I recently read an article about how female protagonists in YA and graphic novels are stronger and more empowered than ever. While there are many bestsellers out there with strong female protagonists, I am left wondering: Are these female characters defined as powerful but in limiting ways? My guest bloggers today are looking into books with strong female characters that face limitations and/or characters that demonstrate independence from gender expectations. Click on the “Comments” tab and see what they have to say.
Strong Women and the Graphic Novel
19 Monday Jun 2017
Posted in Uncategorized
girl in the middle 
In the manga Voice Over! Seiyu Academy by Maki Minami, the protagonist Hime’s major conflicts revolve around gender. Hime’s mother is disappointed that she does not live up to her name (Hime means “princess” in Japanese) and wishes that her daughter was more “girly.” Hime’s younger sister, Akane, wears frilly clothes and gains more attention from their family. Hime wants to follow in the footsteps of the voice actress Sakura Aoyama, who voices a feminine “Lovely Blazer” in an anime. However, Hime’s voice is rough and ridiculed by her classmates for sounding “manly,” so she cannot get the female acting roles she desires. After Hime voices a prince at a school competition, the students praise her, and she is scouted by an agent for male roles. But Hime is still determined to voice “cute” female characters and does not want to voice males. Hime has been raised with the belief that girls should wear cute clothes and have high-pitched voices, so playing male characters would likely cause her family to reject her.
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In the first volume of the acclaimed cult comic book series Love and Rockets, titled Maggie the Mechanic, the series focuses on two main female characters – Maggie Chascarrillo and Hopey Glass. Maggie is a talented solar-mechanic who initially struggles to keep a job. Hopey is her acerbic friend and occasional lover, who plays bass in punk bands. This final detail sets some precedent in the series: Jamie Hernadez wanted the book, despite having futuristic and sci-fi elements, to reflect the 80’s punk culture he was entrenched in at the time. Unfortunately for our main characters, this means portraying them in, while not ridiculous, but definitely compromising clothing. Also the women’s self image is frequently maligned. When a Maggie fails at her job, she curses herself saying “Whore! Bitch!” While these could, upon further speculation, be considered a telling look at how she views herself.
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In “Lumberjanes” we encounter a group of girls scouts who go against gender stereotypes in multiple ways–their appearances, their words, their actions, and the overarching story. The female characters in this comic book actually save the male characters, a refreshing twist on what we normally read.
Though the message in this text is powerful, it could be limiting in the fact that it is a group of scouts, which we all may not be able to relate to, and it also is in a place where magical, unreal things happen. It may be unattainable to the everyday reader in this way, leaving women to feel as though they have to escape into another time and another place in order to beat gender stereotypes and have a voice.
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I looked at Volume 1 of Batgirl–Batgirl of Burnside–by DC Comics. I was able to admire the lead character, Barbara Gordon, in many ways, especially when looking at her capability as a protagonist and the way in which she weaves her own story, rather than allowing her story to be influenced and changed by others. Her independent spirit and strong desire for justice are what drive the comic forward. I think that many could point to Barbara in an example of what a strong, modern, female character should look like. However, there are still some slightly troubling issues surrounding this character. First of all, since it is a graphic novel, we are constantly faced with different shots and angles of Barbara herself, and these drawings are often, in my opinion, overly sensual. Our protagonist is gifted with creamy porcelain skin, long, wavy red hair, a large chest, curvy body, and long, thin legs. In fact, while there are a few varieties in skin and hair color among the female characters, they all share the same basic body type. This lack of variety seems to point out that perhaps readers only want to see one type of body in female comic book characters, which presents a problem for real-life females. It seems as if Barbara is presented as powerful and independent, but overly sensual. I did enjoy the book and think it has a lot to offer the comic book world. And I do think that she represents a deviation from the norm when it comes to fictional YA and comic book characters. However, I think there is a danger in how she is displayed as this beautiful, mysterious female character with the perfect body type, and in what messages this relays to young readers.
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Goldie Vance, written by Hope Larson and illustrated by Brittney Williams, is a Nancy Drew-esque detective story about a bright young detective who solves crimes, chases bad guys, and somehow works as a valet despite looking like she is twelve. The titular Goldie Vance is the epitome of good representation. She is bi-racial (black/white) as well as a girl and is also heavily implied to be homosexual. She is intelligent, kind, brave, an impeccable driver, and seemingly flawless. Indeed, Goldie could easily be accused of being a “Mary Sue” because of her impossibly quick wit, kind heart, and physical prowess. Her myriad positive qualities act as a inspiration for the other characters (and hopefully the readers), and the story tries to emphasize the way she causes them to grow rather than how she grows herself.
Goldie’s gender seemingly never gets in the way of her achieving her goals. At times, she is looked down upon for her gender, like when she challenges a group of greasers to a drag race, but she is never purposefully deterred from her goals. She is not the head detective at the hotel she works at despite proving that she is the most deserving. However, this is implied to be because of her age, not her gender. The only time Goldie could be said to be held back by her gender is in her relationship with Diane. Although it is never explicitly stated, it is possible that Goldie would be more likely to confess her feelings to Diane if she were a boy. Her crush on Diane is not sexualized like a lot of lesbian relationships, coming across as cute instead. None of the characters are overtly sexualized anyway, even when they appear in swimsuits. Goldie Vance empowers and inspires women in ways that never limit their capabilities or roles in society. It is a truly progressive comic series.
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