Awesome Female Characters of Literature

Elizabeth Bennet, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Why is Elizabeth Bennet awesome? Well, just going by Austen's other heroines:
She's not as snobby as Emma Woodhouse.
She's not as whingey as Fanny Price.
She's not as naive as Catherine Morland.
She's not as staid as Elinor.
She's not as nutty as Marianne.
She's not as passive as Anne Elliot.

Elizabeth Bennet is a character who manages to function within her social order, whilst still able to comprehend its fallibility. Her sense of humour carries her steadily through her ups and downs and keeps her from being crushed by self awareness or unhappiness. She doesn't fall for Darcy based on his wealth or his good looks or his look-at-me-I-am-a-dark-romantic-smoulderer thing: she is only willing to give her heart to him after he shows his human decency. Elizabeth isn't perfect - but, oddly, that just adds to her other perfections. She's clever but makes mistakes - obviously she has (like Darcy) both her pride (which is hurt by Darcy's initial cruel remarks about her and blinds her to Wickham's wickedness) and her prejudice (against Darcy because he wounded her pride. Also her pro-Wickham prejudice) to work through. But she's willing at once to admit her wrongs and desire to change.
I've only ever met one person who didn't like Elizabeth Bennet... and her complaint was Lizzy's... cheekiness? Really? Who doesn't love a witty heroine?

 "It is your turn to say something now, Mr. Darcy. I talked about the dance, and you ought to make some kind of remark on the size of the room, or the number of couples."

 "How despicably I have acted!" she cried. - "I, who have prided myself on my discernment! - I, who have valued myself on my abilities! who have often disdained the generous candour of my sister, and gratified my vanity, in useless or blameable distrust. - How humiliating is this discovery! Yet, how just a humiliation! - Had I been in love I could not have been more wretchedly blind. But vanity, not love, has been my folly. - Pleased with the preference of one, and offended by the neglect of the other, on the very beginning of our acquaintance, I have courted prepossession and ignorance, and driven reason away, where either were concerned. Till this moment I never knew myself."

Elizabeth Bennet is my favourite female fictional character of all time. Everyone should read Pride and Prejudice at least once.

Anne Shirley, Anne of Green Gables series by L. M. Montgomery

Before we start, may I just say that I don't like the interpretation the film adaptations use even a little bit. I mean, Anne is  flighty and over the top and silly, but the books give her license to be that way and learn from it and grow through it, not losing her childlike wonder, but gaining some sense and perspective. I felt that either the movies completely gave way to her flighty-ness to the point where it wasn't supposed to be a flaw and made themselves look stupid for it - OR the films poke fun at their main character too much. Either way, no thanks.
Anne I like because, well, heroine of one of my most formative childhood books, hello? She's spunky and clever and good natured, with a strong moral centre but prone to doing stupid things because of her fiery temper, romantic sensibilities (there are too many 'i's in that word), impulsivity, and drive. (Who doesn't sympathise with that?) Through the series of books (of which there are many. Anne even appears in some of L. M. Montgomery's other Prince Edward Island books) Anne matures into a wise, humourous, sympathetic and still romantically inclined woman.

"It's all very well to read about sorrows and imagine yourself living through them heroically but it's not so nice when you really come to have them, is it?" - Anne of Green Gables

“…I'm sorry, and a little dissatisfied as well. Miss Stacy told me long ago that by the time I was twenty my character would be formed, for good or evil. I don't feel that it's what it should be. It's full of flaws.' 'So's everybody's,' said Aunt Jamesina cheerfully. 'Mine's cracked in a hundred places. Your Miss Stacy likely meant that when you are twenty your character would have got its permanent bent in one direction or 'tother, and would go on developing in that line.”
― L.M. Montgomery, Anne of the Island

