Every March during Women's History Month, we draw our attention to books by female authors and books featuring strong female protagonists. I truly love to follow the chatter online and on social media that celebrates popular favorite female authors and characters, however, I have to admit these chioces tend to be, well, obvious. Characters like Katniss Everdeen, Hermione Granger, Jo March, Elizabeth Bennet, Hester Prynne, and Scout Finch tend to take the limelight (and rightfully so!), but I can't help to wonder how many female characters exist who are often marginalized in this discussion.
That said, I've polled our blog team on their favorite not-so-leading ladies and we've come up with a list below. Enjoy, and please share with us which characters you'd add!
Jordan Baker (The Great Gatsby). Everyone fixates on Daisy but Jordan is so mysterious and interesting, and she's the one who facilitates the introduction between Gatsby and Nick in the first place.
Luna Lovegood (Harry Potter series). Hermione often (and rightly) takes up a lot of oxygen in Harry Potter discussions, but Luna is crucial to the plotline, and is a heck of an interesting character to boot!
Becky (A Little Princess). Sara Crewe is lauded as the brave, audacious, and exceedingly creative newest addition to Miss Minchin's Boarding School for Girls, but I'd argue Becky, the scullery maid, is the real heroine in this book.
Mrs. Bennet (Pride & Prejudice). Elizabeth's mother is often seen as annoying and overbearing, but she's pretty hilarious in her eagerness to play matchmaker for her five daughters.
Johanna Mason (The Hunger Games). Yes, Katniss is awesome. But Johanna has layers that are nowhere near being uncovered, like her seriously smart strategy during the Games.
Aibileen Clark (The Help). As a nanny she is a much better mother to the children she's raised over her career. And she's raised 17 of them. Her line "You is kind, you is smart, you is important." gets us every time.
Rosacoke Mustian (A Long and Happy Life). We're not sure if Rosacoke is underappreciated, but this first novel by Reynolds Price deserves more recognition for its lovely evocation of the rural South. Rosacoke, who pursues a man she is too good for, is the type of child who, when setting off into the woods with a picnic dinner, “will walk till we come to an open field where somebody is growing something."
Cokie Mason (The Baby-sitter's Club series). Especially in the earlier Baby-sitters Club books, Cokie plays a big part — she's the nemesis of the entire BSC. For a character to be disliked by that many people (who are quite different from each other!), she's gotta be intriguing.
Dilsey (The Sound and the Fury). As Faulkner writes of the long-suffering Dilsey and her family: “They endured.” If you remember Dilsey’s employer, the Compsons, you know that’s saying a lot.
Ole Golly (Harriet the Spy). Ole Golly takes care of people uncomplainingly (which is why she needs sensible shoes) and doesn’t meddle in their affairs. She also gives good advice to the young spy, like “find out everything you can cause life is hard enough even if you know a lot.”
Helen Burns (Jane Eyre). Helen is Jane Eyre’s best friend at the Lowood School, and her influence on Jane is often understated. Helen’s kindness, faith, and unadulterated love shape Jane’s coming-of-age greatly. Also, it’s worth noting that this character has deep meaning to author Charlotte Bronte, as it is based on her beloved sister who died young.
