On International Women’s Day we toast our favourite female literary protagonists
Danai Jekesai Gurira as Okoye in a Marvel film adaption
Lead the way like Okoye
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Okoye is a brave warrior and leader of the Dora Milaje, a group of female guards who protect the kingdom of Wakanda. She proudly wears her red uniform, and carries her hidden spear with ease in her tunic. Okoye trains in many forms of combat, and speaks Hausa, a rarely-spoken African language in the kingdom, with the king to maintain privacy of information. Her loyalty and her determination to stand up against injustice often stand face-to-face with each other, throwing her into complex predicaments.
Read: Okoye: To the People by Ibi Zoboi
Solve mysteries like Miss Marple
Joan Hickson as Miss Marple in the eponymous TV series. Pics Couresy/Youtube; Wikimedia Commons
Created by ‘Britain’s Queen of Crime’, Miss Marple of St Mary Mead, an English town, is sharp, quick-witted, unassuming, and one of the earliest white-haired female detectives in literature. She calls herself an “ordinary, scatty old lady”, which she believes makes for an easy camouflage among people. She is never idle; you can find her knitting, gardening, indulging in a gossip or two, or finding clues in the most mundane conversations. Marple is visibly distinguishable from Poirot as a detective, both in her nature and her approach to solving crimes. She can sense evil where one least expects it, and prefers to rely on her own experiences than logic.
Read: A Murder is Announced by Agatha Christie
Dare to dream like Jo March
Saoirse Ronan as Jo March in the book’s 2019 film adaptation
March sisters are endearing and loving in their own gentle ways, but one stands out most. Josephine March dares to dream beyond what the world promises her. She can be found spinning stories, which are often enacted by the sisters in their room. Freedom is key to her; unable to achieve it fully, she sends her manuscript under a shorter name Jo, which conceals her gender. For women who have had to negotiate spaces for themselves or have fought hard to gain employment, respect, or acknowledgement in jobs dominated by men, Jo offers a shivering mirror of recognition.
Read: Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
Take risks like Ammu
Ammu Ipe is the mother of the twins Rahel and Esthappen. She leaves her home and ends up marrying Babu at the young age of 18. After recognising his abusive behaviour, she leaves him behind, returns to Ayemenem, her hometown in Kerala, and falls in love with Velutha, a man from the oppressed caste, causing something of a scandal in the town. Ammu’s brazenness lends her “an air of unpredictability”, much of which comes from her childhood experiences living with her abrasive father Pappachi; she is unlike most mothers written in early Indian fiction. Yet like all mothers, she loves her children deeply.
Read: The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy
Sing your heart out like Saeeda Bai
Tabu as Saeeda Bai
Saeeda Bai is a musician, a courtesan whom one of the leading young characters, Maan, is drawn towards. Saeeda is surprised to find out that she too has fallen for him, but believes that nothing can stand in the way of her work and standing. Although not the protagonist of the narrative, Saeeda is an important figure in Indian literature, who bridges religious sentiments. She reminds readers of artistes like Begum Akhtar, who were some of the earliest female writers and lyricists, skilled in various genres of Hindustani classical music like thumris and ghazals, but often misunderstood.
Read: A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth
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Take tough decisions like Sethe
Driven by injustice, Sethe kills her children. Being a runaway slave, she feels they should not have to bear the terror and pain of slavery. Morrison revealed in a PBS interview that the character was inspired by a news piece. This compels readers to think of her ferocity in a new light.
Read: Beloved by Toni Morrison
Be adventurous like Matilda
Matilda enjoys a dessert
Matilda Wormwood, a bright child with telekinetic powers is mistreated by her parents, and finds comfort in her teacher, Miss Honey. Witnessing how children in her school are being treated, she decides to save them from the bully, Principal Trunchbull. Matilda reads, makes her own pancakes, is quick at calculations, and loves innocent pranks. Her humility is her strength, and her superpowers don’t take that away from her.
Read: Matilda by Roald Dahl
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