We’re psyched to see that female heroines are becoming more and more of a common occurrence in modern literature. While the damsel in distress, princess types are still a classic trope that many people enjoy, a strong, intelligent, fearless female lead is paving a new path for the women of today’s world. My two personal favorites have been Hermione Granger of the Harry Potter series, as well as Katniss Everdeen of The Hunger Games trilogy. Though we can take many lessons away from these books as a whole, Collegiettes can take away life lessons on a much more personal level from these two amazing ladies.
1. Girls can be tough too.
Hermione showcased her street smarts when necessary – whether it was fighting a dark enemy throughout the seven books, or simply popping Draco Malfoy in the face when she was sick of listening to him. Just because you’re female doesn’t mean you’re not tough. We’re sick of hearing people use feminine-based vocabulary as an insult.
2. We can be just as bad-ass as guys can.
Katniss showed off just how truly bad-ass she was in this particular scene. When the male sponsors of the Hunger Games were ignoring her, she shot an arrow through an apple that was in the mouth of a pig. It silenced the sponsors, and for her audience, it cemented her place as a skilled competitor. With different skills and advantages, women can be just as bad-ass as guys can – if not more!
3. We don’t have to hide our intelligence to be attractive to others.
Hermione could’ve abandoned her smarts as soon as she found out that others found her overly-confident, but she didn’t. She concentrated on being the best in her class, and loved advancing her education. This isn’t a common trait in female characters; we often see them dumbing themselves down to appear more attractive to their male acquaintances. Hermione stuck to being the smartest of her class, and ended up defeating a dark Lord and getting the man in the end.
4. It’s okay to take one for the team sometimes; it shows you’re not selfish.
Though it’s entirely okay to focus on yourself sometimes, paying attention to you and only you can show others that you’re a bit self-centered. Your friends and acquaintances will get sick of your me attitude very quickly. Once in a while, do something nice for someone else – they will appreciate it, and you’ll feel awesome for helping someone else. Katniss loved her family so much that she entered the Hunger Games in place of her sister. That’s what we call taking one for the team.
5. Don’t be afraid to give people a shot in the romance department – they could end up surprising you.
It’s okay to have standards – we all do. But allow yourself some leniency when it comes to opening yourself up to others. You could end up finding out that the person you thought was only a friend is actually someone you could be interested in. Though it was a slow-build romance, Ron and Hermione ended up being perfect for each other (regardless of what J.K. Rowling says).
6. Admit your faults. The sooner you can recognize them, the sooner you can concentrate on becoming the better you.
Life is all about self-improvement. You can always find a way to be a better you – whether that means studying harder to get better grades, working on making friends to have more fun on the weekends, or finding ways to change how you feel about yourself. Something can always be improved upon, and you should never stop trying to be the best you. Peeta asked Katniss to try opening up to him so they could become friends and she tried to do that.
7. Have your priorities in order.
This is pretty simple. Know what’s most important to you, and make sure to pay the most attention to those things. For Hermione, clearly it was academics, family and friends. I’d say for the rest of us, it’s pretty much the same (though we don’t have nearly as much dedication as a young Hermione did).
8. Show compassion and kindness.
Katniss watched her only ally in the first Hunger Games die in her arms – and after that, when she revisited Rue’s district, she spoke kindly of Rue and made a silent vow to improve life for all Districts. Katniss’ kindness and compassion throughout such a cut-throat competition is one of the main reasons we admire her. Show kindness and compassion for others in your every day life. You don’t understand other people’s struggles, but being kind goes a long way.
9. Fight for what you believed in.
We all have some cause we feel really passionate for. For Hermione, it was the welfare of House-Elves and helping Harry and Ron create a better world that didn’t have a hierarchy like Voldemort wanted. For me, it’s fighting rape culture and animal cruelty. What’s your cause?
10. The world is bigger than your problems. Realize when things matter, and when they don’t.
Katniss thought her biggest problem was surviving the Hunger Games and keeping her family alive. Little did she know, her involvement with the Games would cause her to become the face of a District revolution. Thought Katniss had her own problems, the well-being of the District was something bigger than anybody involved with the Games. Though your problems may seem like the end of the world, there’s always somebody out there dealing with something more difficult than you are.
Who are your favorite female heroines, Collegiettes?