Thing C posted this to my facebook wall Friday afternoon. We share a strong common love for The Great Gatsby. We talked about the post at breakfast Saturday morning. I remarked that it’s funny and sad because it’s true. He agreed, especially the I hate New Yorkers part. We laughed that Nick was all, “bye Felicia” to New York to go home to the midwest.
Nick Carraway, without a doubt, is one of my all time favorite literary characters.
Actually, this reminds me of a question from the “Proust Questionnaire”: Who is your favorite hero of fiction?
Here is my answer: Nick Carraway, Katherine Minola (from Taming of the Shrew), Colonel Christopher Brandon, Princess Elizabeth (from The Paper Bag Princess), Kate Cummings (from The Secret of the Strawbridge Place), and Ron Weasley.
My love for Nick Carraway began when I first read Gatsby in American Lit my junior year of high school. I’m acutely aware that there is many a Nick Carraway character analysis out there in the world. But what I love about him is that he’s hopeful, but realistically so. Not like Gatsby with the unattainable green dock light. Nick is at once involved in the shenanigans yet remains apart from it. He understands what he sees and isn’t blinded by all the gilt trappings. He understood that though Gatsby was doomed, because he would never be able to relive the past, his intentions were pure.
One of my favorite lines is this one about the Buchanans: “They were careless people, Tom and Daisy- they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made.”
Katherine is less shrew than misunderstood. It’s rather obvious her younger sister is her father’s favorite. It’s rather obvious he takes no interest in Katherine other than to wonder why she’s not more like her precious sister. Being big sister is not easy…especially when you have a parent that constantly pits you against each other.
That would make me bitchy too.
She’s also more savvy than most of the men in the story…that’s surely irritating! She has to be married off to one of these idiots? Again I say, that would make me bitchy too.
(disregarding all the ploys to get to Bianca)
Enter Petruchio.
He’s her match in every single way. And throughout all his “mistreatment” of her she never truly loses herself. She tricks him into believing he “tames” her.
The love and respect between Katherine and Petruchio is real.
And finally when they return to Padua for her sister’s wedding she can use her true voice and is respected for it. “Fie, fie! Unknit that threat’ning unkind brow. And dart not scornful glances from those eyes.”
It’s all a matter of how you’re perceived.
Colonel Brandon is so much more than he initially appears. He seems so quiet and not terribly interesting at first glance. But as we spend more time with him we learn that his integrity is the hallmark of his character. He has great capacity for love. He has great patience and his kindness is overwhelming. I love his friendship with the Dashwood ladies. Especially his love for Marianne. She learns to appreciate the strength and sincerity of his love.
When he and Elinor are discussing Marianne’s “immature” romantic notions and he disagrees with Elinor that Marianne should “wise up”, he says: “When the romantic refinements of a young mind are obliged to give way, how frequently are they succeeded by such opinions as are but too common and too dangerous!”
How precious is this man?
The Paper Bag Princess is a children’s book by Robert Munsch. A favorite of my girls when they were little, so much so that when invited to a come-as-your-favorite-princess birthday party Thing 1 went as this spunky princess.
Princess Elizabeth is set to marry a prince called Ronald, but a dragon comes and burns down her castle and kidnaps her betrothed. Does Elizabeth give up? Absolutely not! She dons a paper bag and sets out to save Ronald.
She’s a “can-do” kind of girl. She’s all about being the hero of her own story.
Girl Power!
Here’s a cute reading:
Kate Cummings is a girl growing up in Ohio during the depression. She is smart and spunky. Kate is brave and loyal. She has so much heart. This girl is passionate about everything she does from reading Sherlock Holmes to learning how to do the breast stroke. She loses her patience when tested, but never her kindness.
Kate and her friend Oscar spend their summer searching for the secret of the farm where she lives, the old Strawbridge Place. It’s rumored to have been somehow connected to the Underground Railroad. Their summer is an adventure which changes both their family’s lives.
I met the author when I was nine years old. She inscribed this book and it’s “sequel” to me. It’s in my top twenty favorite books of all time.
Kate is a hero but she’s also just a regular girl.
