either Angela or Cersei, so they make the best of what they have, dwelling on their pride and vindictiveness to survive. A great example was given at the end of “A Dance with Dragons”, where Cersei is punished for her crimes. (Thomas) Accused of crimes against the gods, her punishment by humiliation had her stripped naked and made to walk through the streets to show her weakness. It is a very gender specific punishment, designed to punish her for the fact that she is a defiant woman. The punishment is less about delivering justice and more about putting her in her place and making her see that she has no power compared to other male forces. Despite her struggles and her triumphs, she is always a woman first, and that is always something people will find a reason to hate her for. It is a harsh but realistic reflection of the struggle women face in today’s society, having to play dirty to win a cheated game, coping with the horror and frustration of being seen as less than human by our male counterparts, and the paranoia that goes along with being put in your place at every turn we make towards equal rights. It may seem like a picture made for television but perhaps it is more real than some people are ready to believe.