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Original poster

Wise or protective women role models in literature, films and television.

85 replies

RainbowsAndPuddings · 05/10/2025 00:28

A friend of mine is having therapy. One of the tasks she's been set is to come up with names of one wise figure and one protective figure. These can be real life people, or from literature, television or films.

She and I have been discussing this and have found that it's really hard to think of women who fit this category, especially in books, television and film. And she can't think of any man who she could identify with who would fit these roles.

Are we being unreasonable to think there aren't many women portrayed in this manner? We thought we'd ask Mumsnet for suggestions.

OP posts:
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Tezza1 · 11/10/2025 20:17

Crazybooklady · 05/10/2025 00:55

Merritt Wever & Toni Collette in Unbelievable

That is a very compelling series. Both actors put in incredible persormances, as does Kaitlyn Dever who deserves more recognition for such good performances from someone so young. The first thing I saw her in was Justified and I was gobsmacked.

Sorry, nothing to do with the original query.

Ellmau · 11/10/2025 19:56

Protectors: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Eve in The Librarians (fantasy TV show from the 2010s)

Athena/Minerva was the ancient goddess of wisdom

BitOutOfPractice · 11/10/2025 19:48

In literature: mame in little women.

in real life, me!!

Valeriekat · 11/10/2025 19:46

Mrs March in Little Women?

Fimofriend · 11/10/2025 15:14

Wise: Gro Harlem Brundtland, Lene Hau, Margaret Attwood, Jane Goodall.

Protective: Irena Sendler, Florence Nightingale, and Elizabeth Blackwell

Mylittlebobble · 11/10/2025 15:07

Thought of another one: the mother in The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter.

Imanautumn · 11/10/2025 15:04

Mrs Weasley
Miss Honey

Allthesnowallthetime · 11/10/2025 14:29

Mma Ramotswe

BakingHotInSunnyClimate · 10/10/2025 00:13

Nanny McPhee…

WalkingTheMiddlePath · 09/10/2025 23:59

Wise- lady Violet, the Dowager from Downton Abbey
protective - Miss Baxter, ditto

WalkingTheMiddlePath · 09/10/2025 23:57

Wise - the librarian in Matilda
Protective- Miss Honey ditto

Mylittlebobble · 09/10/2025 21:26

Just thought of another one from my youth... going for a wise figure: Angela Lansbury/Jessica Fletcher Or Mary Poppins. I'd have her hitting people with an umbrella for me. Or putting them in her magic bag.

Although this is for a serious reason, it's actually really fun.

HonoriaBulstrode · 09/10/2025 20:50

Almost any headmistress in schoolgirl fiction:

Miss Annersley
Miss Grayling
Miss Yorke
and many others

I was going to mention the dons in Gaudy Night too but someone beat me to it.

Echobelly · 09/10/2025 20:49

Wise and protective definitely describes one of my favourite literary characters, Marian Halcombe in 'The Woman in White', ditto my favourite film character, Marge Gunderson in 'Fargo'

Betsey Trotwood in 'David Copperfield' is definitely protective, even if she isn't always wise

Thewalrusandthecarpenter · 09/10/2025 20:46

Mrs Moore - A Passage to India
Cassandra Mortmain - I Capture the Castle
Sara Crewe - A Little Princess

Myoldbear · 09/10/2025 20:40

August Boatwright in The Secret Life of Bees.
A book made into a film.
August is both protective and wise.

Benvenuto · 09/10/2025 20:36

napody · 05/10/2025 09:07

Good to see a decent number of suggestions. But it's been a storytelling tradition for centuries to dispose of the protective mother figure as early in the story as possible. Creates immediate tension that carries the rest of the story- essentially losing the mother is 'where the trouble begins'. Protective wise women are much rarer in fiction than in real life.

I think grandmothers fare better than mothers though. They can have a role of revealing hidden family secrets and other knowledge. Tolly’s great-grandmother in the Green Knowe books is an example.

JamDisaster · 09/10/2025 20:36

Dante’s Beatrice
Galadriel from LotR

Sugarfish · 09/10/2025 20:36

For a more recent protective woman, how about Joyce Byers from stranger things?

Wavescrashingonthebeach · 09/10/2025 20:33

Ripley from Aliens.
Mila Jojovich (sorry if spelt wrong!) in Resident Evil.
Sarah Connor.
The Oracle in The Matrix
The women in Hidden Figures.
GranGran from Jojo & Grangran
Louise from Thelma&Louise

Mylittlebobble · 09/10/2025 20:31

Going to go a bit left field here: She-ra! Or the grandma in the witches by Roald Dhal. It's got to be something that resonates with her on an emotional level so maybe think about films/books from childhood. Wishing your friend all the best with her therapy.

Breadcat24 · 09/10/2025 20:29

Flora Poste in Stella Gibbons' Cold Comfort Farm

HGSurvivor1 · 09/10/2025 20:25

I can think of a few from TV - Captain Janeway from Voyager is both wise and protective. Sister Evangelina from Call the Midwife (any of the characters from that show actually!). Dolores Landingham from the West Wing. Galadriel in the Rings of Power.

In literature, those that spring to mind immediately are Jo March, Dori from Demon Copperhead, Catelyn Stark, Daenerys Targaryen (thus far in the books, at least), Molly Weasley, Tiffany Aching (all of Terry Pratchett's witches actually), Miss Honey.

PurpleFlower1983 · 09/10/2025 20:23

Dana Scully - The X-Files

Offcom · 09/10/2025 20:14

Miep Gies, the incredible real life protector of Anne Frank and her family

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