Five Things on Friday - Fictional Heroines Edition

Last week, I wrote about my rel-life heroines. The women who inspire me to be and do better. This week, I'm going to share my fictional heroines. In some ways picking fictional heroines is easier, because they seldom have those pesky character defects you find in real people. Eleanor Roosevelt had a notoriously bad relationship with her daughter, and I don't idolize that at all.

On the other hand, sometimes it's harder to be inspired by someone who isn't real. For me, it's usually the very flawed who inspire me the most. I'll never be Ma from Little House on the Prairie, and I'm not all that interested in trying, but I do think she's a great mom. (Also, I understand that Ma was real, but I also think that since Laura is looking back as an adult on her childhood, some of the characterization of her perfect parents is probably the misty, rosy glasses of nostalgia.)

So, here they are: flawed just enough:

My Five Fictional Heroines

And she loved the snow too.

1. Lorelei Gilmore - My Mommy Friend Heroine - Lorelei is not without her foibles, but one thing she does flawlessly is walk the line between mom and friend. She manages to be someone who should be obeyed and confided in, which seems ridiculously hard to me. Of course, it helps that Rory is the perfect child... Plus, bringing new meaning to snarky. I absolutely love Lorelei's sarcasm and wit. If I could come up with comebacks half as fast as she does... And you can't fault her for the way she lives either. She's built the life that she wants, much to the chagrin of her parents, and she's followed her dreams her own way.

I wish I could wear more hats.

2. Elizabeth Bennet - My Smart Girl Heroine - Ah, Elizabeth. Elizabeth is the perfect smart girl, including the fact that she isn't quite as smart as she thinks she is. Which, alas, is kinda normal with smart girls. She is, however, extremely self-aware and amends her wrong thinking as quickly and completely as possible. I can't help it, but I think that Elizabeth is the perfect romantic heroine. Of course, I hate romance, so take that with a grain of salt. Elizabeth would.

I actually love both Sarahs.
It was very hard to choose.

3. Sarah Connor - My Takin' Care of Business Heroine - Here's what I love about Sarah: she didn't start out all that great. She was just getting by, but when the world changed and she had to fight, boy, did she learn to fight. Sarah quickly became a major force in the world. A force for good and for right, a force trying to save the world from itself, but also a force for John. Sarah Connor, in addition to being an all around amazing woman, is one of the strongest women in the Sci Fi world. You absolutely can't beat her. And, as producers of two Terminator movies have now found out, the story just doesn't work as well without her.

I'm gonna make one of those
sweaters. I promise.

4. Molly Weasley - My Don't Touch my Daughter Heroine - Molly has long been one of my favorite characters in the HP universe. Her worry mixed with optimism is just about the formula for my life. Of course, she's worried about the death and destruction of her family and the wizarding world and I'm worried that I'll forget to pay the electric bill, but still. We're like sisters. But at the end, when she steps in and fights Bellatrix, well, I don't want to ruin it for anyone who hasn't already experienced this joy, but let's just end by saying that there was out-loud cheering from this reader and I can't wait to see it on the big screen. Preferably in the infamous sweater, please.

Oh, Ellen, how the boys have
needed you.

5. Ellen Harvelle - My Playing with the Boys Heroine - When we first meet Ellen in the second season, she's running a roadhouse catering to hunters and managing the flock. (Which is sort of like being in charge of all the toddlers.) Ellen is everyone's mama, but in a really endearing way. You don't want to disappoint Ellen, but you know that even if you do, she'll still be there for you. When we finally get to see Ellen fight in Season 5, though. Wow. That woman is something. She is everything I want to be - the perfect cross between Marmee and Buffy. She can hold her own with anything or anybody. Losing Ellen was like losing a friend, and I'm still not sure I'm over it. At least we know for sure that in this universe, there's a heaven for hunters.

Okay, your turn. Who's your fictional hero? Who do you think you would be most like if you were plunged into another world? Who do you want to be like, even stuck in this one?