I know I'm a bit late to this and I know I could do this challenge just like everyone else - post the collage on instagram without any explanation, but where is the fun in that? Why pass up the opportunity to talk about these characters? Now, I'm not going to sit here and talk about how I think I'm like them, because that is a waste of your time and mine. This is purely an appreciation post of characters I think I share characteristics with. So here we go!
Elizabeth Bennet, Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen
I could probably pick three characters from three different Austen novels and be done, but that wouldn't be fair. So I decided to go with one of Austen's well known and well loved characters. Elizabeth's wit and determination to not just fall into the place society has created for her is what I admire about her. For example - when the proposal from Mr. Collins happens, Elizabeth refuses because she knows that it would be a miserable life for her. Yes, her society dictates that women could not inherit anything or have very much of a life unless they were married. Yes, if she would have married Mr. Collins then she would have had the house that she grew up in. But all of that was not important to her. She stuck to what was important to her and refused. It annoyed her mother, who wanted her to function as society said she should, but that didn't stop her from doing what she thought was best for her.
Anne Shirley, Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery
What is not to love about a girl with a wild imagination? That all depends on who you ask, but Anne's wild imagination has always been an inspiration to me! If there ever was a character who proved how possible it is to keep your imagination thriving regardless of circumstance, it is Anne Shirley. It never mattered where she was or what was going on around her, she never lost the essence of her imagination. Does it get her into trouble? Yes, but that does not discourage her from using her imagination. And her imagination thrives in such a way that it is stronger by the end of the novels.
So what has taken this post so long to be completed (because I started this about the middle of September) is the fact that I didn't want to write about three different literary characters. It would definitely be so easy to fill this list with literary characters, because I have spent so much time with them. Yes, I picked two literary characters for the list, but that was because these characters are my "go-to" whenever things are looking down. I can always count on the stories of these characters to brighten my day. It sounds weird, I know, but that is what we a enjoy about the characters we love. We identify with them, therefore they feel like close friends and we find a sense of comfort, that only close friends can bring, in them.
So for the third character on this list....
Kara Danvers, Supergirl
Yeah, we share a name, but she pronounces her's differently. And that's okay! I will still claim that I am Supergirl. But that's beside the point. I really like how the show that started on CBS and has now transferred to the CW has brought this comic book character to life. To be clear, I am specifically talking about how the TV show has portrayed her, thus I am considering this to be not in the literary character box.
The writers of the show have humanized her so well. She fangirls at random moments that many of us would fangirl at. Sometimes all she needs is a night of movies and ice cream (seriously, who doesn't need that?). She cares about those around her with such a passion that you really can't help but love her. She has her romantic struggles like the rest of us. What I really love is how the writers have portrayed her truly accepting who she is. What I have gathered from the first season is that up until we meet her, she had reached about half acceptance of herself. Learning her powers and how best to use them is the other half of self-acceptance. And I think that's really cool, because sometimes we go through our own lives only accepting half of ourselves. It isn't until we accept ourselves completely that things really start to work out in our favor. Doesn't mean that they always work out, because they don't always work out for Supergirl, but we have a greater chance of being at peace about how things are working out when we accept who we are, I think.
So there are my three fictional characters for that challenge that has basically already died out, but it was fun regardless to do this.
Until next time...
Kara