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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:
TheDandyLion · 05/10/2025 09:21

The Bride in Kill Bill

Ponoka7 · 05/10/2025 09:19

Watch very old episodes of Coronation street, you'll see it in abundance. Don't go to lofty literature, you'll see it in Catherine Cookson books. I can think of many. The TV series, the Vikings had impressive female characters (some who existed). Think hardship/survival. Lily Ebert stories about how her Mother and Sister (who died within days of Auschwitz liberation) are inspiring and tragic.

PuppyMonkey · 05/10/2025 09:13

Go back to the original soap opera genre and there are lots of strong female characters who fit this role/roles. Rita, Bet Lynch, Elsie Tanner from Corrie and even more up to date characters like Peggy Mitchell and Kat in EE or Eileen in Corrie. How about Helen Daniel’s in Neighbours as well? Miss Ellie from Dallas?

guinnessguzzler · 05/10/2025 09:11

Elsa and Anna in Frozen, I'd say they each take on one or both of these roles over most of the course of the two films. Same for most lead female characters in Disney films since Jennifer Lee got involved.

Arguably all of the Little Women in their own ways (yes, even the much-hated Amy) and their Mum.

I suppose it depends on your criteria. Do they need to be seen as wise / protective throughout the piece or are moments in each of those roles enough? Eg Dorothy attains wisdom by the end of the Wizard of Oz but certainly behaves protectively towards the other characters throughout, starting with Toto.

It's an interesting question to ponder, thanks for sharing.

AmusedCat · 05/10/2025 09:10

I loved the main character in The Mare of Eastown played by Kate Winslet

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.

InveterateWineDrinker · 05/10/2025 09:04

Captain Kathryn Janeway in Star Trek: Voyager is both.

Seven of Nine's journey in the same shows her becoming both and she is very much the finished article by Star Trek: Picard.

HeyThereDelila · 05/10/2025 09:00

Marmee in Little Women.

Namechange1281 · 05/10/2025 08:57

Catherine Cawood in Happy Valley

readingmakesmehappy · 05/10/2025 08:51

Andi Osho’s character in Blue Lights

lemonraspberry · 05/10/2025 08:44

Film protective- Louise in Thelma & Louise

XelaM · 05/10/2025 07:52

Mammy in Gone with the Wind for both wise and protective.

Also Scarlett's mother Mrs O'Hara and Melanie Wilkes in Gone with the Wind.

autienotnaughty · 05/10/2025 07:38

Katy in what Katy did?

WelshBookWitch · 05/10/2025 07:34

The book the Frozen River by Ariel Lawton was based on a pioneering midwife Martha Ballard in the 1700s in what is now Canada. She never lost a woman in childbirth and acted as a healer/wise woman to the community.

lemonraspberry · 05/10/2025 07:24

Real life - Wise: Gillian Anderson, Helen Mirren.
Film - Protective: Rhonda in muriels wedding
Film - Wise : Vionne in Chocolate
Film - Wise: Dianne Trainspotting

StrictlyAFemaleFemale · 05/10/2025 07:12

Whatever Sarah Lancashires character in happy Valley.

Hermione Granger is very astute - not necessarily wise though.

Miss Cackle is protective of Mildred Hubble.

Meadowfinch · 05/10/2025 07:10

Wise - Miss Marple, Mo Mowlam,
Wise & Protective - Eleanor Dashwood, the late Queen

AprilinPortugal · 05/10/2025 07:07

Mrs Gardiner in Pride and Prejudice. She was a steadying influence on the Bennet girls in contrast to Mrs Bennet! Gave wise advice to Lizzie, and protection to Lydia during the Mr Wickham debacle!

Yamamm · 05/10/2025 05:43

The Colour Purple has wonderful examples of both.

NoBinturongsHereMate · 05/10/2025 04:20

Heaps of female detectives, especially in Scandi Noir.

NoBinturongsHereMate · 05/10/2025 04:17

A lot of the women in Downton Abbey.

Sylvia Pankhurst.

Samantha in Sex and the City is wiser than she initially appears. And fiercely protective of both her friends and (more unusually) herself. Similarly, Margo in the Good Life - frivolous on the surface, but a staunch friend and ally underneath.

daisychain01 · 05/10/2025 04:17

Violet Crawley, Dowager Duchess of Grantham (Maggie Smith) was very wise,

NoBinturongsHereMate · 05/10/2025 04:07

Flibbertyfloo · 05/10/2025 00:44

Granny Weatherwax from the Terry Pratchett books.

Pratchett is full of them. All the witches, in their various ways. Angua. Susan. Cheery/Cheri. Lady Sybil. The dwarf king. Esmerelda. Adora Belle Dearheart/Spike.

At least 1 per Jane Austen Book.

In the What Katy did books the girls don't necesarily start as wise, being children, but the sisters are all protective of each other from the start. Clover is pretty sensible as well as protective right through the series.

Three of the four March sisters in Little women. And their mother.

Smilla, in Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow.

Ellie Arroway in Carl Sagan' Contact (book, the film adaptation misses most of her character and half the plot).

Laura Dern's character in the original Jurassic Park.

Ripley in the Alien films.

Tehanu in the later Earthsea books.

Reggie Love in Grisham's The Client.

Dianne Fossey and Jane Goodall.

For fans of feminist employment tribunals, Naomi Cunningham.

YankSplaining · 05/10/2025 03:55

Mags in the Hunger Games books.

FourIsNewSix · 05/10/2025 03:39

Urban fantasy characters are often one or both.