When I was about 3 years old, I would wake my mom up every Tuesday morning to go to the public library for story time. I dragged her out of bed to get there early and reserve a front-row spot.
It’s hard to replace, or even recreate, the thrill of getting sucked into a story. You’re transported to another world, living the lives of the characters created by the author and molding every scene in your head.
As I began to delve into more difficult books, I paid more attention to the types of characters I was attracted to. In recent years, I started to see books through different lenses.
Of course, at the core of it, I enjoy a book because of the pure joy it gives me. A combination of good writing, well-developed characters and a sturdy plot will make any book stick to its readers.
However, lately, I’ve been starting to see books through the lens of a feminist. I focus on seeing where the paths of the girls and women characters lead and how they affect the plot, message of the book or other characters due to their sex.
I would say about 70 percent of the books I read have male leads, and females usually play into more of a sidekick type of role. Whether it’s helping the male lead save the world or find himself, most likely, she is not the center of the story.
The rest of the time, I’ve read many books where female leads are the heroes of their stories. It’s important that books like this continue to be written. I understand that a great character can be of any gender, but growing up, it always felt so empowering to have lead characters in books that I could identify with. It proved to me that I was not struggling alone.
So, without further ado, here is a list of my favorite female characters in books to date.
Of course, I have to start with Hermione Granger. She was the first female character I really remember vividly as being courageous and intensely smart. Yes, she may have had to share the spotlight with the chosen one, but she was special all on her own.
Being a quiet kid, I loved that Hermione raised her hand constantly and wasn’t afraid to reprimand her friends. Even with such a strong personality, she remains humble and she’s always someone you want on your team.
Next on the list is Nancy Drew, girl detective. She too is such a smart character, and her intelligence was proved differently. Unlike Hermione, who was very book smart, Nancy Drew used her smarts to get her out of some crazy situations. She’s clever enough to trick the bad guys and is never afraid to get kidnapped once in awhile (or in her case, very often). She showed me that if I believed in something intensely (for her, it was definitely crime solving), I should be prepared to go to great lengths to accomplish my goals.
Adding to the list of fantastic characters is Scout from “To Kill a Mockingbird.” Scout, like many other characters, lives in a world where things are not always fair. She learns harsh lessons and isn’t afraid to stand up for what she thinks is right.
Another classic character we can’t forget about is Elizabeth Bennet from “Pride and Prejudice.” Though stuck in a time where society was aggressively sexist toward women, she continued to defy their expectations and did as she wished. She was a caretaker to her sisters, a devoted friend and a role model to girls everywhere.
Lisbeth Salander of the “Millennium” series seems like a great contradiction to this list thus far, yet she is a female protagonist that has stuck with me. She may not be the nicest person, but she’s powerful. She is definitely one of the most complex female characters I can remember reading about in the past few years. She’s not afraid to be brutal and can turn her cleverness against you in a matter of a few mouse clicks.
Lastly, there is Anne Frank. Her story is one that millions have read, and she is not someone anyone will ever forget. Though her story ends tragically, she found so much hope in a world that seemed to be doomed. She continued to be kind and brave, even in a situation that stirred up such stress and fear.
A common theme here is that these female characters have always been brave in ways we don’t think about. Often we see bravery as beating dragons or winning wars (which is still very brave), but these women bring out a different sort of bravery. They’re clever, fight for what they believe in and tackle fear in ways I could see myself doing and still aspire to keep doing today.
