Ficticious Female Characters Made of Awesome

[amari_z]

I grew up reading a lot of adventure stories, fairy tales and myths, and I was one of those girls who generally identified far more with the male characters than female--because, really, it was the male characters who got to do the fun things. March is Women's History Month, and so here is my random list of fictional females that I grew up loving. Not history you say? Ah, but it's my history, and I am female, ergo . . . .

Okay, some disclaimers/explanations: It's not meant to be any kind of feminist empowerment theory list, but is strictly based on my own personal quirks and exposures. And it's by no means complete, since, well, I'm just forgetful that way. I'm also not including any contemporary works (which is probably far, far richer territory), but stuff that I saw/read in my more formative years--for the most part. In no partiular order:


Éowyn from The Lord of the Rings. I loved her from the moment I saw her in some cartoon version of RotK, which was so long ago that I remember afterwards checking out The Hobbit from the library and begging my big sis to read it to me since it was rather beyond my reading level (she refused—she wasn't a dork like me). I think I might have been seven or eight? When she takes off her helmet and says the line. Perfect.

Nancy Drew. I'm actually surprised at myself with this one, but on refection, yes, she does belong here. I wasn't a huge fan (I've never really been a huge fan of the mystery genre), and didn't read too many of these, but she was smart and daring and active.

Ramona Quimby in Beverly Cleary's books. She was a brat. I think I also particularly liked her because my own older sister liked her long-suffering, older sister.

Harriet M. Welsch of Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh. I don't need to explain this one, right?

Sophie Hatter of Diana Wynne Jones' Howl's Moving Castle. I did like the movie, but I loved the book as a kid and still do. Sophie is made of win.

Clytemnestra. I nearly put down Medea, but that might be a bit over the top—even for me. Clytemnestra kills her Troy-returning, mistress-totting husband Agamemnon. In the bath. With an ax. She's been waiting to do this for ten years, since he killed their daughter. It probably is a little TMI information about me, but I really like her.

Harry Crewe in the Robin McKinley's The Blue Sword. In a lot of ways, Harry fits the idea of a magical girl heroine. She's whisked away to a strange land (literally) by exotics and finds out she has some powers and she saves the day. But I remember loving her because she's uncomfortable with the trappings of what is expected of a female, things actually don't come that easily to her, and she felt real.

Pschye. Okay, so she's in it chasing after a boy, but still. I'm subverting the myth, no doubt, but I like her because she does question, and is prepared to act, and when she turns out to be "wrong" she doesn't give up on what she wants.

Wonder Woman. I debated a bit about her. Although I know little about comic books, I tend to perceive her as originating in male fantasy. And, of course, there's the costume and the fetishism. But still, as a kid, I liked her. She is strong, she (sometimes) flies and she kicks butt.

Ellen Ripley from the Alien movies. The epitome of a kickass woman.

From a bit later on, because I couldn't come up with any childhood TV shows:

Dana Scully of The X-Files. I don't need to explain this one either, right?

Ms. Parker from The Pretender. In hindsight, the show was rather cheesy, but, at the time, I was interested both by the ongoing mystery plot (something that wasn't so common on TV back then) and by Ms. Parker, who was violent, ruthless, and scary. Despite her Daddy issues, she was always the toughest person in the room, and, well, I like that.

Runners up:

Princess Leia. Although I do know a lot of girls identified her, I never did, so she doesn't make the list. As a kid I'd have rather have been Luke. Or Chewbacca.

Eilonwy from Lloyd Alexander's Prydain Chronicles. I loved these books as a kid, and while Eilonwy can indeed be considered made of awesome, I, predictably, identified with Taran, the boy protagonist. Like him, I tended to view her as rather bewildering and annoying.


Mmm. Sadly, that was a lot harder than I thought, and I'm rather hoping I'm just being really forgetful.

So who are yours?

A little more on point, coming soon (maybe): Historical Women Made of Awesome.

Comments

[park-ave-pirate.livejournal.com]

Awesome list!
You had two really good choices:
Nancy Drew – I like to pretend that I am Nancy Drew when I am solving work problems
Wonder Woman – It is all about her magic cuffs that deflect random crap, like snarky co-workers comments.
Rainbow Brite – no explanation necessary
Betty Crocker – Mmm…baked goods.

[amari-z.livejournal.com]

I remember Rainbow Brite, but maybe I was a bit too old for it--I don't recall being interested.

But isn't Betty Crocker real? ; )

[fisher-queen.livejournal.com]

I was a bit older when I discovered the books, (in High School)but Tamara Pierce's Tortall novels, particularly Kel from Protector Of The Small.

Lets see...going further back...and this indicates how messed up I WAS...but Molly Grue from the Last Unicorn cartoon.

[amari-z.livejournal.com]

I remember those!--the Alanna ones, anyway. I think I did read--at least the first one--as kid. I never saw the Last Unicorn cartoon. :(

[ivy03.livejournal.com]

I was a Fflewder Flam girl, myself.

[amari-z.livejournal.com]

Fflewddur was indeed made of awesome. And Doli. And Gurgi. And Hen Wen.

[ivy03.livejournal.com]

I cried when he burned his harp. I wrote Lloyd Alexander a fan letter when I was in high school (and he wrote back!).

