Women in Fiction | Beverly Katz

Beverly Katz

The latest post in my Women in Fiction series is in honour of Beverly Katz, the FBI Crime Scene Investigator from Thomas Harris’ Hannibal books and the TV adaptation of the same name, in which she was portrayed by Hettienne Park.

Smart, snarky, quick-witted and damn good at her job, Katz (particularly her screen iteration, given the casting of an Asian-American actress) managed to break stereotypes with regards to gender and ethnicity whilst also being a genuinely likable and relatable character. We so rarely see women of colour who are the intellectual and ass-kicking equals of their male counterparts without them ever needing to play the ‘sexy’ or ‘exotic’ card. Katz also bucks the trend by being in a powerful, influential and successful role without having had to become cold, detached and masculine.

Intuitive, empathetic and level-headed, she also regularly acted as a grounding force for the disturbed Will Graham, becoming one of his most trusted friends and colleagues, whilst also being one step ahead of the bad guys (and her team) on several occasions.

Park said it perfectly herself when describing the experience of bringing Katz to life:

“I got to play this amazing woman who didn’t have to sleep with anyone (not that I would have minded) or act dumb and girlie, or fawn all over some guy, or be a conniving bitch to get people to notice or respect me, and she didn’t speak broken English or karate chop anyone (not that I would have minded). Nobody called her “dragon lady” or “exotic.” She could shoot a gun and drive that FBI SUV like a champ. And all with the extra added bonus of being Jewish.”

What’s not to love?

Women in Fiction | Luna Lovegood

Luna Lovegood

The latest character to be featured in my ‘Women in Fiction’ series is Luna Lovegood from J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter books, who is portrayed by Evanna Lynch in the movie adaptations. Having already featured her Potter contemporary, Hermione Granger, in part for her unwillingness to compromise who she truly is, I couldn’t fail to also mention Luna, who has a level of self-love, acceptance and comfort in her own skin that most of us can only aspire to.

Delightfully quirky, Luna is unashamedly herself and though it would have been easy for such an oddball to have been painted as a loner, she instead showed us that kindness and loyalty will always win out in the end by proving herself to be one of Harry’s most reliable companions who is not at all afraid to stand up for what is right. In doing so, she also proved that sensitivity and compassion need not be seen as signs of weakness.

Essentially, Luna taught us that being true to ourselves may not necessarily be the fastest way to make the most friends, but it’s the best way to make the right ones.

Women in Fiction | Jill Valentine

Resident Evil heroine, Jill Valentine

Jill Valentine is the original and longest-standing heroine of the Resident Evil franchise of video games, having also made appearances in various forms of spin-off media, including movies, novels and comics.

Jill begins the series as part of a special police unit that discovers a secret research facility conducting horrific experiments which have led to the development of a virus responsible for creating bio-organic weapons (BOWs) and capable of zombifying anyone who comes into contact with it. Exposing a vast conspiracy, Jill is betrayed by her team captain, Albert Wesker, but survives the ordeal, destroying the facility and setting out on a tireless mission to expose and shut-down those behind the incident and eradicate BOWs. Travelling the world to do so, and overcoming seemingly impossible odds, she eventually goes on to co-found an organisation dedicated to the cause, and thus becomes a leading and respected figure in the fight against bio-terror.

The first and perhaps most obvious reason to praise Jill is her physical prowess, proving herself time and again to be just as capable a fighter as any of her male counterparts. She’s not there to be the love interest, nor the token female presence. Instead, she brings her own distinct skills to the team, more than earning her place. With Resident Evil usually hailed as the game which coined and popularised the Survival Horror genre, she is also often considered the benchmark for female leads to live up to. The game’s developers have even talked about how they consciously designed the character to make her appealing to both male and female gamers alike; a rare example of female gamers’ interests being taken seriously.

Throughout the series, Jill shows herself to be brave, resilient, compassionate, and a fiercely loyal operative, even going as far as to seemingly sacrifice her own life to stop Wesker and rescue her long-standing friend and partner, Chris Redfield. She survives but is seized, enduring years of captivity and attempted brainwashing but ultimately resisting and fighting back, emerging all the more determined to stand for what is right.

Jill’s formidable skill and her obvious moral strength have combined to see her popularity remain strong for the 20 years since her debut. Here’s to the next 20.

Women in Fiction | Chloe O’Brian

Chloe O’Brian

Chloe O’Brian is an agent working with the Counter Terrorist Unit in the TV show, 24. Portrayed by Mary Lynn Rajskub, she is both immensely intelligent and wonderfully forthright, never once mincing her words or holding back when she has something to say.

Throughout the show, Chloe consistently proves herself to be protagonist Jack Bauer’s most invaluable and trusted ally, going above and beyond the call of duty time and time again to aid him in his mission – even if it means jeopardising her position at CTU or putting her own life in danger. What I love even more however is her willingness to also stand up to Jack and call him out if she feels he is in the wrong; proving her commitment to her morals and showing us that even her closest friend isn’t beyond the reach of her personal conviction to do the right thing.

Wonderfully sassy and sarcastic, she never suffers fools lightly and comes out with some fabulous one liners and truly epic put-downs, delivered with dead-pan brilliance. Using her technical prowess to outsmart the bad guys and save the day on plentiful occasions, she is also not afraid to enter the field when needed.

