Feminist Characters in Books and Movies

Many famous movies and books often have as their main or secondary characters feminist ones. 

For example, in The Beauty and The Beast (1991), Belle is a stubborn girl who refuses Gaston's advances, and when being captive of the Beast, she often talks back to him, not obeying his commands.

Or in the book Little Women (by Loisa May Alcott), Jo March is a classic feminist character. She sets aside traditional ideas of a woman being married and settled. She wants Ms. Alcott to pursue her passion for writing and enjoy the freedom of her ideas, providing a happier prosaic view to the life of women, allowing them to dream and aspire beyond motherhood and domesticity. 

Animated Disney movies (those made after the 1970/1980s), always have had at least one feminist characters. 

But why?

Because since the second feminist wave (click here to see article about it), women wanted to teach their daughters (since boys rarely watched Disney movies) how to be independent, how to stand up for themselves, without obeying to some sexist, stuck-up man.

And, honestly, Disney did a pretty damn job by introducing these roles, and not doing the same movies where the princess is helplessly in love at the first sight with the prince, and they end up loving each other almost immediately.

For example, in The Beauty and The Beast, Belle doesn't immediately fall in love for the Beast, on the contrary, she hated him. While in the movie Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), the Prince Charming and Snow White fall in love immediately with each other.

And, remember, I'm NOT saying I hate movies like Cinderella (1950), Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs etc.

Along with Belle and Jo March, there are countless characters in literature and films that contest traditional gender roles and provide liberation narratives for young and old. Characters, such as Mulan in Disney's movie Mulan (1998), defy feminine assertiveness and intelligence by choosing honour and duty over stereotyped impositions. Merida from Brave (2012) continues the defiant approach by rejecting the idea that women are to marry before reaching the illusion of happiness and instead seeks free-spirited independence and legacy with her mother, foregoing conventionality.

Some notable examples in literature are Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games Series (by Suzanne Collins), as the warrior protector and leader, transcending traditional romantic or domestic expectations, thereby providing modern-day strength and resilience for women. And Hermione Granger, in the Harry Potter Series (by J.K Rowling), also showcasing that intelligence, resilience, and bravery are actually what are worth celebrating in women. 

Overall, feminist characters are FUNDAMENTAL to teach kids their self-worth, and that's important to stand up for themselves and for the others, and these movies and books, watched and read by many kids and teens, will make sure (maybe) that the next generations will be less sexist than they were and still are (even if not as much as in the past) now.

And remember, if you want the world to be a better place for your kids, make them watch/read this books and movies, as a starter (they're pretty good and entertaining too).

That's all I had to say for today's post.

Have a good day/afternoon/evening/night,

-Rose❤️