Fictional women we do like, and why?

[LoudRowdyDuck]

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!'

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

What about Dicey Tillerman?

Ummmm.

The mother character Lois in Malcolm in the Middle.

Cameron Cook in Rivals.

Lyra Belacqua in His Dark Materials

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

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.

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.

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.

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

:o

Shan Frankland, from the Wess'har wars series. Srong, complex, flawed, with her own moral code and beliefs that she fights to defend. The books have many other great females (I use that word because they aren't all human) but Shan is the best.

Ok, some old 90s TV.

BUFFY.

Willow, especially Vamp Willow.

Ok, yeah, they are too thin, and Sarah Michelle Gellar and Charisma Carpenter were both kinda ED-looking, but the Buffy character still rocks.

I hope you have ALL see youtube's Buffy Vs Edward...

Susan Lewis in ER. Then the actress went all girly and left the show, and when she came back there was some character rape, but the Lewis of Seasons 1-3 was awesome.

Melissa in thirtysomething. One of the first properly mature women on tv EVER.

In film everyone ever played, virtually, by Katharine Hepburn, Ginger Rogers, or Roz Russell (yes, even the bitch in The Women).
They just knock tiles off the modern liberated women, uhm, like - well, like - erm. Well, there's Ripley, or there was.

Strong, even.

I think it's interesting, though, that CJ eventually does get together with Danny and has a baby, but only after the series has finished. Wonder how her high-powered job in California went after that? Did she get flexible hours and childcare vouchers?!

She gets together with Danny?

Have still never managed to watch the final 5 or so episodes.

Danny can look after the baby (baby?!) because he is a teddy in human form, and CJ is far too good at her job to give it up.

Oops - sorry .

Roalind Russell's character in "His Girl Friday" (another one that was adapted from a man's role).

She's about to leave her job as a journalist to get married to a boring man and be "a real woman" or some such, but Cary Grant her ex-husband/editor tempts her back in on a case of corruption, and she accidentally trashes her relationship with her fiance and future MIL, and doesn't seem to care at all. Basically she is too good as a "newspaperman" and loves it too much to go and be suburban and domesticated :)

That's ok CJ :) I suppose it was fairly likely, and I'm pleased she had a baby if she wanted one. Just wish it wasn't with that (I am sure) halitosis-ridden hobbit.

salta, yes, Dicey Tillerman! And GWTMH, all of Dana Wyyne Jones' books have good female characters.

How about Dido Twite and her sister Is, from Joan Aiken?

Agent Scully

SOOKIE STACKHOUSE!

In the books, not the tv series so much. She knows what she wants and just gets on with things. She is smart and funny and tells people where to go if they piss her off. Love her.

Dorcas Lane in Lark rise to Candleford

Damn - you've all got there first! Agree with
Buffy
CJ
Fevvers - now there's something I haven't read in years!
Scully

But how about Starbuck in the new BSG? Completely kick ass (until the last season anyway)