The Ingredients Of An SFF Heroine
As I summarised in yesterday’s post, over the past week I’ve taken a look at a few more great heroines of SFF, Part 1 on Monday and Part 2 on Thursday) building on a post series from 2011 (Six Great Heroines Of SFF, Part 1 & Part 2.)
As also summarised yesterday I’ve also recently taken a look at some of my own heroines.
But all this got me thinking about whether there are particular ingredients in common between all these diverse characters. Usually, with SFF, there’s a “quest” or problem to be resolved, which the heroine usually either finds by curiosity or accident (Canny and Karou both fit that bill) or which finds her, either willingly or unwillingly (this is certainly the case for Blue and Shallan, even if they don’t have a foretold “destiny”, as such.)
One of the factors these heroines do have in common, whether dealing with the stuff of everyday life or the fate of worlds, is resolution in the face of difficulty, particularly in withstanding adverse circumstances but also in seeking for solutions. All the heroines of my recent posts share this quality to some degree, but Rachael and Teia are particularly strong examples.
In order to be a heroine, too, the circumstances the character is dealing with must involve an element of grave risk, possibly even death—she must be called upon above and beyond the demands of simply being a good citizen. Yeine, for example, is in no doubt that her own life and that of her country rests on her ability to overcome the dynastic and divine politics of the Hundred Thousand Kingdoms. Mieli, too, is faced with choices that affect the lives and wellbeing of others, both in her past and present.
I would also argue that to be a heroine, as opposed to an anti-heroine, the character must have some concern about choices between right and wrong, either at a personal or societal level, or both. Karou fits this bill at both levels, while a character like Mercy Thompson is more focused at the personal, hometown and community, level. My own character, Malian, while not unconcerned with personal
considerations of right and wrong, is far more focused at the societal level.
In terms of my recent posts , Canny comes closest to being an anti-heroines, her motivation for unravelling the mystery at the heart of the story springing as much from curiosity and challenge as the desire to help two of the other characters. Yet at the end of the day she does knowingly take the action required to resolve the mystery, despite the cost to herself, which edges her into the heroine camp.
I also believe that the possibility/potential for self-sacrifice is tied to what it means to be a heroine—a natural extension of both risk and considerations of right and/or wrong action.
In the final analysis, too, I feel that to be a great heroine, we as readers have to feel empathy for the character’s tribulations and choices: this may not be as straightforward as liking the character but we have to be emotionally engaged with the path she’s walking.
Of course, you may also point out that this is true for what makes a heroine in real life as well—and I can’t argue with that.
But what do you think? Are there other qualities you feel are essential to make a character a great heroine, either in SFF or other fiction?
Hi Helen.
I’m also curious about how the heroine’s journey differs (or doesn’t differ) than the Hero’s Journey.
(c.f. Theodora Goss’ blog: http://theodoragoss.com/2014/10/17/the-heroines-journey/)
The hero/heroine’s journey is a slightly different focus, but my initial reaction was that I don’t believe they differ greatly. However, Ms Goss’s post provides an interesting perspective, one I shall have to consider further. Thanks for the link, Paul.