Day 5: Topic of Your Choice: Strong Female Characters I Admire

Thursday, May 29, 2014

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Sometimes I feel like some female characters are solely written in a book for the male protagonist's purpose or growth, primarily as a tool to motivate him for his goals, dreams, etc.To be honest, I think that we need more female characters that aren't just written for the male protagonist. For me, I want to see more strong-willed, independent women in literature today, or at least, read books with a more accurate portrayal of different kinds of women. Badass females... they exist and they deserve more attention in my opinion.

Hermione Granger
Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
Hermione is Hermione. She is smart. Intelligent. Wise. Strong-willed. Brave. Courageous. And a very loyal friend. One of my favorite characters in general.


Jane Eyre
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Jane Eyre, first of all, is my favorite classic novel. I admire Jane Eyre as a female protagonist especially, because she was independent, and had her own dreams for herself. She never let her love for Rochester and their relationship with each other cloud her from her goals, and I think that's important. She wanted to be her own person, and she was never going to be happy with someone else if she wasn't happy with herself yet.

Daenerys Targaryen
A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R. R. Martin
My girl! She is not a perfect character that is for sure. She has many, many flaws but her core characteristics are great. She is a woman with a genuine and huge heart.She started off as an innocent, oppressed girl, but quickly, she learned to stand up for herself. She also continued to keep her genuine and huge heart that she has, consistently doing what she believes is right. She will fight for the oppressed, no matter what. She is also loyal to those she cares about. Sure, if she ruled our world today, she would probably be considered as an extreme liberal or a communist (sometimes), but in the world of Game of Thrones, she is definitely a queen in my eyes, both in the books and the movies. 

Luna Lovegood
Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
Love Luna! How could you not? In fact, I have to admit, I sort of wanted her to end up with Harry. 
Luna is awesome because is such a colorful and intriguing character! She doesn't care what other people think about her! She is such a happy, vibrant person and always finds the positive side in things, no matter what the situation. She understands Harry, and doesn't judge him. She is also quite a strong person and quite courageous, as she is not afraid to go to "battle" and help her friends. I admire that a lot about her.


Melanie Hamilton
Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
She is a woman of strength, honesty, purity, and integrity. She is kind-hearted and loving, and accepts people for who they are. She always sees the good in others and sticks by them, when the need arises. She is a loyal person, and is courageous -- never afraid to "head to battle and fight." She faces her fears, and never falters. Although I do love Scarlett O' Hara, there will always be a special place for Melanie Hamilton for me.


Jamie Sullivan
A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks
 The epitome of a true sweetheart and a good person; kind-hearted, friendly, loving, honest, compassionate, understanding, forgiving, patient. She does not judge others, does not seek revenge on anyone, and never lets anger get the best of her. She lives her life as if its her last, and ultimately, sees wonder, happiness, and fulfillment everywhere she looks.


Claire Abshire
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
I have mentioned this times and times before. I admire Claire Abshire. She is beautiful in her own way and quite independent. She is perfectly flawed but strong-willed, and is not afraid of failure. When she falls, she gets back up again. She tries and tries again. She is loving, patient, and understanding -- most especially to Henry and his time traveling. 

Want to add to the list? Who are some female characters that you admire? 

12 comments:

  1. I love luna, she is one of my favorite characters from that series

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  2. Very good choices, Jillian! *-* I loved your list!
    I really admire Lizzie Bennet (Pride and Prejudice), she's in my list of Strong Female Characters ^-^

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  3. I love your list of females. Who can't love Hermoine, Luna and Daenerys Targaryen?

    The literary world has always favored strong male protagonists. I hate that. I wanted to read more books with strong female leads but couldn't find ones that I liked so I wrote them.

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  4. Fun topic! If only I could be as kind hearted and loving as Melanie...I think it's kind of impossible though! haha

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  5. Jane Eyre and Daenerys Targaryen for sure. I would add Katniss from The Hunger Games.

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  6. Luna Lovegood is one of my absolute favourite characters! She is just so at peace herself and so kind to everyone! Jamie Sullivan really is adorable! The only think I'd add to your list is maybe a well-written female villain, but then those are even rarer than well-written female characters. It's just such a shame women are upheld to be society's moral paragons when I'd love to see a woman be allowed to be an anti-hero and to be redeemed (be it in fiction or in the cinema) a la Loki for example! Female characters should be just as diverse as male ones, which includes bad ones!
    Thanks for your post :)
    Juli @ Universe in Words

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  7. Great list and what a terrific topic of choice!

    I've been enjoying some of the new YA with strong female characters, particularly the Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer and the Finishing School series by Gail Carriger.

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  8. GREAT topic. Great list! I'm glad you mentioned Luna, I love her :D

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  9. I haven't read the last couple of books but know the titles, great list and reasoning behind why they are such great female characters. I especially love Hermoine and Luna.

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  10. I totally echo Daenerys and Luna Lovegood. I love that Targaryen girl and think she is one of the best female characters to come in media.

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  11. Great list of some wonderful female characters. I love Luna, Hermione, and Dani.
    AH@badassbookreviews

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  12. Oh my goodness! Yes to everyone you listed. I just finished reading Jane Eyre for the second time and I felt all over again what a wonderful character she is

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