Kind of like:
Ron Weasley is best known as the redhaired sidekick of boy wonder, Harry Potter. Now I adore Harry, but Ron is my absolute favorite character from that series. Even more than Sirius Black, and I freaking LOVE him! Ron is stalwart and true. He is a fierce friend who would never betray the trust of his friends. He’s much brighter than he receives credit for…especially when Hermione is always flexing her brain.
Ron understands the importance of family, and this goes beyond the other Weasleys. He’s a pureblood without the bigotry that’s occasionally associated with being such.
Ron stood up to “notorious mass murderer Sirius Black” with a broken leg to protect Harry and Hermione. Ron wasn’t afraid to make sacrifices for the good of others, even at the age of eleven when he climbed on the horse on the giant chessboard.
I love Ron’s sense of humor. I love his loyalty. I love that he’s not starstruck by Harry, he just befriends him. He’s flawed, that’s for sure. He’s occasionally jealous of the attention Harry gets. He struggles with his personal insecurities but never waivers. Even when he leaves during the never ending camping trip, his loyalty never waivers.
Book Ron is better than movie Ron. Only because something was lost from page to screen.
Weasley is our King!
Who are some of your favorite literary characters?
Please share in the comments.
therobynbirdsnest 
You have great choices! I have always liked Taming of the Shrew since my parents took us to see this. I believe Katherine is a straightforward woman who should justifiably expect men to both respect and understand her. She doesn’t want to wait on her man as much as share life with him. I like that she tames him!
When I was growing up I took a fancy to Tom Sawyer and liked his craftiness. He liked Becky so I like her, too.
As a little older child, I grew to enjoy all the Little Women, especially Jo March. I liked that she married the professor and soon Little Men, then Jo’s Boys. . . there’s cousins, too. 🙂
My youngest daughter and I liked Jane Eyre but we are partial to “Pride and Prejudice.” Could be due to the films (PBS/BBC) and how realistic the major picture was with Donald Sutherland as father, Keira Knightly as Elizabeth, (Gone Girl actress) gentle Jane, and Mr. Darcy.
In high school, I liked “To Kill a Mockingbird” and looked up to lawyer, Atticus and his values he espoused. I liked Scout, his daughter, too.
A current book character I still like is private investigator “Kinsey Milhone.” I admire bail bondswoman “Stephanie Plum,” too. 🙂
What a great list, Robin! ❤
Yes, Katherine TOTALLY "tames" Petruchio!!
I very much love the March sisters too. As much as I adore the story of Bennett sisters, I liked both versions of the movie better than the book. Sense and Sensibility is my fave Jane Austen.
Atticus Finch is one of the best characters in all of fiction! Excellent choice!
I've never read Stephanie Plum, but my mom loved those books! Guess I'll have to try them out.
Oh! I loved Huck Finn so I’m feeling you on Tom Sawyer and Becky!
The Janet Evanovich books are zany and sometimes this is what I need after a busy day, to unwind. 😉 Makes me smile about your Mom since The area little racy or spicy. I liked the way Katherine Heigl played Stephanie in “One for the Money.”
Good point about the Bennett sisters and I am so fond of Hugh Grant and Alan Rickman being the film heroes in the American film. When Alan R passed away, I was so disappointed. Too yiungvto go. . .
My youngest daughter and I watched “Love Actually” for our 12th time, with bittersweet emotions this year. In this movie (not fro a book) Alan Rickman is married to Emma Thompson, his “S and S” character’s sister in law. 🙂
It was like coming full circle with this re-painting, Robyn.
Yes! Alan Rickman and Emma Thompson are in the Harry Potter series together too!
You know what, your choices of favourite literary characters are so much a woman’s choices… Strange how mine would differ, for example; Horatio Hornblower from the CS Forester books, Sherlock Holmes, Philip Marlow from Raymond Chandler, James Bond…. Strange how your favourite characters are from literature, and mine are from ‘trashy’ novels…. ha ha ha… Robin I admire your readung list.
I’m not familiar with Horatio, but I am with Sherlock, and Philip Marlow, and 007. I find it curious that you like these misanthropic guys. Though they make for interesting character reads.