Women’s Day Special: 8 Fierce Female Literary Characters That Were Way Ahead Of Their Time
As a student of literature, I have studied not only books but also a lot of feminist theories. I believe that my degree has enabled me to have the honour of being introduced to and witnessing the stories of many brilliantly written women. As William Styron rightfully said, “A great book should leave you with many experiences, and slightly exhausted at the end. You live several lives while reading.” In the process of understanding multiple literary texts, I have come across so many literary women who were true feminists in their own right. Women that were fierce, strong, independent, opinionated, and way ahead of the time they were written in. Women that are long forgotten by this generation. But this Women’s Day, I’m taking it upon myself to introduce you to 8 such female literary characters who have inspired me and have played a huge role in making me the woman I am today.
Why am I digging in the past for strong, feminist women? Well, because it is close to Women’s Day and these women are the basis of the feminist ideologies that we all talk about at one point or the other. These 5 female literary characters still have such a grasping authority on the topic of feminism and womanhood that you will be pulled, inspired, and wonder why you weren’t introduced to them earlier.
Also Read: Hautetalk: Why Celebrating Women’s Day In India Feels Like A Sham
So, on Women’s Day, here are 8 literary women who have left an indelible mark on me by how ahead of their times they were:
1. Elizabeth Bennet – Pride and Prejudice
Pride and Prejudice was one of the first-ever classics I had read and I instantly fell in love with Elizabeth Bennet, the stubborn, witty protagonist who was unlike women from her era. She was the female character that remained true to herself and not marry for money but rather for love – and if that meant ending up being a single, lone girl then that was perfectly okay too. The idea that a woman who took ownership of her life voiced her thoughts, and was willing to stay single but not bend her principles was something that was practically unheard of at the time.
2. Nancy Drew
The character of Nancy Drew from the Nancy Drew detective stories was in the simplest of ways groundbreaking. Written in the 1930s, her character was not portrayed to be someone’s sidekick. In fact, I believe it was her character that gave way to the thought that a woman can be both – beautiful and intelligent. Along with this, there is one personal reason that I turn to her for. Since I read her as a kid, she was my first-ever role model who pushed me to have my own identity, own my curiosity, and taught me never to turn down a mystery. I guess this is why I still turn to her when I need a boost.
3. Princess Cimorene – Dealing With Dragons
Princess Cimorene from Dealing with Dragons was my first hero. There are four reasons why I consider her that – 1) she runs away from her parents when they pressure her to marry some dopey man and she knows she’s worth more than that, 2) gets a job and even moves into a cave where a delightful yet sassy talking dragon resides, 3) she’s no damsel in distress and doesn’t want to be rescued, and 4) in the end, it is her who ends up saving the day and not some knight in shining armour. She is that character that takes charge of her own life and doesn’t settle for anything less than what she deserves. Something I have in me that I picked from her.
Also Read: A Glimpse Of How Bollywood Stars Talked About Women’s Day To Celebrate All The Women In Their Lives
4. Ramona Quimby – Ramona Quimby Series
Ramona Quimby throughout the Ramona Quimby series taught me one thing – THERE ARE DIFFERENT WAYS OF BEING A GIRL. She was the female literary character that wasn’t afraid to talk to or hang out with guys, wasn’t afraid to get messy, and didn’t care if people thought she was pretty or not. She was one of the characters that not only accepted her physical body but also embraced it – including all the messiness. She taught me that no woman had to be a perfect doll for someone to love me – a thought that I carry with me every single day.
5. Josephine March – Little Women
What do I even say about Jo March that hasn’t already been told before? She is the female literary character that defies every rule set by the 19th-century society for women. She is tomboyish, strong-willed, confident, outspoken, and pretty damn uninterested in marriage. She doesn’t stick to the expectations laid down by society of how women should carry themselves. If you ask me, I’ll tell you she is a firecracker, the most daring of them all.
6. Hester Prynne – The Scarlet Letter
The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne is one of the many, many books that have moved me in a way I can’t really express. And in this one, it is all thanks to Hester Prynne – without a doubt hailed as the most important female character in literature. She was the character that underlined that women have needs and there is nothing wrong if a woman expresses her sexual desires. Even after being tagged as an adulterer and made to wear a red letter ‘A’, she refused to leave town and rather confront all the self-righteous hypocritical townspeople. The first of women to fight against the oppressiveness of the Puritanical society she lived in. To say she was the most fierce literary female character would be an understatement.
Also Read: In Pakistan, The Aurat March On Women’s Day Was Successful. But A Man Abused A Woman On Live TV, So Equality Is Still A Dream
7. Lali – Girls
You would find it hard to believe it but Lali was an 8-year-old feminist that didn’t take crap from anyone – including her own family. At such an early age in India, she has the guts to strongly protest the practice of worshipping girls because at that time, in 1983, society didn’t even want girls and was more focused on giving birth to boys. In her own innocent yet affirmative way, she questions the double standards of society’s attitude towards girls. A mentality that we’ve still not been able to move past.
8. Dopdi – Draupadi
This female literary character is a rebel who gets raped and sexually abused by those in power but still refuses to bend. She refused to cover herself after they were done raping her because she believed that she had nothing to be shameful about. A woman who put it out there that getting raped and sexually abused is nothing a woman should be ashamed of but rather something the person(s) should be ashamed of. I don’t think I can do justice to Mahasweta Devi’s this character – something that you need to read to understand how powerful she is.
Instead Of Those Whatsapp Forwards, Here Are 10 Things We Really Want This International Women’s Day
