female villains in literature

Wives and Mothers in the Literature of Charlotte Brontë and Virginia Woolf 2.1 Similarities 2.2 Differences 3. It is now not only commonplace, but also acceptable that women can independently exercise their own evil intent without going through a male surrogate. Here's a case where an anti-heroine charmed her own creator: originally, Tolstoy intended to make Anna Karenina ugly and vulgar, but he became so intrigued by her character that he rewrote her into a beautiful and alluring woman. Lydia and Kitty Bennet, of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen: Sisters to a wide range of different kind of women, ranging from … 1. Hermione Granger (Harry Potter character) Hermione Jean Granger is a fictional character in J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series. You have to admit, that's pretty compelling. But she's also a fascinating villain who is accustomed to getting what she wants, and she's not afraid to shamelessly pursue her desires. 8 & 7. Here are 16 other magnificently mean female characters from Cruella De Vil to Nurse Ratched, and of course The Wicked Witch of the West. Girl names from children's books are particular popular today, including Alice (in Wonderland) and Eloise (at the Plaza). Literary girl names from classic books such as Scarlett and Scout are fashionable. What’s better than a book character you love? American literature loves a good female villain. It's this intensity that makes her character so compelling. Read 22 426 reviews from the world's largest community for readers. But then she reveals her true colors. Some villains are terrible through and through. All rights reserved. A bit of literary sleuthing indicates that a number of literary ladies have been pretty good at performing foul deeds on their own. Suzanne is moody and selfish and, by the end of the novel, downright evil. More and more novels focused heavily on traditional, typical Victorian female characters and their interactions. Nurse Ratchet of One Flew Over the Cuckoo Nest, Mrs. Danvers of Rebecca, Annie Wilkes of Misery, Cathy Ames of East of Eden needed no male surrogates to perform their evil deeds. All rights reserved. The Serpent's Bite [Stonehouse Press, $21.95]. Scarlett is extremely vain and selfish, but she's also intelligent and passionate. July 12, 2016. Today is National Voter Registration Day! She's beautiful and manipulative and cunning, possessing all the traits necessary for a bewitching villain. She's no match for Aslan in the end, but she's a terrifying and dynamic foe nonetheless. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency, which started with the novel of same name in 1998. Abigail is pretty dang crazy, but you have to admit that she's interesting. Best Female Characters in Literature 1. The world is brimming with strong complex women. I love strong female characters because they mirror the girls and women in my own life. Despite her faults, she appeals to Pip, who can't resist her conflicted nature. There are the Phyllis Diertrichsons of Double Indemnity and Cora Papadakis of The Postman Always Rings Twice who push their erotically inflamed lovers to kill their husbands, and one must not discount the female capacity for vengeance, especially when betrayed by men, like Mrs. Havisham of Great Expectations or those women who cannot inspire love in the man they choose like Scarlett O'Hara, and take it out ruthlessly on those who find her irresistible. But changing times and the recent empowerment of women are beginning to alter the landscape. The festival of Navratri , spread over nine days, is dedicated to women, with each day devoted to a different manifestation of the Goddess Durga. It gives women someone to admire, to aspire to be like. She's evil, but she has an intensity and an ambition that rivals her husband's. the types of characters that you love to hate. Spy, seductress, and diamond thief — Milady does it all. These are the types of characters that you love to hate from the moment they flit across the page, leaving nothing but misery in their wake. She's the ultimate dynamic female villain. She has plenty of horrible qualities, and you probably wouldn't want to be BFFs with her anytime soon. by The Week team. This list may not reflect recent changes (). Here are a few of the most dynamic women who have graced the pages of literature, leaving a trail of beautiful destruction. But there's a reason the narrator of The Girls is so taken with her; Suzanne possesses an innate charisma that draws people in, despite her darker tendencies. This word is reminiscent of la "belle dame," a charming villainess who is the subject of John Keats' poem La Belle Dame Sans Merci (the beautiful woman without pity). Lady Macbeth is the brains behind all the action in Macbeth . But they have not always been portrayed as shrinking violets in using what was once characterized as "women's wiles" to manipulate their more dominant male counterparts to act in ways that have resulted in various degrees of evil. But you have to admit that the girl's got gumption. 