— This list was created and voted on by Goodreads members. There’s also their uncle’s name, Julian. Find out which well-known character from literature best describes you. Martin’s A Song of Fire and Ice series, Arya Stark is a small but fiery force to be reckoned with. Check out our favirte lines from the world’s 30 most quotable books. Shakespeare is a classic literary author of the 16th century who offers some beautiful names to consider for your baby girl or baby boy. Euripides: “Medea” . Still, over the course of the series, the Muggle-born Hermione transforms from an eager, bookish 11-year-old to a confident, loyal, and brave heroine. Forced to flee her home, she runs off to London to seek her fortune, encountering various interesting characters along the way. Orphaned as a child Jane has felt an ou… Classic poetry, plays, and nonfiction works may be included as well, as long as they have a female subject or are written from a female perspective.If an entire series is relevant, please only include the first volume in the series. They're well developed, memorable, and inspiring. Severus Snape ( Harry Potter )–20. 15 Female Characters From Literature Who Deserved SO Much Better. The name has traditionally been applied to those imaginative works of poetry and prose distinguished by the intentions of their authors and the perceived aesthetic excellence of their execution. Literature may be classified according to a variety of systems, including language, national origin, … An American classic. From beloved classics to modern page-turners, these famous female characters in literature symbolize the breadth, depth, and complexity of what it means to be a woman. Conceived by Edward Stratemeyer, who also penned the popular Hardy Boys series, Nancy Drew’s character was groundbreaking because she wasn’t simply a pretty sidekick to a leading male counterpart. Called “Lizzie” or “Eliza” by her family and friends, Elizabeth Bennett is the stubborn and witty protagonist from the endearing 1813 Jane Austen novel Pride and Prejudice. From Joan of Arc burning at the stake for her beliefs to Mulan posing as a man to enter the military and save her father, these women have rebelled against their time period, acting in ways unheard of for women. Creon of Corinth. This list features books from all genres with the strongest female lead characters. I feel like there is no one who understands me like Lizzie ... 2. Fitzwilliam Darcy ( Pride and Prejudice )–33. She’s the second oldest of five daughters in the Bennett family and, like the rest of her sisters, she’s expected to marry for status and money, not for love. You are Lizzie Bennett! In addition to being the first name of authors Orwell, Saunders, and Eliot (her pen name, at least), George Emerson is also the romantic interest of protagonist Lucy Honeychurch in E.M. Forster's A Room with a View.Reading isn't the only way to … For much of the novel, Celie is a victim. Women are complex, and literature lends itself to greater character development than many other mediums. Classic Literature With Female Protagonists. Shirley Jackson’s We Have Always Lived in the Castle has two eerie, compelling female characters with great names: Merricat (short for Mary Katherine) and Constance. She’s praised for her smarts, but as a character, Hermione Granger is much more than just an academic overachiever. Anne Shirley ( Anne of Green Gables )–27. Seneca the Younger: “Agamemnon” . When you are in love you make sure not to lose your own personality, and you are very wise about who you … Stories can only exist if there's conflict. After a series of tragedies forces her to flee her home, Arya remains a survivor, overcoming grief, fear and near-death experiences to find the strength she needs to finally avenge her family. These J.K. Rowling quotes are incredibly motivating. Meg's math-savvy crush (turned husband in the later books) is smart, kind, and calm in a crisis. By Charlotte Ahlin. Tough with a capital T, the fiercely independent Arya outwardly scorns “noble” female hobbies like sewing and dancing in favor of sword fighting and horseback riding. Points are deducted because the Rush song and Winona Ryder’s character in Heathers are both named for Tom Sawyer instead. The ultra­adorable, Swiss, French, and Dutch female variation of Albert means ‘bright’. This jazzy, old­fashioned name is making a comeback, along with its sisters Ella and Josephine. See more ideas about literary costumes, halloween costumes, book character costumes. She first appeared in the 1930s but remains one of the most iconic female characters in all of literature. By Emily Temple. The villains are wonderfully awful!) Aeschylus: “The Libation Bearers” ( “Oresteia Trilogy” ) Sophocles: “Electra” . Jo both struggles with and defies society’s expectations of how women in the 19th century should carry themselves, making her one of literature’s most daring female characters. Studying the heroes or heroines is an important aspect of understanding a work of literature. By the series’ end, Katniss has become a reluctant hero, simply because she’s an ordinary girl who managed to find courage under extraordinary circumstances. 