Few female characters fall into that category. See more ideas about female villains, literature, book worth reading. Suzanne is moody and selfish and, by the end of the novel, downright evil. Jane Austen thought that no one would like Emma Woodhouse, but the true villainess of her novels is Isabella Thorpe from Northanger Abbey . 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. Described by readers as, "an immediate candidate to replace Veda Pierce as the worst daughter in the history of noir," Courtney is obsessed with celebrity and fortune and will do anything to gain her end even if it means betraying her father and brother or anyone who stands in her way. The day might be coming that there will be a plethora of Madame Jekylls who will find the formula to turn themselves into Madame Hydes and perform deeds that forever erase the centuries old categorizing of the gentler sex. I am surrounded by amazing women and I want to see them in the books I read with my kids. While Snow is trying to cause harm to Katniss, this young woman is the hero instead of the typic… Read 22 426 reviews from the world's largest community for readers. 1. You have to admit, that's pretty compelling. (Think Lady Macbeth, Phyllis Dietrichson, and Abigail Williams.) This list is subjective for sure, and only comprised of characters I … Sign up for membership to become a founding member and help shape HuffPost's next chapter. Numerous readers confirmed, what I must have subconsciously suspected, that women were capable of committing horrible deeds on their own hook, upfront and solo. But isn’t there more to this stereotypical female villain? A popular book series that has been turned into movies, “The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins, features a tyrant villain. 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. Here are a few of the most dynamic women who have graced the pages of literature, leaving a trail of beautiful destruction. Now that's power. But you have to admit that the girl's got gumption. Female literary villains‎ (66 P) W Hildegarde Withers‎ (7 P) Pages in category "Female characters in literature" The following 200 pages are in this category, out of approximately 336 total. 22 Feb 2016. The festival of Navratri , spread over nine days, is dedicated to women, with each day devoted to a different manifestation of the Goddess Durga. Perhaps one of the most well-known females in literature, Hester Prynne from The Scarlet Letter decides to fight back against her puritanical society after an affair with a priest left her pregnant. All rights reserved. They’re so sparkling and alluring that even though you know they’re evil, you just can’t resist being on their side. 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. There’s a reason femme fatales are so dangerous — it’s difficult to ignore that kind of character. 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. Created by Scottish author Alexander McCall Smith, Precious Ramotswe is one of the very few Black female detectives in literature. Victorian Women in Literature May Hasan Srayisah* Abstract Many authors began to write about the sufferings and endurances of women in the Victorian Age. 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. 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. Sure, they do terrible things, but they're so interesting and complex — you want to know what they're going to do next! We made it easy for you to exercise your right to vote! 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. In fact, not everyone might easily come up with a top ten list like that of the British author MG Leonard . It gives women someone to admire, to aspire to be like. Along with Eloise and Scarlett, other literary girl names in the US … 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. 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. by Ashly Perez. One of the most basic steps in avoiding the use of female character tropes and stereotypes may sound obvious. Here are 16 other magnificently mean female characters from Cruella De Vil to Nurse Ratched, and of course The Wicked Witch of the West. The world is brimming with strong complex women. They're unpredictable. Empowering female characters in books is important. Lady Macbeth is the brains behind all the action in Macbeth . By Julia Seales. Images: 20th Century Fox (3), Focus Features (1), Loew's Inc (1), Summit Entertainment (1), The Weinstein Company (1), Buena Vista Pictures (2), Lionsgate (1), ITV (1), 20th Century Fox (1), Warner Bros Pictures (1). 8 & 7. Some villains are terrible through and through. These literary girl names are derived from female characters in books from all genres and periods. This leader believes that he is doing what’s best for the people by keeping a tight rein of control. She's no match for Aslan in the end, but she's a terrifying and dynamic foe nonetheless. This isn’t to say that women can’t be admirable or strong on their own, because they can. Villains are the best. This list may not reflect recent changes . 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. 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. Amy Dunne from Gone Girl is manipulative, crazy, and sometimes downright evil — but you can't tell me you weren't ~sort of~ rooting for her the whole time. She's beautiful and manipulative and cunning, possessing all the traits necessary for a bewitching villain. 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. It's to know what the prevailing stereotypes even are! Literary girl names from classic books such as Scarlett and Scout are fashionable. She is the first female private investigator from Botswana and founder of a detective agency. After all, Veruca is spoiled and selfish and just all-around terrible. More and more novels focused heavily on traditional, typical Victorian female characters and their interactions. 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. She's manipulative and selfish, yet, at the end, I was still sorry to see her friendship with Catherine crumble. As to the movement for the emancipation of Some villains are terrible through and through. I've gathered 19 female character tropes that tend to bother me as a reader, and many of these I've heard complained about from others as well. Hailed by some critics as one of the most important characters in female literature, Hester Prynne is the protagonist in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s … It is now not only commonplace, but also acceptable that women can independently exercise their own evil intent without going through a male surrogate. Male villains in children’s books outnumber their female counterparts. Readers called in to recount the evil literary women that stuck in their memories. A character you’re in love with. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency, which started with the novel of same name in 1998. However, reading about a strong female might help boost confidence, something modern society often lowers. But then on the other hand, there are some villains who do lure you in. We may not love them in our lives, but they’re often the best part of our literature—on account of their clear power, their refusal of social norms, and most importantly, their ability to make stories happen. Veruca was my favorite character in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory when I read it as a kid, which seems bizarre to me now. Scarlett is extremely vain and selfish, but she's also intelligent and passionate. Spy, seductress, and diamond thief — Milady does it all. 9 Iconic Female Characters from Indian Literature and What We Can Learn from Them. While Prynne must wear the scarlet "A" for adultery for the rest of her life, she does not hide or leave town. Warren Adler is the author of The Serpent's Bite [Stonehouse Press, $21.95]. One can expect a lot more female evildoers to populate the literary landscape as women move to parity with men in every endeavor. The literature of today must be characteristic of these women, in thought, belief, and body. 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. ―Nora Ephron. The Awareness of Women in the Literature of Charlotte Brontë and Virginia Woolf 3.1 Similarities 3.2 Differences Conclusion References Today is National Voter Registration Day! 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. As a follow up to the “8 Inspiring Female Heroines” article, let’s take a look at some of the most disappointing and annoying female characters in literature—women who are not only not inspiring, but can actually be a bad influence on readers. Abstract Introduction 1. 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 and tenderhearted of the genders. Sometimes, they're just plain bad news. There is no shortage of qualities to love about one of Jane Austen’s most famous female characters, Elizabeth Bennet.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 … The Serpent's Bite [Stonehouse Press, $21.95]. Miss Havisham knew what she was doing when she raised Estella: the girl is cold as ice. What’s better than a book character you love? Ironically, I discovered this as I composed my latest novel The Serpent's Bite and created the character of Courtney Temple, a failed actress driven to evil deeds by frustration, celebrity and greed. 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