Your fictional feminist heroines

[CaptainNancyBlackett]

(dittany here)

Literature and fiction are some of the few places where decent female role models can exist for women and girls, because women who live in an imaginary world can be free of quite a lot of sexism and patriarchal control. Fiction is definitely one of the places that inspired me and also helped me see that there could be another world where women could be strong and admirable and live life on their own terms. That they could be the kind of people you'd want to be yourself.

I was thinking about this because I was remembering how much I loved Captain Nancy Blackett after listening to a radio programme about Arthur Ransome and Swallows and Amazons. What could be better than being an Amazon pirate sailing in the Lake District, taking out wishy washy Swallows? She was just so exciting.

So who are your favourite feminist heroines from fiction (they don't have to be self-proclaimed feminists and fiction doesn't just have to be literature) and what do they mean to you?

(I'm giving this name back to the real Captain Nancy after this thread)

I have always loved Jo from Little Women. Of its era and soupy sentimental books, but she was my heroine growing up.

Tim Willocks's Green River Rising contains an interesting female lead called Devlin as well - a female doctor in a men's high security prison who's trapped there during a huge riot.

Tempe Brennan in Kathy Reichs' series of Bones novels is a good one for professional women.

And Stephen King occasionally manages to write brilliant female leads: Dolores Claibourne and Rose Madder spring to mind.

absolutely to Lisbeth Salander and Pratchett's female characters.

Gods, how could I forget Susan Sto Helit!

Sally Lockhart from Sally Lockhart quartet by Philip Pulman. Can't wait to get DD reading that when she older.

Oh, arse. Susan Sto Helit buggers my 'no female protagonists apart from the witches' complaint. Which is a good thing!

For those of you with daughters, The Karate Princess .

Clever Polly from Catharine Storr's Clever Polly and the Stupid Wolf stories

Scarlett O'Hara. Granted, she doesn't start out very self reliant, but by the end that woman kicks ass.

Rose from King's 'Rose Madder'.

And Lisey from 'Lisey's Story'. Also King.

Yes to Sally Lockhart.

Jo March.

Petrova from 'Ballet Shoes' for not wanting to do ballet and wanting to fiddle around with engines instead. :)

Tonks from Harry Potter.

Beverley in 'It' is a strong female character too, although there are a few 'issues' re the whole sex thing there, perhaps?

3rd-ing (or summat) Susan Sto Helit, Tiffany Aching (I read the Tiffany Aching books to DD1, she is brilliant for girls) and Granny Weatherwax.

I adore Vianne Rocher in Chocolat and Tita and Gertrude from 'Like water for chocolate', just for their refusal to conform.

Vianne in chocolat! brilliant character.

are all these women outsiders in some way?

Interesting, if so, that strongly feminist characters are still viewed in the world of their story as outsiders, or is this more related to the rise of outsider and anti-hero(ine)s in post-modern literature?

Intrigued, and waiting for someone doing their thesis to pop up and shed some light.

I came back to write petrova!

And Judy from seven little australians

Shan Frankland from the Wess H'ar Wars series.
I only know one person who has read them (and I lent them to him) but if it was a male protagonist they would have been picked up and made into a film by now.
It has real 3d complex female characters, a sci-fi backdrop but with real human relationships and an alien with two dicks which made it unlike any other sci-fi I've read.
please read it so I'm not alone
I would heartily recommend it.

Maggie Tulliver from Mill on the Floss.

Buffy!

Willow Rosenberg from Buffy,

Miranda Hobbes from SATC

Samantha Jones from SATC

Tank Girl

Lucky Santangelo in the Lucky Santaangelo novels by Jackie Collins

Miranda Priestly in Devil Wears Prada

Alex Drake in Ashes to Ashes

Bornsicky - that's really interesting what you say about outsiders. The protagonist that I mentioned had always been an Insider, but the story starts with her being set up and pushed into the outsider role, whereas most other female protagonists I've read were always in that role, they always felt themselves to be outsiders IFSWIM.
I have noticed though that the male 'anti-heroes'(those that are outsiders) behave like bastards and we are supposed to support them, but I've never come across a female Anti-heroine that we are supposed to root for.

yy to Tank Girl.
who wouldn't want a tank that plays when faced with aggro.

I know it's not exactly 'literature' but I love Sookie Stackhouse in the Charlaine Harris books that were adapted into True Blood. She is such a feisty, independent woman. Very funny and sexy too, but sexy in her own way.

another comic book one - halo jones.

morgaine in c j cherryh's 'the chronicles of morgaine' is a fabulous anti-heroine: complex, dedicated, dangerous, moral but ruthless, and interestingly the subject of many vicious rumours spread by men, the truth behind which only becomes apparent as you get to know her through the book.

Lizzie Bennet from P&P. Out of context an unlikely feminist heroine but as a product of her time, very much so. Irreverent, knowing, smart, doesn't suffer fools and with a cast-iron self-esteem. Telling Mr Collins where to get off after his ludicrous proposal, and then telling Darcy that he didn't deserve her following his first proposal; only for him to then endeavour to deserve her - should be compulsory reading for all teens.

Also agree with Scarlett O'Hara, come the end of the novel.

I debated putting Elizabeth Bennet and decided not to but now I've read that, I agree that she SHOULD be here. I should have put her there for walking in the mud to see Jane, if nothing else! :)

I know - I was a little embarrassed to put her here, but it is actually a book I want my DD to read one day for the very reasons I've given, so that's good enough for an entry on here IMO.

giyadas I think Lisbeth Salander is an anti-heroine that we are supposed to root for.

There's also the very interesting Barbara Covett in Notes on a Scandal (Judi Dench's character in the film) who is an extreme anti-heroine, but somehow in the book she can be quite likeable, or at least pitiable. Sheba Hart is also quite likable as well, even though she is deeply flawed.

In terms of outsiders, Campbell's Hero with a Thousand Faces charts the journey of heroes through classical literature and is still applicable to most epic novels/films now. One of the key aspects of the journey is that the hero (at the start) is rejected by his community and becomes an outsider; it's a right of passage to commence the hero's quest.

There's an alternative book called The Heroine's Journey by Maureen Murdock. I find it a bit "woo", but it has some interesting arguments about feminine identity.

Should add that Angela Carter's female heroines are always strong archetypes and feminist icons, whether it's Fevvers in Nights at the Circus, or Lilith in The Passion of New Eve.