Who are your favourite female characters from books (both classic and contemporary) and why?
I am writing an article on the top 5 we love and would love to get some feedback.
Replies4
- Personally I like Marian Halcombe from The Woman in White (1859) by Wilkie Collins. She's an early example of a supporting female character who doesn't conform to the gender norms of the time (she assumes that she is too independent for a husband), and I just thought she was written in a relatably human way.
- Elizabeth Bennet (Pride and Prejudice) has to be one of the strongest female literary characters considering her social position during the 19th century. She is painted as a smart, independent woman who is not afraid to turn down a chance at a very comfortable life because it is against her morals.Moll Flanders (Moll Flanders), despite being portrayed as a woman whose only concern in life is to marry well, she's also a person who never gives up on her dreams and leaves behind several children and failed relaationships in her quest for personal happiness.Katherina (The Taming of the Shrew), even though she is known as a 'shrew' in reality she is a woman who does not conform to the norm but ultimately gives in to the rules of society. In a modern (misogynistic)film she would be portayed as a spinster who lives with a clowder and the ending would include her getting married to the dreamy bachelor that has come to lead her to a brighter tomorrow.
- I'm currently rereading Terry Pratchett's "Carpe Jugulum" and it has reminded me that Granny Weatherwax is one the utmost incredible characters written. She's complex, determined, and not wholly good (although she remains good to spite her darker side).Almost every female character written by Pratchett has depth, but she is a standout example, for me.
- I see your point writing an article only on 'female' but do we really need gender differentiation to designate favourite characters in this century?
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