Feminism in Fiction II

Continuing on. Let’s take the written word.

I’ve read a number of books where the female protagonist has been mighty indeed.

David Weber’s Honor Harrington series is the stand out. Here is a woman who suffered the unwanted attentions of a male colleague and it affected her outlook on herself for many years. Elizabeth Moon’s Paksenarrion was placed in an equally devastating position – that of losing her courage; the same author’s Kylara Vatta lost almost everything, S.L. Viehl’s Stardoc is denied humanity altogether. There isn’t enough room in one post for the all, but I’ll name one more: Laurell K. Hamilton’s Anita Blake is also coming to grips with loss: that of her humanity.

Which of these women do you most identify with? None, some or all of them?

Each has lost a lot All have suffered at the hands of fate. They are not unlikeable though they have traits that are… disturbing. Honor is a killer, Paksenarrion seems shy and confused, Kylara isn’t as devastated by familial loss as she should be, Cherijo’s personality is abrasive, arrogant and Anita is becoming a slut of a sociopath.

What makes them stand out is their foibles, their humanity. They are all well aware of their failings and yet can’t seem to shake them off. Of course, if they did, they’d not be as real. Each woman has an inner core of strength that the people around can’t hope to emulate, and are left only to admire. It makes them different, almost inhuman.

The men are there, oh, yes indeedy, but they are not an integral part of the stories. They have supporting roles; important roles, but supporting nonetheless. The women stand on their own.

What makes these women different is their willingness to sacrifice all for the cause. Honor becomes a mother, and yet is still willing to go out and fight a war even though she knows she might not come back. Anita is willing to sacrifice herself for the greater good; that is, protecting humanity from the creatures of the night, no matter what flavour they are. Cherijo will be a doctor to anyone, friend and enemy alike and will do anything to save a patient, even if it means her capture, mutilation or death.

If you haven’t read any of these, do so. They are terrific examples of heroines in fiction. They also demonstrate that it’s okay to have affection, even love, for a man without losing that which makes them heroic.

The lesson in this? When you are writing a woman protagonist, give her great things, but as always… make her suffer for it. Remember “for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction”. In other words, for every admirable quality you give your characters, give them something opposite: A compassionate killer, a sometimes suicidal doctor, a human vampire killer, a militaristic trader. Then give them a reason not to be that way: love, faith, duty, anything that causes, at the very least, internal conflict.

If you can do that, you’ll crack the code on the perfect protagonist – male or female.