I love Eowyn. She's the character that I assess every other female fantasy character by. They don't have to match up to her personality, but I do think that they need to have that kind of strength to be truly interesting.
Hmm a post all about fairy tales... You know where I think you should repost this. ;)
Yay! Another Eowyn lover. She is by far one of my favorite female characters - not only because she has the strength both to fight and to stand by her family when Theoden is under Saruman's curse, but she also has this amazing adaptability and determination. All while she feels so very, very human.
a post all about fairy tales... You know where I think you should repost this. ;)
hee. But is it fairytale-ish enough? I was worried that I had strayed to far away from fairytales as such. But no?
Hee - yes boss! I'll see if I can have it up tomorrow. The weekend has been insanely busy, but tomorrow looks like a have of quiet. Yay! (That is the best thing about working at a museum - it is closed on mondays. *g*)
Yay! It was a very fascinating and gripping book, and I love her use of fairytale conventions.
And I hear you in regards to the ever-growing list. I think my amazon wish list is six pages long now - and will probably turn into seven pages before long.
That kind of protagonist does nothing to disrupt the strict binary opposition between male and female spheres of action that leads to "female" values being denigrated
Exactly, and this is by no means a problem reserved for female characters. By setting up the "Masculine-tough guy with the wisecracks" as the preferred heroic form, a standard is also set for male characters. A man is hero only if he is tough, witty etc. Now, true - male characters have a few more stereotypes to play with - like the stoic loner - but very rarely do you see a male character with characteristics "female" values
( ... )
Oh, this sounds like a fascinating book. And I like your points about heroines - I've been thinking lately that as much as I like women who go out swashbuckling with the men, the women who don't can be just as tough and interesting but are often overlooked. I remember when I was little thinking that Buttercup in The Princess Bride was really wimpy and annoying - why couldn't she learn to fight? - but now I'm appreciating her a lot more. I mean, she eventually tries to move on and does the one thing she loves (horseback riding) rather than stay in her room, while Westley becomes a sarcastic pirate who probably killed a lot of people. I think Buttercup is more on the right track there. She has the toughness to go through all the near-death situations without becoming jaded or turning into a warrior, which is pretty impressive.
the women who don't can be just as tough and interesting but are often overlooked
Exactly - and might I just say that I love you brining up Buttercup as an example. :D She is a very good example of a heroine that doesn't have to be swashbuckling to be kick ass.
I don't know, have you read George R. R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" series? (It's very, very good - so if you have not I would highly recommend it). But he also manages to have heroines whose strengths lie in different places than fighting, and it does one so good to read it. Then there is Rowling who also has a few good heroines. (more book verse than movie verse there though)
I read the first book of that series, but I read it at totally the wrong time - I had just had surgery and was grumpy, so when my slight knowledge of the Wars of the Roses spoiled some major plot points for me, I got mad at the author for not subverting my expectations enough and didn't get the next book. Silly me. But I've heard so many good things about the series that I want to try again and pay more attention, because I know I missed a lot. I've been hearing all these things about passages that seemed like ordinary description that turned out to have major clues and thematic things and all this stuff I love, so I'm definitely going to pick it up when I get a chance.
Do pick them up. I loved the first book and half way through the second book I was hooked. By book number three I was slightly obsessed. He does base somethings on the War of the Roses, but twists things slightly - and you don't realize the big twists before book two and three. hee.
And yes, these are books you need to pay close attention to - and meta discussions are a must. (I think that is one of the reasons I love them. they lend themselves so excellently to discussion. ;D)
Comments 16
Hmm a post all about fairy tales... You know where I think you should repost this. ;)
Reply
a post all about fairy tales... You know where I think you should repost this. ;)
hee. But is it fairytale-ish enough? I was worried that I had strayed to far away from fairytales as such. But no?
Reply
Reply
Reply
Reply
And I hear you in regards to the ever-growing list. I think my amazon wish list is six pages long now - and will probably turn into seven pages before long.
Reply
Reply
Reply
Reply
Exactly, and this is by no means a problem reserved for female characters. By setting up the "Masculine-tough guy with the wisecracks" as the preferred heroic form, a standard is also set for male characters. A man is hero only if he is tough, witty etc. Now, true - male characters have a few more stereotypes to play with - like the stoic loner - but very rarely do you see a male character with characteristics "female" values ( ... )
Reply
Reply
Exactly - and might I just say that I love you brining up Buttercup as an example. :D She is a very good example of a heroine that doesn't have to be swashbuckling to be kick ass.
I don't know, have you read George R. R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" series? (It's very, very good - so if you have not I would highly recommend it). But he also manages to have heroines whose strengths lie in different places than fighting, and it does one so good to read it.
Then there is Rowling who also has a few good heroines. (more book verse than movie verse there though)
Reply
Reply
And yes, these are books you need to pay close attention to - and meta discussions are a must. (I think that is one of the reasons I love them. they lend themselves so excellently to discussion. ;D)
Reply
Leave a comment