Amanita
Maester
Inspired by the thread about interesting societies, I’d like to open one about women’s role in fantasy now. Female characters are being associated with clichés much more often than male ones.
As I’ve mentioned there, one of the fantasy clichés I can stand least are the stories female protagonists defying the rules of their society for no reason. The author, usually a female one, creates a strictly patriarchal society, but for obvious reasons she doesn’t like this herself. And what does she do then? She has her character who has lived there all her life hate this society as well, without every explaining, why she’d start thinking that way. The protagonist either dresses like a boy or succeeds against all odds and evil, chauvinist men.
Why does it seem to be such an issue to actually create a society where the gender roles are different? Especially if magic comes into the game, there’s no reason why it shouldn’t have similar effects, modern technology had in our own world, at least for the people who are able to use it. And even without magic, this isn’t such an impossible task. Fighting women haven’t been unheard of in real life either, especially in ancient times. Among some western Asian people, women have been buried with weapons as well. Why not go from something like this and make it make sense in your world?
And if you do that, have the courage to have evil and cruel women as well.
Strong female characters don’t have to be fighters though. There aren’t nearly enough stories that give respect to the numerous tasks women actually did perform and are still performing in many societies.
The idea that women are weak, fragile and in need of protection isn’t common among all patriarchal societies, it’s more of an European ideal and there one more or less exclusive to the higher classes. Peasant women and later female factory workers had to do as much as the men. (Even though the latter often got lower wages.)
In many African countries women have to fetch water over long distances. This could be a start for a fantasy story as well. Maybe there’s a dragon or a water snake lurking there...
The healer and herbalist Hildegard von Bingen is an example of a European medieval woman who did plenty of things, that could create plots. Why not have a quest for a certain healing herb growing in a foreign country? Or for the reason and treatment of some kind of disease.
Even in some strongly patriarchal societies there are exceptions, where women do find themselves in power and not just as power behind the scenes. An interesting story I’ve discovered a few years ago searching for something completely different, is the one about the Begums of Bhopal.
Not one but three women in a row holding positions of power in an otherwise strictly patriarchal society at a time where this would have been completely impossible heyer in Germany.
Sultan Shah Jahan, Begum of Bhopal - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This is one of them, but if you type it into Google you’ll find more information if interested.
There are many more stories like this out there, that can serve as inspiration, I’m sure.
Some of the ideas I’ve described here might not be interesting to some male readers, but I highly doubt the stories about pseudo-feminist characters fighting evil men are.
What do you think about the role of women in fantasy?
And do you know any books featuring female characters doing what I’ve described here?
As I’ve mentioned there, one of the fantasy clichés I can stand least are the stories female protagonists defying the rules of their society for no reason. The author, usually a female one, creates a strictly patriarchal society, but for obvious reasons she doesn’t like this herself. And what does she do then? She has her character who has lived there all her life hate this society as well, without every explaining, why she’d start thinking that way. The protagonist either dresses like a boy or succeeds against all odds and evil, chauvinist men.
Why does it seem to be such an issue to actually create a society where the gender roles are different? Especially if magic comes into the game, there’s no reason why it shouldn’t have similar effects, modern technology had in our own world, at least for the people who are able to use it. And even without magic, this isn’t such an impossible task. Fighting women haven’t been unheard of in real life either, especially in ancient times. Among some western Asian people, women have been buried with weapons as well. Why not go from something like this and make it make sense in your world?
And if you do that, have the courage to have evil and cruel women as well.
Strong female characters don’t have to be fighters though. There aren’t nearly enough stories that give respect to the numerous tasks women actually did perform and are still performing in many societies.
The idea that women are weak, fragile and in need of protection isn’t common among all patriarchal societies, it’s more of an European ideal and there one more or less exclusive to the higher classes. Peasant women and later female factory workers had to do as much as the men. (Even though the latter often got lower wages.)
In many African countries women have to fetch water over long distances. This could be a start for a fantasy story as well. Maybe there’s a dragon or a water snake lurking there...
The healer and herbalist Hildegard von Bingen is an example of a European medieval woman who did plenty of things, that could create plots. Why not have a quest for a certain healing herb growing in a foreign country? Or for the reason and treatment of some kind of disease.
Even in some strongly patriarchal societies there are exceptions, where women do find themselves in power and not just as power behind the scenes. An interesting story I’ve discovered a few years ago searching for something completely different, is the one about the Begums of Bhopal.
Not one but three women in a row holding positions of power in an otherwise strictly patriarchal society at a time where this would have been completely impossible heyer in Germany.
Sultan Shah Jahan, Begum of Bhopal - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This is one of them, but if you type it into Google you’ll find more information if interested.
There are many more stories like this out there, that can serve as inspiration, I’m sure.
Some of the ideas I’ve described here might not be interesting to some male readers, but I highly doubt the stories about pseudo-feminist characters fighting evil men are.
What do you think about the role of women in fantasy?
And do you know any books featuring female characters doing what I’ve described here?