How female characters can have a powerful
influence on girls
Research
certainly points to the fact that girls need strong role models from which they
can form their own identity. If a girl is surrounded by women who can offer her
positive attitudes, all the better. However, it is important not to
underestimate how powerful female fictional characters can be and what kind of
influence they can have. Importantly, we should be employing them to help shape
our daughters’, and granddaughters’, views of themselves, and their visions of who
they want to become.
Alice in Wonderland: A role model
Alice in
Wonderland is probably one of the first female characters many girls meet. When
the book was written it was unusual for a woman to take the lead role, never
mind about a little girl.
But, Lewis
Carroll gave us a strong role model who is marked by her incessant curiosity
and never failing courage. Alice’s adventures are legendary and they are her
reward for her strength of character, not to mention, her inability to take
‘no’ for an answer.
Alice is a
sensible girl for the most part, but a bit reckless too. Fancy, accepting the
advice on those bottles labelled ‘drink me’! She knows a villain when she sees
one in the Queen of Hearts, and is naturally suspicious of the pipe smoking
caterpillar, and the grinning cat. Whackos!
Alice’s
most redeeming feature is her ability to reflect and curb her more audacious
inclinations. As well, when she makes a mistake, she moves on with her head
held high, and picks up where she left off. I couldn’t think of a more significant
role model to begin my granddaughter’s education.
Women role models from literature
As girls grow
they should be introduced to women of literature whose courage and
determination make them noteworthy, and stand outs as powerful role models.
There are,
of course, many strong female roles but perhaps my favorites are Maggie
Tulliver, Mill on the Floss, Jane, Jane Eyre, and Lizzie Bennet, Pride and Prejudice. Although confined
by the restrictions set by their respective societies and eras, these amazing
women hinted to us that not all women should be powerless and subservient. They
bent the roles, pushed the boundaries, and refused to be stereotyped regardless
of who was watching or what was at stake, sometimes paying the highest price.
Modern female role models and writers
Of course, modern times calls for
modern women to take the lead. Today’s teens have some very impressive women to
lead and guide them too.
With Hermione Granger from Harry Potter, Katniss Everdeen from The
Hunger Games, and Lisbeth Salander, from The
Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, I feel today’s generation are in good hands.
Having been
a student of, Women who run with Wolves,
I know why girls need strong, confident and resilient role models. For example,
while Little Red Riding Hood shared Alice’s curiosity, she lacked Alice’s
courage. Perhaps if she had she would have bopped that wicked wolf on the nose
and spent a lovely afternoon with her grandmother instead.
I also must
mention Caroline Paul’s, Gutsy Girl.
I purchased a copy for a friend, a true gutsy girl, who walked the Kokoda Trail
on her own. Once I read it, I realized that Paul’s accounts of her adventures;
her amazing courage and her recklessness tempered with a whimsical bravado,
where enthralling and needed to be celebrated. She soon became a role model I
was excited about sharing so I purchased a copy for my granddaughter. At the
time of writing this she is just one year old, but when she is older I will present
it to her.
Her name is
after all, Emma Jane; named after my daughter’s favorite fictional characters –
Emma Woodhouse and Jane Eyre. Proof, I believe that I did something right in
her education; filling her heart and her mind with powerful female characters from
literature so much so she named her daughter after two of them.
About the author - Susan Day
Susan Day
is an author of 15 books and a content marketer. Her blog, Astro’s Adventures
Book Club, is full of ideas and tips for grandparents who
want to build a strong relationship with their grandchildren. In particular,
Susan specializes in helping grandparents share their love of books with their
grandchildren. Susan is currently writing a book titled, The Top 10 Things Happy Grandparents Never Regret Doing!
Susan lives
in Australia with four dogs, three boss cats, three rescue guinea pigs,
and an errant kangaroo. And, apart from blogging, writing and reading; she
loves drinking coffee, painting and learning to box.
Connect with me on line :-