Norah Linton, Billabong series by Mary Grant Bruce
You might just think Norah's on here because she's the female protagonist of my favourite book series of all time - but that idea works both ways. Norah's a big reason why the series is so good.
Mary Grant Bruce's Billabong series isn't really classic Australian literature, I suppose, because, by my reckoning, a classic is a book that never goes out of print (for very long, anyway), and these books are certainly not in print at present. This makes me pretty sad because, as I say, favourite series - and also it's a total shame that we don't have more awareness of our cultural heritage. There's lots of 'old shame' in these stories, racist attitudes expressed by main characters, Imperialist attitudes, etc, but I think that it would be a good thing for kids to know about and think about and discuss: not with an eye to condoning the wrongs of the past, but knowing and understanding how and why attitudes have changed.
Norah is described as a total tomboy - rather than playing with dolls and skipping ropes, she spends her time helping round up her father's cattle and joking around with her brother and his friends. She's not intellectual but kinesthetically smart; kind, welcoming and hard working.

"Norah, dear, we can't have you in it," O'Neill said. "I know it's hard: far harder than anything we have to do. But you have too much sense not to know that this isn't woman's work."
Norah choked back a sob.
"I know you couldn't have me where there's shooting," she said. "But I can do something, if you'll let me: and in Australia women always did help men when there was need, and they didn't talk about things being 'women's work' in pioneer days."
"Norah, we can't let you fight," Jim said. "Be sensible, old kiddie."
"I don't want to fight," said poor Norah. "At least, I do, but I know that's out of the question. But why on earth shouldn't I light the beacon?"
"Because there would be risk," O'Neill said roughly. "Norah, I hate hurting you. Don't make it harder for us."
"I don't want to, indeed I don't," Norah faltered. "But..." There was a lump in her throat, and she turned away, fighting for her voice. Jim's arm round her shoulders steadied her.
"You know you'll be outnumbered," she said. "you can't tell any of these people, and there are only the three of you until Daddy brings help. And one of you is going to light the beacon! If you let me do it, it leaves you all free to fight; and there's no risk for me. No one will be on the point. I'd only have to light a match and get out of the way."
"No," said Wally, his young voice strained. "You aren't going to do it."
"I know what it will be," Norah said. "The one of you who lights the beacon will come tearing down the rocks to help the others and the Germans will just shoot him easily. I needn't do that; I can hide up on the point. There isn't any risk - not a bit."
"Oh, Norah, Norah, I wish you'd gone to bed! uttered Jim. "Don't you see we can't let you?"
"No, I don't," said his sister. "You haven't any right to stop me..."
- Jim and Wally, book 5 of the Billabong series by Mary Grant Bruce


... Norah, who was not exactly pretty, but something better; whose face was bronzed, with a touch of clear colour in the cheeks, while in her brown curls were glints of bronze and copper. No one... had ever danced like Norah, with just that fairy lightness and that look of happiness. Billabong was far from town and they had not forgotten all the old-world dances. They were dancing a waltz now... and Norah was dancing with Wally, and they moved together as if the very spirit of the music were in their feet.
- Billabong's Daughter, book 8 of the Billabong series by Mary Grant Bruce

Juliet Ashton Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

This book was so very, very good. I don't even know why I love it so much, but it might have something to do with just how lovely and real and adorable all the characters are.
Juliet is no exception. Her sense of humour and individuality and heart just carry this book from beginning to end. It is largely through her eyes that the story is told and she is a perfect conduit for such a story. As well as being heaps entertaining and lovely in her own right.


While I question her taste, her judgement, her misplaced priorities and her inappropriate sense of humour, she does indeed have one fine quality - she is honest. If she says she will honour the good name of your literary society, she will do so. I can say no more. - From the Lady Bella Taunton to Amelia


P.S. I did not throw 'The Shepherd Boy Sings in the Valley of Humiliation' at the audience. I threw it at the elocution mistress. I meant to cast it at her feet, but I missed. - From Juliet to Sidney



I'm a bit overwhelmed at how long this post has become, so maybe I'll write a follow up someday with more amazing fictional ladies... because this is getting a bit much!