On Strong Female Characters, Part 2
by
R.F. Gammon
- July 27, 2018
Greetings, followers! Time for another "Strong female characters" post, a continuation of the last one, which you can find HERE.
In the first post of this series, I talked about different ways the "strong female" archetype fails and some ways to fix it. However, I don't think for a second that being physically imposing is the only way for a woman to be strong. This post will cover some different ideas as to how to craft strong, lovable female characters who AREN'T out to kick people's tails.
In the first post of this series, I talked about different ways the "strong female" archetype fails and some ways to fix it. However, I don't think for a second that being physically imposing is the only way for a woman to be strong. This post will cover some different ideas as to how to craft strong, lovable female characters who AREN'T out to kick people's tails.
This is probably a more controversial post than the last--I've seen countless people grow LIVID at the very idea of celebrating women who are feminine, do feminine things, act emotional, or aren't fighters. This infuriates people, for reasons I don't entirely understand. I mean, it's not like we bookworms are out slaying dragons and kicking up guys, are we? (At least I hope we aren't)
I'm not advocating sticking all your girls in skirts and making them sit around doing nothing and just providing nice ornaments to the guys--because let's face it, that's no fun. But how about less physical kinds of strength? What if more female characters carried EMOTIONAL strength, or a quiet presence that makes them able to stand up in severe pain?
Picking on my own story again: The protagonist (and titular character) of The King's Daughter is seventeen-year-old Esma Pentegreen. She's loosely inspired by me, although she's become her own person over the years that she's existed.
Esma is a very emotional person in the midst of a world where putting on a mask and concealing the way you really feel about EVERYTHING is valued. She's good with a throwing knife--oftentimes actually hitting the target dead center--but she will not murder. The idea makes her sick. Even in battle, even if her life is at stake...it would have to be something incredibly important for her to use that skill against someone.
I fully expect that if and when I publish the Pentegreen Series, there will be readers who will lash back against Esma. People who say that she is weak and overemotional and doesn't have a backbone. But you know what? She doesn't exist to make a point. She exists because she is the character my story needs, and because characters of all sorts deserve places in fiction.
There's a number of such characters I can think of, and the rest of this post will be listing some wonderful strong women who defy the stereotypes to become fascinating and memorable characters in their own rights.
>A five-foot abuse survivor who's the best hacker in the galaxy, sings opera in the shower, and loves fashion and fancy dresses (Cress by Marissa Meyer)
>A lady who follows her duty to her father and people in a sexist culture, but who dares to follow her heart when it comes to love, defeats a besieging army, and does the unthinkable--learning to read. (Dragonwitch by Anne Elisabeth Stengl)
>A terrified healer who must learn the hard way that she can find true courage through Christ, and faces down a terrifying villain multiple times. (Defy by Tricia Mingerink)
>A princess who spurns the true love shown to her by her Prince for lesser men time and again, and who must learn to trust him and allow him to save her when she is broken beyond repair (Heartless by Anne Elisabeth Stengl)
>A crippled twelve-year-old girl in a dystopian society who starts a revolution by sewing images of the future and teaching girls to read. (Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry)
>A woman who lost her husband, her home, and her mother but continues to raise her children to be the people she truly believes they can be (and wields a sword only to protect them). (The Wingfeather Saga by Andrew Peterson)
>A girl who must realize her true weakness is that she's been trying to be strong and fight on her own for too long, and that the thing she truly needs is a family who loves her. (Also from The Wingfeather Saga)
>A queen, senator, warrior, and excited expectant mother with a full-time job. (Star Wars prequels)
This was a shorter post than I was expecting, but I'll conclude it with the following words: Fiction is populated with dozens of beloved male characters with personality, unique quirks, and different goals. From Sherlock Holmes to Captain America to Bruce Wayne to Han Solo, they're interesting and fascinating characters who capture our imagination over and over again.
Why should women be any different?
Who's your favorite unique female character in fiction? What do you think of my examples? Is this post ridiculously short? xD Talk to me in the comments!!!
I fully expect that if and when I publish the Pentegreen Series, there will be readers who will lash back against Esma. People who say that she is weak and overemotional and doesn't have a backbone. But you know what? She doesn't exist to make a point. She exists because she is the character my story needs, and because characters of all sorts deserve places in fiction.
There's a number of such characters I can think of, and the rest of this post will be listing some wonderful strong women who defy the stereotypes to become fascinating and memorable characters in their own rights.
>A five-foot abuse survivor who's the best hacker in the galaxy, sings opera in the shower, and loves fashion and fancy dresses (Cress by Marissa Meyer)
>A lady who follows her duty to her father and people in a sexist culture, but who dares to follow her heart when it comes to love, defeats a besieging army, and does the unthinkable--learning to read. (Dragonwitch by Anne Elisabeth Stengl)
>A terrified healer who must learn the hard way that she can find true courage through Christ, and faces down a terrifying villain multiple times. (Defy by Tricia Mingerink)
>A princess who spurns the true love shown to her by her Prince for lesser men time and again, and who must learn to trust him and allow him to save her when she is broken beyond repair (Heartless by Anne Elisabeth Stengl)
>A crippled twelve-year-old girl in a dystopian society who starts a revolution by sewing images of the future and teaching girls to read. (Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry)
>A woman who lost her husband, her home, and her mother but continues to raise her children to be the people she truly believes they can be (and wields a sword only to protect them). (The Wingfeather Saga by Andrew Peterson)
>A girl who must realize her true weakness is that she's been trying to be strong and fight on her own for too long, and that the thing she truly needs is a family who loves her. (Also from The Wingfeather Saga)
>A queen, senator, warrior, and excited expectant mother with a full-time job. (Star Wars prequels)
This was a shorter post than I was expecting, but I'll conclude it with the following words: Fiction is populated with dozens of beloved male characters with personality, unique quirks, and different goals. From Sherlock Holmes to Captain America to Bruce Wayne to Han Solo, they're interesting and fascinating characters who capture our imagination over and over again.
Why should women be any different?
Who's your favorite unique female character in fiction? What do you think of my examples? Is this post ridiculously short? xD Talk to me in the comments!!!
