The essay suggests that "what you look for in a fictional hero is often some reflection of yourself".
Hmmm. Who were my girl heroes? I feel like there were characters who I identified with more than worshiped. Anastasia Krupnik, definitely -- I felt like I was her sometimes. Beezus. While I loved Harriet, I felt like I understood Beth Ellen. Jane from The Dark is Rising series.
I know that can't be all -- I'm going to have to think on this more.
You?
aerin, harry crewe
Posted by: i hate emo kids | 05 July 2007 at 11:21 AM
Girl heroes, huh? Here are two I wanted to "be":
Jo from Little Women (not sure what that says about me, either, but I still love-love-love Jo).
Mandy from Mandy by Julie Andrews Edwards (I really envied her time alone in the cottage in the woods)
Posted by: Kelly Fineman | 05 July 2007 at 11:27 AM
Oh, yeah. Definitely add Harry Crewe to my list -- as someone I wanted to be, rather than someone I felt I already was.
Posted by: Leila | 05 July 2007 at 11:31 AM
I'd have to say Anne of Green Gables and Pippi Longstocking. Both red-heads. Interesting.
Posted by: Jen Robinson | 05 July 2007 at 04:10 PM
Oh, and Vesper Holly. I wanted to be her, too.
Posted by: Leila | 05 July 2007 at 04:17 PM
Yea to Vesper! Also Meg Murray from Wrinkle. I loved how she kept her cool and never gave up. Vicky Austen as well.
And Jo. God - who didn't love Jo?
Posted by: Colleen | 05 July 2007 at 05:26 PM
Dido is my all time favorite hero or heroine. By a mile. Still is; and I only wish I was more like her.
I identified with Harriet, but even more with Janie. Also: Little House Laura, Ginger from Black Beauty.
Posted by: cc | 05 July 2007 at 05:30 PM
I think all my childhood heroes were male. I read the Hardy Boys instead of Nancy Drew. I liked the Dukes of Hazzard, but didn't like it when Daisy was on screen. I preferred Luke Skywalker to Princess Leigha and Mickey Mouse to Minnie! So there you have it folks...when the female things were dull...I didn't care that I was supposed to like girly, frilly things...I just decided to play with the the boys. And today, well I still prefer football to ballet and Hemingway to Austen. So, I guess I'm just a freak *wink*. And in case anyone is wondering, I'm not gay.
Posted by: | 05 July 2007 at 08:14 PM
Interesting link, Leila. I'm going to have to think more about it too, but off the top of my head, some of my favourites seem to have been the ones I wanted to be friends with, or part of the family, rather than feeling I was like them. Anne (of Green Gables, not Famous Five) is a good example, as I never felt I was anything like her, but loved her nonetheless. Dido too, but again, nothing like her. The Melendys another - I just wanted to be part of that family!
Posted by: Lady S. | 06 July 2007 at 04:41 AM
I adored the Melendys as well, and wow, how could I have forgotten Meg Murray? Mary Lennox, too. (The two always go hand-in-hand for me -- they're both so angry.) If the Cassons had been around when I was a kid, I feel pretty certain that I would've wanted to be a part of their family as well.
Oh, and TV-wise, Romana I & II from Doctor Who. I went so far as to dress up as Romana I for Halloween one year. Nope. Not a soul knew who I was dressed as.
Posted by: Leila | 06 July 2007 at 06:30 AM
If we're talking Star Wars then it was Han Solo all the way. He used his blaster all the time, he killed the bad guys and he had the Millenium Falcon!
Please - who wanted to be Luke or Leia if you could be Han Solo?????
(Although by the end of Empire Strikes Back I wanted to be Leia because she got to kiss Han Solo.... :)
Posted by: Colleen | 06 July 2007 at 05:14 PM
As an adult I cringe slightly at this because she was so, so, so *good*, but as a kid I always wanted to be like Sara Crewe in A Little Princess. She was kind and never took advantage of people who were weaker or younger or poorer than her, but she could be stubborn and stand up for herself when it counted; she had dignity and courage. And she was a great storyteller.
Posted by: bookbk | 09 July 2007 at 04:04 AM