Despite her tough, no-nonsense exterior, Chloe is well developed throughout the series, showing moments of true compassion and empathy (*sniff* Edgar *sniff*) and going through a crisis of identity following personal tragedy later in the series, but throughout it all, she never loses her confidence in her own skills as an agent and a fighter for the common good.

Women in Fiction | Lara Croft

Lara Croft

Lara Croft is arguably the most recognisable character – male or female – to emerge from the world of gaming, having cemented her place as a true pop culture icon over the last two decades.

Though she was immediately hailed as a fantastic antithesis to the overwhelming number of male leads in video games and a fine action star in her own right, there was always some debate as to her status as a feminist figure, given the overt sexualisation of the character’s image in spite of her obvious physical and intellectual prowess. A few years ago however, the series was rebooted, essentially scrapping the previous continuity and going back to basics, re-imagining Lara’s story for a new generation.

This ‘new’ Lara is a far more rounded character, beginning the series as a wide-eyed young woman eager to find adventure on her first expedition, only to survive a shipwrecking. Washed up and stranded on a remote island, she is forced to quickly adapt to her extreme surroundings and learn new, invaluable skills that she will need to evolve into the hardened warrior and adventurer she is destined to become. With a much bigger emphasis on Lara’s emotional drive and motivations, a clearer developmental arc, and a much grittier, more realistic and no longer sexualised image, her position at the forefront of pro-feminist gaming is now secure.

Brave, smart, strong, determined and compassionate, the new and improved Miss Croft is a force to be reckoned with; only one we can now all relate to on a far more human level.

Women in Fiction | Hermione Granger

Hermione Granger

Of course the incomparable Hermione Granger had to be featured in my series designed to highlight and celebrate positive depictions of women in fiction.

As I’m sure you all know, Hermione first appeared in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter books, and was portrayed by Emma Watson in the subsequent film adaptations. Most recently, the role was taken on by Noma Dumezweni in The Cursed Child stage production.

From the moment readers were introduced to Hermione, she became the unofficial poster girl for bookworms and feminists alike. Fiercely intelligent, she point-blank refuses to dumb herself down to appease others, even her closest friends, and though she has her moments of delightfully lacklustre social skills, she systematically broke down the stereotypes that told us people like Hermione couldn’t be popular. Always giving priority to her brains rather than her appearance, she taught a generation of schoolgirls (and boys) that it’s okay not to strive to be ‘the pretty one’.

Essentially, Hermione did what was at one point likely considered impossible and actually made it cool to be a bit of a nerd. Far from one dimensional however, throughout the series she also displays countless examples of her bravery, going above and beyond to help those she loves in their times of need and fight for what she believes in, as well as compassion, through her campaigning for elfish welfare, and more than her fair share of badassery – who can forget the satisfying slap (or the even more epic punch in the film version) that she landed right on Draco’s smug face? Perhaps best of all however is the fact that Rowling was not afraid to give Hermione her flaws – notably her stubbornness and intense fear of failure – which only serve to make her even more relatable and human.

Thank you for everything you stand for, Miss Granger. 50 points to Gryffindor.

Women in Fiction | Ellen Ripley

Ellen Ripley

Though things have come a long way, there’s no denying that the representation of gender in fiction is still skewed in favour of men. Just look at the slander thrown at the female stars of the recent Ghostbusters reboot or the ongoing debate about lack of female representation in superhero movies, and it becomes clear that there’s certainly still room for improvement.

To celebrate some of the golden examples that have emerged from the male masses over the years however, I thought I’d start a new series on my blog, highlighting women in literature, film, television and gaming who broke the mould and gave women (and men) decent role models to look up to and admire.

Let’s start with one of cinema’s most iconic leading ladies: Ellen Ripley.

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Ripley was one of the first women to lead an ensemble cast in the science-fiction and horror genres. Interestingly, the original Alien script was written to be gender neutral, allowing the casting directors and actors the scope to interpret the roles as they saw fit. Eventually, the decision was made to cast a woman in the primary role to help add an element of surprise, since audiences at the time would never expect her to survive. Thus, a screen icon was born.

Though she has portrayed Ripley in four entries in the franchise (with speculation currently surrounding a possible fifth turn), it is the second movie, Aliens, that is often considered Sigourney Weaver’s most impactful outing, and the one that saw her truly cement the character’s place in cultural, feminist and cinematic history.

Throughout Aliens, Ripley evolves from a weary survivor to a hardened, passionate warrior. Bonding with a young orphaned girl who is the sole survivor of her former colony, her maternal instincts kick in, making her a force to be reckoned with, particularly in the final quarter of the film, when she comes into direct conflict with the Alien Queen in an epic battle of mother vs. mother.

What is so impressive however is the way the writing, direction and superb acting from Weaver allow the character to display her softer, more feminine ways without ever diminishing her power or believability. Her womanly intuition and mothering instincts become arguably her greatest strengths and certainly never a weakness.

She is not an immovable and emotionless caricature (as many ‘kick-ass’ women in fiction are), nor is she the damsel in distress. Instead, she is able to be both feminine and strong, sacrificing neither side of herself in order to appease the men around her, and thus surviving on thrifty use of her own determination, resourcefulness, intelligence and bravery.