Males still make up an uncomfortable majority of published authors; perhaps this, along with many other factors, contributes to the dearth of strong female characters in literature. But regardless of causality, the truth is still evident: heroines have been woefully underrepresented throughout centuries of literary development. There are, however, some female characters who serve as positive representations of women and their potential, both old and new: notably Jane Eyre, from Charlotte Brontë's novel of the same name, and Hermione Granger, from JK Rowling's modern classic Harry Potter. Both heroines represent not only women perceived as heroes in their gender roles, but also women perceived as heroes by anyone's standards. Despite their obvious similarities and successful achievement of the same goal, however, the disparity between the two characters and the worlds from which they come shows how much women have progressed in today's literature. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay In much of classical literature, major female characters who some might consider “heroes” are not heroes at all. Instead, they are simply women doing exactly what women are supposed to do: fall in love, have children, look after the house, and obey their husbands. Some of the most important female characters in literature fall into this category; for example, Penelope, Odysseus's wife in the Odyssey, may be seen as strong and courageous, but in truth Penelope is praised as a heroine simply for remaining faithful to her husband during his long leave. Blind loyalty was to be his saving grace in this monumental epic, his defining characteristic. She was unable to face the suitors on her own, so she simply remained faithful to Odysseus, and when he returned all her problems were solved and she was able to live happily ever after. True heroes, male or female, should have a role in their own destiny; Penelope did nothing of the sort. The same concept applies to Desdemona in Shakespeare's Othello; throughout the play she was subordinate to her husband, doing what he asked of her, remaining faithful to him even if he treated her badly. Despite the fact that he kills her in the end, she is considered a heroine because she forgave Othello in the end. But is this what a real heroine should be? Completely submissive to the point of forgiving her husband for his fatal distrust? Even the supposed heroines that many girls look up to today, fairy tale princesses, are considered heroes because in the end they find the prince of their dreams. The Little Mermaid's Ariel completely changes herself to become a possible love for Prince Eric, sacrificing her voice, the very essence of her being, to do so. Princess Aurora from Sleeping Beauty is completely at the mercy of a man who comes to kiss her and wake her from her centuries-old sleep. Are these literary heroines really worthy role models for women? Each of them fails to achieve anything more than what is expected of women, and none manages to free themselves from the binding gender stereotypes that were so prevalent in their societies. This situation becomes even more serious; many times the main female characters are inserted only to serve as temptation for the real male heroes of the work. In Sir Gawain and the Green Night, Sir Bertilak's wife is considered so insignificant that she is not even given a name; she is instead defined by her marriage to the lord, and her sole purpose is to tempt the bold and courageous Sir Gawain to renounce his virtue. In the Odyssey, Calypso should not donothing more than tempting weary male travelers to give up their goals and stay with her forever. So, in particular, Helen of Troy in the Iliad is literally inserted into the epic to serve as an object of lust, to tear the heroes apart in their desire to claim her as their own. It will have no essence; she is simply there to be desired. This has been the case for many notable women literati throughout history; very few manage to overcome this stereotype. These women cannot be seen as heroes, yet they often appear at the forefront of many stories. When women do not serve as temptresses, they are often described as prone to temptation, unintelligent, foolish, and inferior to men not only in social status, but also in mental abilities. Perhaps the most famous example of this is the Abrahamic creation myth itself; the blame for humanity's fall is placed solely on the shoulders of Eve, our very first heroine, for being overly curious and easily tempted into devastating disobedience. This sends an obvious message that the woman is responsible for sin, the woman is responsible for the loss of paradise. But this depiction of women does not end with ancient stories; Ophelia in Shakespeare's Hamlet is described as having such a feeble mind that worrying about whether or not Hamlet loves her drives her to complete madness, which ultimately drives her to kill herself. And finally, Daisy Buchanan in The Great Gatsby is the epitome of a fickle, superficial and stupid woman, who chooses wealth and security over passion. His stupidity in bringing the car back from New York results in Myrtle's death. This recurring stereotype, in which women are seen as careless and stupid, creating all sorts of messes for men to clean up, does nothing for the image of women in literature or real society. If these are the heroines we look up to, we really need to question our perspective. There are, however, a select few heroines worthy of our attention and praise, particularly because they manage to break free from the stereotypical mold of women and achieve success. and prosperity as a result of one's own actions, rather than under the protection of one man. Heroines like these are becoming more and more numerous nowadays, but they also began to make their appearance a few centuries ago. Jane Eyre, a 19th-century heroine, and Hermione Granger, the more recent bushy-haired best friend of the beloved Harry Potter, present illuminating images of strong female characters from the past and present. There are some key similarities between their stories that illustrate why these two are such positive heroines. First, they both received an education, which is considered common today but unfortunately quite rare for women in the not so distant past. Much of the beginning of Jane Eyre takes place at Lowood, the school for orphaned girls where Jane was sent when she was ten and where she spent her life until the age of eighteen learning and eventually teaching herself. Jane emerges from Lowood as a skilled reader and writer, with an excellent knowledge of French, an excellent artist and musician, and, above all, able to reason and think for herself. At Lowood, she learned that through her own efforts she can achieve success, something most women of her time never had the opportunity to experience. Jane's appreciation for education extends even further into her life, when St. John offers her a job managing a school for poor children who would otherwise not receive an education. Of course, education is also an important part of Hermione Granger's life; his intelligence is one of his greatestdistinctive features throughout the book