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Home > Blogs > Women's Life > Archives > 2010 > November > 18 > Entry
Who were your literary heroines?
Back in May, I wrote an entry about getting crushes on male characters in literature.
This past week, I was reading over something written by fellow blogger Amelia Robinson, and for some reason, reading her name (which I see nearly every day) triggered an old memory to jump to the front of my mind: Amelia Bedelia.
Amelia Bedelia was the main character in a series of books aimed at elementary-level readers. Amelia, a maid/nanny, comically misinterpreted common sayings by taking them literally. I remember one particular story in which she was playing baseball or kickball with a group of children and was told to steal third base and run home, so she picked up the third base plate and ran back to the house where she worked. A little Wikipedia research told me that the author based the character on a maid from Cameroon, whose loose grasp on English led to such misunderstandings.
Reminiscing about those books brought other female-centric books and series from my childhood to mind.
Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle used over-the-top stories to teach a lesson. Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle was a widow who lived in an upside-down house and who “knew more about children than most parents forgot” (a line that still sticks with me to this day). She was very popular with the neighborhood children and became the go-to person for parents with misbehaving kids, using magical pills and other tricks to get the children to change. In one story about correcting two tattle-taling siblings, she gave them each a pill so that when they opened their mouths to tattle on each other, a floating tail would instead emerge and lurk over their heads for the rest of the day. The stories always ended with the kids learning a lesson and the parents expressing their amazement and gratitude.
Lois Lowry, mostly known among adults as the author of critically-acclaimed The Giver and Number the Stars, wrote a series of books revolving around pre-teen Anastasia Krupnik and her relationship with her parents and baby brother, trials and tribulations at school, and “the perilous process of growing up.” Anastasia was a little nerdy, a little neurotic, a daydreamer and an accidental troublemaker, making her the exact kind of character whose shoes I loved to step into as a young reader.
Harriet the Spy was another favorite, about a girl who kept a notebook full of observations (some not so nice) about her friends, family, teachers and classmates, whom she regularly “spied” on through fences, doors, and an unused dumbwaiter. That book made me love and appreciate the old black-and-white, wide-rule composition notebooks that Harriet preferred. She also introduced me to the idea of a tomato sandwich, which she insisted on for her packed lunch every day, meaning I of course had to try it. For the record? Not bad.
These are all books that I read over and over and over again, because that’s the kind of child I was. Left to my own devices, that’s the kind of adult I’d be, too, if all this pesky work and chores and daily life stuff didn’t get in the way. I find it much harder to finish a book now, and I’m drawn to different kinds of stories. The last book I read was a fictional portrayal of the life of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo as told by her sister. In the past year I’ve read several books that were bargain-shelf finds at Border’s and Half Price Books, some of which were pretty good, others of which I have yet to finish because they just didn’t grip me (but hey, they only cost me $3 and I can donate them if I don’t like them).
While I seem to be on a historical-fiction kick right now, I still find myself drawn to books with strong female leads. I’m not much one for the damsel-in-distress stories, the Sleeping Beauty waiting for her Prince Charming. I’d rather see my protagonist be her own hero(ine), and if she also gets the guy in the end, hey, more power to her. But a whole story based on getting the guy with the girl being totally passive? No thanks.
Which female characters have stuck with you through the years? What kinds of characters are you drawn to?
Permalink | Comments (3) | Post your comment | Categories: role models
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By Beth Yeary
November 19, 2010 12:02 AM | Link to this
I remember reading all the Laura Ingalls Wilder books, and thinking she would make a great friend. And Caddie Woodlawn. She was the same as Laura.
By Ethel S
November 19, 2010 1:50 AM | Link to this
My all time favorite was the inspiring story of Anne Frank. And I unlocked my love for reading when I read the fascinating story of Madame Marie Currie, a double Noble Science prize winner. I finally went to the Mutter Museum in Philly to see her scientic inventions and photos on display which was worth viewing. And last but not least, are the amazing stories of Helen Keller and Ann Sullivan. At the Mutter, they also had an exhibit of Helen’s dairy where she saw beauty everywhere. Hope a new generation of young women will treat themselves to read the stories of these true heroines.
By Suz
November 28, 2010 8:28 AM | Link to this
I loved Laura ingalls, and Caddie and Anne F as well, but someone who has always stuck with me is Anne Shirley of the Anne of Green Gables series. She was smart, fun, and always out to prove that just because she was a girl didn’t mean she was weak!