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Original poster

Fictional women we do like, and why?

112 replies

LoudRowdyDuck · 15/11/2010 20:41

May we have a thread about good fictional female characters, please? Since Elephants' thread is reminding me how many 'feisty' (=patronized) women characters there are out there!

I'll start: I like CJ in the West Wing. I think she's fantastic and I like that towards the end when she's happily planning her future career and her new partner gets pissy she hasn't discussed it with him, her response isn't 'omg, how awful of me', it's 'oh. so I didn't, oops. Moving on!'

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ElephantsAndMiasmas · 16/11/2010 10:52

:o

CJCregg · 16/11/2010 10:48
CJCregg · 16/11/2010 10:48
Grin
ElephantsAndMiasmas · 16/11/2010 10:44

Really love CJ as well (both WW and MN versions)

ElephantsAndMiasmas · 16/11/2010 10:44

And Fevvers from Nights at the Circus. She grows up in patriarchy hell (brothel, burlesque etc) but is smart, strong and carries a knife. And doesn't take any shit.

ElephantsAndMiasmas · 16/11/2010 10:42

I like all the Fossil girls in Ballet Shoes. They are all set on having careers, no question of learning to be domestic, or thought of becoming someone's wife in the future. They scatter to different countries as well in order to pursue their careers.

Pauline - takes on job she doesn't enjoy in order to provide for her sisters

Posy - totally unembarrassed about being talented and pushes herself forward at every opportunity

Special love for Petrova, who isn't stereotypically pretty or good at performing like her sisters, but determines to pursue her interest in mechanics.

GirlWithTheMouseyHair · 16/11/2010 00:00

hell yes to CJ

Sophie from Howl's Moving Castle, no matter what gets thrown at her she take sit in her stride (although does settle for becoming a cleaning lady when she's an old woman)...best moment in the film is when Howl's calling up the forces of darkness and melting in scary nightmarish techincolour, she says he's just sulking and sorts him out. She doesn't put up with bollocks from anyone.

Ishouldhavechosenagoldfish · 15/11/2010 23:51

Becky Sharp in Vanity Fair. My own personal heroine, if only for hiding her sausage under the bed, and getting away with it.

GetOrfMoiLand · 15/11/2010 23:44

The mother character Lois in Malcolm in the Middle.

Cameron Cook in Rivals.

Lyra Belacqua in His Dark Materials

SevenAgainstThebes · 15/11/2010 23:41

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

salta · 15/11/2010 23:36

What about Dicey Tillerman?

Ummmm.

Original poster
LoudRowdyDuck · 15/11/2010 23:35

MrsVincent - there's a difference between feminist rolemodelling and a schoolgirl crush? Damn! Grin

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Original poster
LoudRowdyDuck · 15/11/2010 23:33

CJCregg - Grin
That is such a good name!

I have a soft spot for the Duchess though. She may get scared, but before that she makes it quite clear to her man who's in charge. It's only the sadistic bad guys who get her - otherwise she'd be fine, I think.

I feel very useless though - I've steered clear of Precious Ramotswe as I've heard the books are bad - change my mind?

I am however keen to watch Spooks now. Smile

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MrsVincentPrice · 15/11/2010 23:17

I wouldn't say Spooks is generally good, it came and went, but in the series before the series that's just finished they promoted Ros to be operational head and she displayed enormous reserves of kickass, sarcasm and just plain cool. Not admirable exactly, she did torture that guy, and that other guy, and she shot her colleague, and there were those two times she got involved in semi-fascist plots to overthrow the Government (but we've forgotten about them).

Anyway, no I couldn't honestly describe Spooks as generally good in the normal sense, but when it rocks it does rock quite hard, and Ros was all kinds of awesome. (and Not Dead, she wasn't dead the last time they buried her and I didn't see the body so she's still Not Dead).

I may possibly be confusing feminist rolemodelling with tragic school girl crush.

If we're actually talking realistic and admirable fictional women then Ruth from Spooks is perhaps the way to go.

CJCregg · 15/11/2010 23:14

Ripley in Alien - how cool is she?

Vittoria in The White Devil - in a world of evil people, she is utterly ruthless but brave and heroic. So much more interesting that the weedy Duchess of Malfi ...

TeiTetua · 15/11/2010 23:03

A friend of mine is in the Barbara Pym Society.

TeiTetua · 15/11/2010 23:03

How nice to share a cup of redbush tea with Precious Ramotswe.

MillyR · 15/11/2010 21:27

Pretty much every woman in the novels of Barbara Pym.

chocolatestar · 15/11/2010 21:06

Edie Mcredie from Balamorie. She spends a lot of time fixing her bus and doing other mechanic type fixing things.

Yes I spend too much time watching Cbeebies.

RealityBomb · 15/11/2010 21:00

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Original poster
LoudRowdyDuck · 15/11/2010 20:56

reality - must get more of his stuff then. I've only read Neverwhere - what should I start with next?

seth - it's still good ... just not as good. It does have strong female characters but reading it as an adult it is a bit too 'all women are domestic at heart' for me.

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Pogleswood · 15/11/2010 20:56

Yes,Harriet Vane for me too.She's independant,intelligent,and when she finally marries Peter they seem to have a good equal balanced partnership.

And Marcus Didius Falco's Helena.

RealityBomb · 15/11/2010 20:55

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sethstarkaddersmum · 15/11/2010 20:55

right. won't get that one then!

Original poster
LoudRowdyDuck · 15/11/2010 20:55

Cross posted - yes, indeed! And 'ruthless'. Grin

I wonder if children's books are better at this than adult drama/fiction.

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