Quote Originally Posted by hamlet View Post
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Well, the "scorched earth" issues are actually a recurring theme in the novels, just not an overt and anvil type one. It's seen mostly in the contrast, I suppose, between Dany's method and the Lannister method (or, at least, the early Lannister method in the Riverlands). It does present a great many thorny issues, but it's really not until the 4th book that we've truly been brought down far enough (on a narrative sense that is) to actually get a proper perspective on the peasants' point of view. For the most part, until we get Brienne walking through the Riverlands and experiencing first hand what happens to the peasants, we're focused almost entirely at a macro level with the nobility who, despite a bit of hardship in certain places, are in a position to survive it with aplumb.

And there's hope in the books. Just not "somebody pure and magical will come along and make everything all better" kind of hope. Life continues, families push on, people make do with changing situations. Plus, the greatest hope spot is really too far in the future to get a good bead on: the arrival of Dany in Westeros, presumably to take her throne and re-establish a strong order.

I think people tend to over-represent the darker aspects of the novels.
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You can't blame them, really, since those same darker aspects are what's constantly highlighted and emphasized as positive traits of the series compared to lighter, softer, and (implied) inferior settings. AGoT rose to fame on the point that it's horrible to everyone involved.