22 Strong Female Characters In Literature We All Wanted To Be "Above all, be the heroine of your life, not the victim." In the world of horror, there's nothing quite as eerie as a really good female villain. A lot of literature tries to split the difference with the gender tropes, letting female characters goad male ones into murder, so they get the blame without actually doing the deed. Before Dracula, there was Carmilla , Le Fanu's classic vampire story. Villains are the best. At first, she's everything you want in a BFF. She is the protagonist of the series The No. by Ashly Perez. Tap here to turn on desktop notifications to get the news sent straight to you. The poem is about a woman who ensnares men because she's been made to destroy, similar to the Other Mother, who's charming at first but soon turns deadly. Pages in category "Female literary villains" The following 66 pages are in this category, out of 66 total. Now that's power. Abstract Introduction 1. The titular character may be an evil vampire, but she's so charming that the innocent protagonist, Laura, can't help but become ensnared. This list may not reflect recent changes . However, reading about a strong female might help boost confidence, something modern society often lowers. 12 Female Literary Characters Who Are More Than Damsels in Distress by Kaelyn Barron | 0 comments For a long time in literature, it seemed that readers had to dig deep to find female characters who weren’t just a damsel in distress or a cackling witch. We made it easy for you to exercise your right to vote! Manipulation of men, using her considerable tool chest of "wiles" to do both good and evil deeds, appears to be the weapon of choice, with rare exceptions, to exercise female power. 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. While Snow is trying to cause harm to Katniss, this young woman is the hero instead of the typic… Let's take a look at the top 5 female villains in Shakespeare’s plays: Women, by virtue of their historical status as nurturers, and for centuries dominated by men and considered mere breeders, have been characterized by time and custom as the gentler sex, compassionate and kind, more merciful … This isn’t to say that women can’t be admirable or strong on their own, because they can. From Rebekka playing her trick on the dying Isaac to induce Jacob to impersonate his brother Esau to get his father's blessing, through Jezebel and Lady Macbeth to Brigid O'Shaugnessay who uses her wiles to kill Sam Spade's partner in The Maltese Falcon, literature has been filled with women who ruthlessly exploit their sexuality to get a man to do their murderous bidding. It was, after all, Eve, persuaded by the snake to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge who then seduced the feckless Adam to take the bite that got them thrown out of the garden of Eden and started, in arguably mythological terms, the whole contentious and bloody history of the human race. In literature as in so-called "real" life, evil is, by far, the purview of the male gender; it is men who are the villains, evildoers, rascals and killers. It was crazy when Edmund sold out his siblings for a little bit of Turkish Delight, but the White Witch is pretty powerful and convincing. See more ideas about female villains, literature, book worth reading. Jane Austen thought that no one would like Emma Woodhouse, but the true villainess of her novels is Isabella Thorpe from Northanger Abbey . A character you’re in love with. In literature as in so-called "real" life, evil is, by far, the purview of the male gender; it is men who are the villains, evildoers, rascals and killers. She is the first female private investigator from Botswana and founder of a detective agency. 15 Of The Most Dynamic Female Villains In Books. These literary girl names are derived from female characters in books from all genres and periods. Male villains in children’s books outnumber their female counterparts. President Snow, a ruthless dictator, keeps the people in line by forcing them to compete in grisly and deadly games that are televised to ensure the citizens stay in line. Veruca was my favorite character in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory when I read it as a kid, which seems bizarre to me now. The literary landscape of today needs diverse books featuring modern female characters of every colour, ethnicity, religion, and sexuality, of every background, nationality, ideology, and age. Though some of these villains may have redeeming qualities, you could never love them. In Coraline , the chilling "other mother" is also known as the "beldam." Top ten heroes and villains of children's literature Female characters dominate lists as literary lovers mark World Book Day. This list is subjective for sure, and only comprised of characters I … As an extension to the classics we read in class, I use informational texts and interviews with actresses to provide a female perspective to these male-dominated stories. By Julia Seales. Readers called in to recount the evil literary women that stuck in their memories. 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