A Brief History of Strong Female Characters in Children’s Literature By Stella Gregor
In this modern age, there are many books, for children and adults alike, with strong female characters in them. Not as many as there should be, perhaps, but it is certainly a start for gender equality in the literary world. This trend began long before recent collections of stories like Goodnight Stories For Rebel Girls and Girls Who Rocked The World. In the mid 1900s, stories with capable female heroines such as Mary (from The Secret Garden), Madeline (from the book of the same name) and Pippi Longstocking (from the series of the same name) taught children that female protagonists could be just as beloved as their male counterparts.
In 1911, the book The Secret Garden was first published. The Secret Garden, by Frances Hodgson-Burnett, is about a girl named Mary Lennox who is orphaned and sent to live with her uncle at his estate. She is ill tempered, spoiled and generally unpleasant at first but as the book goes on, the reader sees Mary develop into a more thoughtful, kind person. She makes friends, tries to bring happiness to the household and discovers an old garden that she attempts to revive. Mary not only impresses the reader with her ability to adapt to new circumstances, she also inspires the reader to find and cultivate beauty in everyday life. The book sold well at first and then faded from the public eye for a few decades, however it is now considered a classic.
In 1939, the book Madeline was first published. In this children’s book, by Ludwig Bemelman, a free spirited little girl named Madeline goes through daily life in a boarding school with attitude and individuality. She isn’t afraid of anything and is brave and feisty even through an Appendicitis induced hospital trip. Madeline shows readers (particularly young ones) that girls can be curious, courageous and clever. The book won the Caldecott Honor and continues to be a beloved and endearing read to this day.
In 1945, Pippi Longstocking was first published. In Astrid Lindgren’s hilarious book, a girl named Pippilotta Delicatessa Windowshade Mackrelmint Ephraim's Daughter Longstocking moves into a villa with her horse, monkey and chest of gold pieces. Independent, uncaring about social conventions and strong enough to lift her horse, burglars and pretty much anything else, Pippi Longstocking horrifies and amazes all of her neighbors. She runs around doing whatever she pleases and saving the community several times while she is at it. Obviously, Pippi Longstocking is not your average kid and she shows readers that girls can be wild, heroic and fun loving as well as strong, self sufficient and able to enjoy themselves without worrying about what others think of them. The book became a worldwide success and is still incredibly popular with all audiences.
As of current, there is a definite gender imbalance regarding the central characters in children’s books. A study by Janice McCabe showed that only 31% of the main characters in recently published children’s books were female. Only 17.5% of the titles referred to a female character. Furthermore, only 7.5% of animals in children’s books are identified as female, all of the others are either identified as or assumed to be male. Still, books with strong female characters are certainly out there, whether old or newer examples of the slow reversal of gender stereotypes and bias.