Strong female characters in Young Adult fiction. Let’s talk about this.
I have been obsessed with Young Adult fiction for years now (there was a time in my life when I honestly couldn’t get through a conversation without bringing up The Hunger Games, Divergent, or a number of other books that had completely captured my mind). And I think that there is something very important happening right now in that genre: an open conversation about strong female characters and the definition of their strength. While strong female characters have been prominent in literature throughout history, as an avid reader, I feel that there has been a special sort of emphasis on analyzing them recently- and I mean this in the best way.
In the past several years, young adult readers have received several examples of not only brilliant female characters (cue Hermione Granger from Harry Potter and Annabeth Chase from Percy Jackson), but also physically strong characters that became household names (Katniss Everdeen (The Hunger Games), Clary Fray (The Mortal Instruments), and Tris Prior (Divergent), to name a few).
However, very recently I’ve seen a special emphasis in these characters that I haven’t seen before- an emphasis not only on characters that are strong and brave, but on why. What is it that makes these characters strong? How do they use their strength to find a powerful place in society?
And what is it about this strength that draws us in so much?
There are so many examples, but a few rise above the rest in my mind. Suzanne Collins’ character, Katniss Everdeen, breaks out of the common plotline of “character that suddenly gets thrown into a situation and has to become physically strong and gain confidence.” No. Katniss is already a confident, skilled hunter and provider at sixteen. And while her physical ability is her most visible strength, throughout the trilogy Katniss recognizes that there is a strength in softness and vulnerability, as it is this vulnerability that makes her a symbol in her society and a leader in the rebellion. While not outwardly spoken, she concludes that her emotions (and sharing them) can be just as powerful as her physical capabilities.
Clary Fray from Cassandra Clare’s The Mortal Instruments understands that despite the physical strength she gains (as she is part of the “character that suddenly gets thrown into a situation” story, though Clare masterfully makes this plotline her own), her creativity is what makes her a better fighter than those around her, and is what gives her importance in the world of Shadowhunters.
Veronica Roth is one of the most prominent YA authors at the moment- and for good reason. Her characters are strong and vibrant and have a clear why behind their strength. In her debut novel, Divergent, Roth explored the character of Tris, an unassuming sixteen-year-old girl who moves from her home faction to Dauntless, a faction that places value on physical strength and bravery. Throughout the novel, however, as Tris does indeed become a strong fighter, Roth makes sure to emphasize that her strength is not only in her body but in her sense of self. Coming from Abnegation, a faction that places selflessness above all, Tris has a hard time letting go of her old ideals. So, she learns to connect her past and present lives. She begins to piece together a definition of bravery that isn’t very different from her definition of selflessness. She doesn’t find strength in risking her life for the sake of pride, and she learns that true strength lies in your willingness to put others above yourself. She finds her place in society (a theme that runs across most of YA fiction as it is a function of the genre) and realizes that it is a powerful place, as she is “Divergent,” which is considered extremely dangerous by some of the government’s most prominent members. However, as she develops in her sense of self, and recognizes her power beyond that of her physical strength, Tris realizes that her true place in society very well might be in a new type of society that she must fight to create- one that allows people to be more than just selfless or brave, but both.
Still, in all these characters the more obvious emphasis has remained on their physical strength. That is what drives the plot forward, and the source of their strength, their why, remains an underlying theme.
In her article, “Veronica Roth: Exploring the Traditional Woman’s Role in The Fates Divide,” Roth writes about how her next novel, The Fates Divide (the second book in her latest duology, Carve the Mark), has been a challenge to write: “I tend to write about a certain kind of girl: physically strong and capable, with all the subtlety of a battering ram,” and that she “wanted to try something different. I wanted to write about a different kind of girl.” And while Veronica Roth explores this different kind of girl, she still sticks to this vein of finding one’s strength, and focuses on how this strength is powerful in the society in which the character dwells.
Roth discusses her character Cisi Kereseth, a girl who cannot throw a punch or be outwardly open about her thoughts because of her supernatural power that makes her incapable of making others uncomfortable. Roth says that she believes this supernatural power mimics what women (both fictional and non-fictional) have felt as a very real pressure in their societies, and that Cisi, like women in the real world, has had to find her own way around this: “Cisi has to fight for what she wants in a different way: subtly, and with great care. When she thinks something is going unsaid, she asks questions to lead someone else into saying it. She lets people think the good ideas belong to them, content to stay in the background as long as she’s getting what she wants.” She toes the line of manipulation. She’s a behind-the-scenes fighter - a type of warrior we haven’t seen often in YA literature, but a type that I feel is on the rise. An important, relatable type (considering most of us don’t own battle gear).
I think it is ideas like this, the things that aren’t stated in sentences, but in subtext, that pulls in readers of all ages.
The strength of these characters lies in their ability to not only fight their way through wars but through their thoughts and emotions, finding where their strengths (and weaknesses) lie, and becoming a more conscientious person through this process.
They learn that they are a constant work in progress.
This theme that often rises within young adult literature, however, is not only for young adults. It’s no secret that Young Adult fiction is being read by an audience of all ages. That 13-18 age range means nothing because no matter the age of the reader, or the character, the lessons we learn alongside the characters are too relatable to ignore. They have flaws that we also see in ourselves. And just like the characters, we too are a work in progress at every stage of life.
Or maybe, I’ve also thought… maybe this “YA isn’t just for kids” isn’t a new trend at all. Maybe this is me getting older, looking for meaning in books where before I only looked for entertainment. The first time I read Divergent at fifteen, I surely wasn’t looking for the true meaning of bravery. It wasn’t until I re-read the story years later (for the fifth or sixth time, and when I was technically out of the “official YA age-range”) that one of the most memorable lines in the book: “A brave man acknowledges the strength of others,” truly came full circle for me. Throughout the story Tris battles with this thought and comes to understand that others’ strength does not inherently mean her weakness – a lesson that was always in the book, but one I didn’t pick up on until I was older.
Maybe that’s what makes these books timeless to me, and to so many other readers. We can read young adult literature when we are young enough to fall head-first into the story, and grapple with lessons along the way. We can read it when we are older and appreciate the lessons that take time and understanding to uncover.
And while I’m excited to see where these strong female characters go, and how the needs of the audience, genre, and world continue to shape how they’re written, I’m also comforted to know that these characters are always something to come back to, and that this genre is something that always has a lesson to offer, no matter my age.
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