series. She is witty, well-read, logical, intelligent, and resourceful, and her brains are often her saving grace in life-threatening situations. Most of his story takes place at Hogwarts, his school, where he excels in virtually every subject and consequently flies far beyond anyone else. The importance of education in both of these women's lives and how it shaped their growth plays a huge role in their success as heroines and conveys messages to readers that detail the unfailing power of an educated woman. One of the most common components of all hero stories is a struggle to overcome difficult family situations; though in markedly different ways, both Jane and Hermione are burdened by their family and lineage and forced to overcome and become self-reliant. Jane, of course, was orphaned and had to endure years in the care of an aunt who didn't love her, among cousins ​​who treated her badly. Once she was sent to school, Jane's aunt broke off contact with her, leaving the girl alone; but in the long run it was better for her, because she learned to be independent, a quality necessary to some extent in all situations. heroes. Hermione's situation is admittedly a little different, but it still leads to the same result. Her parents are loving and caring, yes, but because they are Muggles, she is different from them in many significant ways. Due to their non-magical blood, they could not be allowed to play a role in Hermione's new life; she had to forge her own path alone, without much support from her family who, despite good intentions, simply couldn't understand the difficulties she faced in the wizarding world. Furthermore, Hermione's family situation - being Muggle-born or half-blood - brought her all sorts of mistreatment from hypocritical purebloods, and gave her much more to overcome than if she came from magical ancestors. This parallels Jane's difficulties; As an orphan, she was always completely at the mercy of her guardians. Although perhaps he would have done even better at a different school where life wasn't so hard for the students, as a young orphan, Lowood, was one of his only options. An orphan with few economic possibilities will never be able to have the same opportunities as a young person from a wealthy family. Both heroines had to overcome with little help the obstacles presented to them due to their family situation, but like all heroes they emerged better for it; the independence and strength gained through these trials would prove invaluable assets as they faced arduous tasks and dangerous decisions later in their stories. To truly be considered progressive heroines, Jane and Hermione had to overcome the female stereotype of subservience to males, and they both did just that. Neither allows men to control her; the nature of both their personalities prevents this from happening. At all times, Jane aspires to be Mr. Rochester's equal, and instead of being angry at her for this, Rochester admires her. When she refuses to be his hidden lover and leaves him, she shows that she has no desire to constantly be at his mercy. Hermione, despite her two best friends being male, is very often the driving force of the magnificent trio; when Harry and Ron are at a loss, unsure of what to do next, Hermione takes charge and guides them in the right direction. She never becomes a follower, sucked into Harry's fame and notoriety; on the contrary, Harry owes much of his success to his guidance. Both Hermione and Jane believe it is important to be the creators of their own lives, rather than being controlled by any man; a woman cannotbreak free from conventional gender roles until this is achieved. As discussed above, authors place many female characters in literature solely for romantic purposes. Both Hermione and Jane, however, dispute this; while both are faced with the tempting prospect of giving in to their emotions and allowing romance into their lives, they don't let it get in the way of their ultimate goals. Jane is intent on facing life while preserving her integrity and freedom, and although she has always loved Mr. Rochester and the idea of ​​spending her life with him, she is aware that doing so and giving up her values ​​would be wrong. Once she learns of her ex-wife's existence, she cannot bear to live as his secret lover, and instead gives up both the comfort of her life in Thornfield and the man she has grown to love to protect her freedom and preserve it. principles. Hermione clearly develops feelings for Ron as the series develops, but never acts on them because she knows she has a greater purpose than a petty romance. The most notable depiction of her strength and resolve in putting this love aside is when she chooses to stay with Harry in his horcrux hunt, rather than leave to be with Ron, who she already loves as more than just a best friend . Hermione knows that, in that moment, she is needed to help defeat Voldemort and ensure the longevity of wizards and Muggles; for the moment he prefers this to romance, and rightly so. The strength required to give up love in favor of duty in both of these women is exemplary and admirable, and shows readers that women have a higher purpose in life than simply falling in love and getting married. The best heroines must make choices for the greater good; If the love is true, it will be there when they return. However, there are some clear differences between Hermione Granger and Jane Eyre; the large difference in publication periods may explain this. Regardless, these differences illustrate how much women have progressed in literature over the past few centuries. First, despite her strong appearance and fierce determination, Jane's options are always limited to lifestyles that are feasible for a woman. After finishing her studies at Lowood, there are very few options for Jane: continue teaching and perhaps become a school administrator or take on a job as a housekeeper or housekeeper. He chooses the last option from a very slim set of choices, hoping to experience something new and different. But this low career availability represents what life was like for a woman in the nineteenth century, and Jane Eyre, though a heroine, is no exception. Hermione, however, knows from the first time she sets foot in Hogwarts castle that the whole world will open up to her once she leaves school. She could work for the Ministry, become a Hogwarts professor, work in Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade, start her own wizarding talk show, or even take a job in the Muggle world, for which she would be well prepared based on her early education. In this universe, women have all the same opportunities as men; there is very little inequality between witches and wizards, perhaps even less than in our society today. Hermione is fully qualified for every position held by her male colleagues. This difference is the result of the gradual shift towards equality that women have experienced over the past century; literature has also slowly reflected these social changes. It is also important to note that the very nature of their heroic deeds is quite variable. Hermione has a much greater purpose as a heroine than Jane, and this is evident from the beginning.