[amari-z.livejournal.com]

Hee! That's awesome that he replied. I read those books for the first time when I was in fourth grade, and they are a big part of my childhood landscape. I made a bet with my sister at one point that if I read The High King 10 times she'd buy me a book. I won.

[suejc3dogs.livejournal.com]

Ahh, but why do so many of us feel forced to explain away our need to propound the strength and intelligence, the right to live up to a physical, psychic, existential or intellectual challenge, of Woman?

In many ways we remain the plaything, if not the outright victim of Man, in conversation, imagination and in fact. There has been a most horrendous backlash against all the freedoms struggled for (and in many ways lost) in the 1960's, so DAMN the backlashers.

And outside of the First World, the life of Woman is a life of poverty and degradation, and a very short life indeed.

List away, my dear.

That said, I have rarely identified with Woman. My heroes are nearly always men, in fiction and in fact, and I have few; but here goes:
Pipi Longstocking
Nancy Drew (as opposed to the distressingly pink Trixie Belden)
Hermione (is that the name of the Harry Potter friend?)
Nevada Barr's heroine in her vast National Park Ranger mystery series
Dorothy of Kansas
The wicked witch of the west (I was she in the play)
Julia Child of the sliding turkey
Erma Bombeck
Galadriel
Eowyn
Sam's intended, Rose, who waited faithfully for him
Athena
Alice Walker
Maya Angelou
Billie Holiday

And if I were any better at remembering names, there might be more.

[amari-z.livejournal.com]

It wasn't so much a need to explain away as to explain the impetus and the criteria. : ) This little exercise did bring home just how much richer today's media is with strong female characters than we found even 10-15 years ago.

Excellent list!

[suejc3dogs.livejournal.com]

I knew you weren't explaining it away, but many do. Yes, I love today's media in that respect, and enjoyed your post.

Thanks!

[darklyscarlett.livejournal.com]

Hmm. Have to go with Jo from Little Women. Yeah, I know, typical, but I had a crush on Joe Hardy at the time and it seemed sooo cool that she had the same boy's name, wanted to be a writer AND rejected a marriage proposal.

I also wanted to be Penny, the niece, from Inspector Gadget badly.

Does Jadzia Dax count (though I guess I should want to be Deanna Troi, since my mother is just like Lwaxana, but she bored me!)? Dax was just the bomb! And there's Selene from Underworld just because I've got a vampire thing.

[amari-z.livejournal.com]

In hindsight, Jo is indeed made of awesome, but she didn't appeal to me too much as a kid. The book was a little too girly for me at the time. (I read it a bit too young, and yes, well). I also feel the same way about Elizabeth Bennet--at the time I read it, I was so not impressed (I remember complaining that the most action that happens in the whole book is she walks and gets mud on her dress!).

I remember Penny! She was awesome, but, to my mind, the dog (forgotten his name) was even cooler. ; )

Jadzia (and Kira) are also definitely made of awesome, and I thought about them, but I didn't include them since, I thought they were a bit too late for this exercise? I don't remember the dates of the show off hand, but I have vague recollections of watching it in my first NYC apartment.

[darklyscarlett.livejournal.com]

Hee -- the dog was called Brain, I think.

Loved Lizzie Bennett, but only as a teenager. Went right over my head when I was younger, but I was into the picaresque back then (read stuff like Kidnapped, Nicholas Nickleby, and all the Hardy Boys books, since they were my dad's hand-me-downs).

Hmm, yeah, I think Next Gen aired around 1992. Boggles the mind.

[shelley-stone.livejournal.com]

My all time favourite was Nancy Drew. That girl could solve mysteries and stop the bad guys in their tracks.

The Bionic Woman. She was smart, fast and always got the upper hand on the bad guys.

Wonder Woman. I thought her abilities were cool and she hadn't been created by science.

Dana Scully. She put up with Mulder for 9 years and survived things that would have destroyed just about everyone else.

Honey West. She was a private detective with an ocelot for a pet, a smart remark to cover any situation, and she always got her man.

Gagney and Lacey. It proved that 2 women could work together, be friends, be there for one another and solve crimes just like the guys (even better).

Emma Peel. A woman with a gilded tongue, a chic wardrobe and a man who would do anything for her.

Trixie Belden. Very reminiscent of Nancy Drew but fun to read.

Lt. Uhura of the original Star Trek series. She was beautiful and, this was the kicker for me, working and living in outer space and being treated as an equal with the men she served with.

The last 2 are historical not fictional women but worth mentioning: Anne Boleyn and her daughter Elizabeth I. Strong women with strong views. Brilliant for their time and they never surrendered, no matter the cost.

Shelley

[amari-z.livejournal.com]

I didn't watch/read all of these, but good list! : )

[cloudednine.livejournal.com]

... You have good taste. Clytemnestra, Sophie Hatter and especially Eowyn would all be on my list.

I was lucky, actually, in that I grew up as a fan of Tamora Pierce's young adult fantasy novels, which all have really strong female heroes. As a kid, I dreamt of being Alanna the Lioness. Still do, actually. :P

[amari-z.livejournal.com]

I read the Alanna books as a kid, but the others were published too late for me.