3. Holly Golightly, Breakfast at Tiffany's, Truman Capote, 1958. There is no shortage of qualities to love about one of Jane Austen’s most famous female characters, Elizabeth Bennet. 4.33 avg rating — 6,430,996 … For those who like the idea of a nickname, Calvin shortens naturally to Cal. 4. As a lead character in Stieg Larrson’s 2005 breakout novel The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, Lisbeth, a ferociously smart computer hacker with a photographic memory, overcomes a traumatic childhood to help solve a timeworn family mystery, all while abiding by her own uncompromising moral code. There is an array of black female characters in fiction that are great topics of discussion — some for good reasons, others not so much. As the heroine of the dystopian Hunger Games trilogy, Katniss Everdeen is a contemporary icon. Through the power of love and forgiveness, Celie finds her own strength, transforming from a weak, wounded woman into a confident, independent, and compassionate one. Samwise Gamgee ( Lord of the Rings )–19. In Pride and Prejudice, Lizzie is a formidable defender of her family, she champions the downtrodden (well, at least people that she THINKS are downtrodden, ahem Wickham), and she fights hard … The following list includes 10 famous fictional heroines to help you with your studies of famous novels, or just to give you a better point of reference. She’s lonely, dejected, and emotionally and physically mistreated, first by her own father and then, later, by her husband. 1: The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games, #1) by. Elizabeth Bennett. Lily Bart, The House of Mirth, Edith Wharton, 1905. What’s better than a book character you love? Scarlett O’Hara ( Gone With the Wind )–23. These famous literary heroes, heroines, and villains are some of the best fictional characters ever created! Euripides: “Electra” . Female Villains: 10 Evil Women In Literature 09/21/2012 10:41 am ET Updated Nov 21, 2012 In literature as in so-called "real" life, evil is, by far, the purview of the male gender; it is men who are the … 27. Scout Finch ( To Kill a Mockingbird )–30. Being that she’s still technically married, she’s considered an adulterer and sentenced to prison, and is brandished with a red letter A, which she must wear for the rest of her life. … As the protagonist in Their Eyes Were Watching God, a 1937 novel by Zora Neale Hurston, Janie Crawford endures a life of servitude and discontent at the hands of the men she marries. We are no longer supporting IE (Internet Explorer) as we strive to provide site experiences for browsers that support new web standards and security practices. I understand that. Rand had a gift when it came to melding thematics and prose, but the novel’s biggest mistep is her female … 1. Jane Eyre book. On September 1st, I added another birthday to my collection. Lisbeth Salander. Anne of Green Gables (Anne of Green Gables, #1), Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, #1). Shakespearean girl names Ophelia Yet many women have fought against those expectations, as can be seen within the annals of classic literature. 15. Each of these women might be unconventional in some way, but their very "otherness" is in many respects what allows them to be heroic. Hailed by some critics as one of the most important characters in female literature, Hester Prynne is the protagonist in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s 1850 novel, The Scarlet Letter. 22 Strong Female Characters In Literature We All Wanted To Be. To remain true to herself, she’s willing to remain single, a concept that was practically unheard at the time. Celie is both the narrator and protagonist of The Color Purple, the 1982 prize-winning novel by Alice Walker. Literature, a body of written works. Instead, the bold, physically strong, and fiercely intelligent Nancy used her superior intellect—not her looks—to solve a slew of mysteries. She’s provocative, intense, and even slightly unhinged. Gilly (character) Dandy Gilver; Meg Giry; Glinda the Good Witch; Honoria Glossop; Glumdalclitch; Frances Goldsmith; Goneril; Good Witch of the North; Ginny Gordon; Helen Graham (The Tenant of Wildfell Hall) Hermione Granger; Beverly Gray; Grendel's mother; Agnes Grey; The Groke; Gwenddydd At 15, she is strong-willed, confident, and literary and, unlike her sisters, she is outspoken and uninterested in marriage. The Little Prince (The Little Prince) Author: Antoine De Saint-Exupéry An astronaut-cum-gardener-cum-prophet, the Little Prince is perhaps the wisest character in the history of literature. Here are the 18 best short books ever. Sep 25, 2016 - Explore Dear English Major's board "Literary Costume Ideas", followed by 729 people on Pinterest. Nancy Drew, Nancy Drew Mystery Stories. There are so many strong, fascinating leading ladies in literature that capture our heart, but we hope the girls listed below ask us to dance. Gregor Samsa, The Metamorphosis, Franz Kafka, 1915. Even great characters need to be spanked every once in a while.