Mirror, Mirror...

Helen, Dido, Isolde, Ariadne, Morgan Le Fay, Galadriel, Arwen, Cinderella, Snow White, Rapunzel, Sleeping Beauty, feel free to carry on...

These are just a few of the women who populate heroic stories, each one plays a role either in her own tale or as a supportive character in one of his. Depending on which girl we’re discussing, she may be: active, passive (in SB’s case, very!) powerful, terrifying, clever, or any number of things.  While some things may vary, there is, however, one thing she must always be – Beautiful.   

So, it would seem that not only must female heroes fight the overwhelming presence of his story, but she must be beautiful (presumably whilst doing all this fighting).   

While I would (and will!) argue that in terms of stories, this isn’t so much the case now; take another look at the books I talked about in my last post:

There’s something slightly different, isn’t there.  Here’s the previous image, to remind:

Publishers have a great deal of say in covers, we must remember.  And, with an eye to what sells, their opinions are about profit and marketability (ie what they believe appeals, therefore will sell).  Apparently, in their eyes, girls still, at times, need to be beautiful... in order to sell.   

However, if you read the books (that is what we're talking about after all), Alanna is short and stocky, and after years of pretending to be a boy, she lacks the classic markers of femininity.  Daine is attractive, but her ability to shape-shift and her association with animals troubles that beauty.  Kel is a ‘big girl,’ constantly growing.  She’s 'thick waisted' and keeps her brown hair cut short, a bit like a helmet (a style Alanna also favours).  Aly (Alanna’s daughter) allows herself to be bruised and broken (allows her beauty to be marred) after she’s captured by slavers in order to protect herself from slave owner who might like a pretty little thing. 

All a bit different from what that first set of covers seems to suggest, isn’t it?