These 12 Famous Female Characters in Literature Will Lift You Up
"There are two powers in the world; one is the sword and the other is the pen. There is a third power stronger than both, that of women," Malala Yousafzai wrote in her book I am Malala: The Story of the Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban.
penned the powerful statement after she was shot while coming home after taking an exam—in a place where girls were forbidden to receive an education where she lived in Afghanistan. The may surpass the pen and the sword, but often, when combined with the power of the written word, big things happen.
In fact, many of the that inspire, educate and shape our world prominently feature women, like Yousafzai, who have a unique story to contribute to humanity’s narrative—whose very being makes us better understand ourselves.
Throughout history, famous female characters in literature have played important roles in storytelling and affirming women to be strong, smart, and secure in themselves. Women are complex, and literature lends itself to greater character development than many other mediums. Whether it be from a beloved classic or a modern page-turner, these famous female characters in literature symbolize the breadth, depth, and complexity of what it means to be a woman.
Celie from The Color Purple
Hermione from Harry Potter
Minny Jackson from The Help
Esperanza from The House on Mango Street
Sayuri Nitta from Memoirs of a Geisha
Eliza Sommers from Daughter of Fortune
Hester Prynne from The Scarlet Letter
Janie Crawford from Their Eyes Were Watching God
Jane Eyre from Jane Eyre
Lisbeth Salander from Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Elizabeth Bennett from Pride and Prejudice
Esperanza from Esperanza Rising
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