Top Ten Inspirational Female Heroines

Maria Millage ’17 / Emertainment Monthly Staff Writer
One of the biggest pleasures that come from reading is being able to connect with the characters within a novel. History as seen a great many relatable and strong protagonists and supporting characters, but these days as more and more compelling female heroines fill our shelves, it’s about time we count down to some of the best feminine figures in literary history.

1. Elizabeth Bennet
from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Whenever anyone thinks about progressive female characters, the first one to come to mind is usually the protagonist of one of Jane Austen’s most famous novels. Lizzy is most famous for turning down a grand total of two marriage proposals from men she didn’t love before finally accepting one from someone she did.  She fights against the norms of the time period and her controlling mother to choose her own destiny and a life that she desires.

2. Hermione Granger
from the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling

Hermione was a role model to young girls everywhere obsessed with J.K. Rowling’s famous series and there’s no doubt as to why.  She’s intelligent, clever, and a fast thinker, saving Harry and Ron from certain death on many occasions.  Unlike other female characters from young adult novels, Hermione is focused on schoolwork and friendship, becoming a spunky and independent woman that readers should be proud of.

3. Hester Prynne
from The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Hester is most often viewed as a victim but there are many who would argue otherwise.  Despite being ostracized by for having a child out of wedlock, she still manages to persevere and maintain her dignity.  NPR has described her as “among the first and most important female protagonists in American literature…and what happens when women break cultural bounds and gain personal power.”

4. Lisbeth Salander
from The Millennium trilogy by Steig Larsson

She might be a never-ending moral quandary, but Lisbeth is also undoubtedly a strong character who can take care of herself.  She makes a living as an ethical hacker and has an eidetic memory.  In the first book of the trilogy alone we see her fight back and ultimately triumph over the legal manager of her estate, a man who used his position to abuse her.  Though she might not be perfect, the strong character behind Lisbeth’s actions has the potential to inspire us all.

5. Jane Eyre
from Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

Jane is commonly seen as one of the earliest examples of an individualistic, passionate, and complex female character who is most decidedly not a damsel in distress.  Even though her character suffers through many trials during the novel, she is always the one who gets herself back on her feet.

6. Celie Johnson
from The Color Purple by Alice Walker

A black woman living in the 1930s, Celie has been oppressed by men for her entire life.  An extramarital affair with one of her husband’s friends teaches Celie to stand up for herself and live her life based on her own beliefs.  With some assistance she frees herself from the bondage of her husband and starts her own sewing business.

7. Nancy Drew
from the Nancy Drew series by Carolyn Keene

Nancy has been cited as a role model to some of today’s most influential women, including Sandra Day O’Connor, Hillary Clinton, and former First Lady Laura Bush.

8. Katniss Everdeen
from The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins

There should be no doubt in anyone’s mind that Katniss is one of the strongest ladies on this list.  She single-handedly provides for herself, her sister, and her mother, and that’s all before she volunteers as tribute in the bloody Hunger Games put on by the Capitol.  During her time in the arena and outside of it, Katniss proves that she is capable of taking care of herself.

9. Jo March
from Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Jo is the tomboyish and second oldest of four daughters with a fiery temper that often gets her into trouble.  Despite being proposed to by her neighbor and friend, she instead decides to marry another, much older, man who she thinks she is better suited to.  In this she shows the individuality that defines her character and refuses to adhere to the gender stereotypes that were raging in the 1800s when the novel was published.

10. Janie Crawford
from Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

Janie is an independent woman whose personal strength comes from fighting society’s views on who she should marry and what it means to be happy.  She maintains her dignity and stands up for herself despite the many challenges that life throws her way.