Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Feminism: chat

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!'

OP posts:
Original poster
LoudRowdyDuck · 15/11/2010 20:54

Awww, she'll get over it (I got over it with hugely un-feminist high heels Wink).

I also had one of Astrid Lindgren's other books with Ronia the Robber's Daughter, which is less good because as soon as the lovely, tough girl-robber meets a boy, she goes and makes a little house and starts playing mummies and daddies with him, and waiting for him to rescue her.

Very disconcerting.

OP posts:
sethstarkaddersmum · 15/11/2010 20:53

Nancy Blackett in Swallows and Amazons . Not just because she is good at sailing and defeating Great Aunts, but because she's a good leader: fair, magnanimous, inclusive, as well as inspirational for the other characters.

sethstarkaddersmum · 15/11/2010 20:50

yes LRD, I don't think dd yet knows quite how fictional Pippi is Sad

Original poster
LoudRowdyDuck · 15/11/2010 20:48

Mind you, seth, it was a bit depressing for me when I realized (some time after reading Pippi Longstocking) that there was going to come a time when both my brothers were taller and stronger than me.

And come it did.

OP posts:
RealityBomb · 15/11/2010 20:48

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

RealityBomb · 15/11/2010 20:48

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
LoudRowdyDuck · 15/11/2010 20:47

I must watch Spooks - is it generally good?

seth - agree! Grin

I've thought of another one - I very much like Imogen Quy in the Jill Paton Walsh detective stories.

OP posts:
sethstarkaddersmum · 15/11/2010 20:47

sorry, I forgot the 'why'. Well, Pippi is the strongest girl in the world. She can pick a horse up in one hand. She lives by herself and is completely unconventional, kind, emotional, loyal and imaginative. DD (aged 5) is completely in love with her Grin

Flora Poste sorts everybody's life out. She knows her own mind, sees straight through misogynist tossers like Mr Mybug and is completely self-possessed and in control.

maktaitai · 15/11/2010 20:44

Harriet Vane in the Lord Peter Wimsey books. A lot of the time, anyway. Although I'm influenced by the telly series when she was played by the glorious Harriet Walter.

sethstarkaddersmum · 15/11/2010 20:43

Flora Poste from Cold Comfort Farm

sethstarkaddersmum · 15/11/2010 20:43

Pippi Longstocking

howdidthishappenthen · 15/11/2010 20:42

Roz from Spooks. I want to be her when I grow up.