This Just Went Around & Around On Tumblr & I Just Can't Not Comment

[redbrunja]

I really wish that people, without making a HUGE THING about it, would just use ‘well-written’ or ‘badly-written’ female characters instead of strong or weak, because some of the most interesting female characters I could mention have huge weaknesses of character, which makes them interesting, drives the story, and works against this idea that female characters have to be above reproach at all times.

I'm thinking specifically of Briony in Atonement, who drives the plot, creates the narrative, is spoiled and jealous and longs to be stronger than she is and fails and attempts to rewrite her own and her sister's history.

Because calling Briony "strong' feels ridiculous, but goddamn is she a believable, relatable, narratively-vital and fascinatingly flawed character. Period. Full stop.

Comments

[phemyscira.livejournal.com]

*nods and slow claps* This is why I kind of stopped using the terms 'strong' and 'weak' when describing female characters because people tend to use those terms to put down three-dimensional female characters. I mean, some of my favourite female characters have emotional break downs, are petty and jealous, shy, etc. but I don't think those character flaws/characteristics make them less awesome.

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

Yep. People tend to use ‘strong female character’ when they mean both ‘action girl’ AND ‘well-written female character’ and so the phrase now has this ‘there’s a RIGHT WAY to be a woman’ connotation and is used, as you mentioned, to derogate female characters who (typically) are more traditionally feminine.