You know how when you buy a new computer or cell phone, it comes with default settings? When you get it home and set up, you have to decide whether the defaults suit you. You play around with the power settings, change the background, set the screen saver, create a ring tone. Instead of whatever settings came installed, you now have your own.
Our culture has some default settings, too. One is that the automatic default is the male perspective. Now, I sense there is already some eye-rolling. Many men probably don’t recognize themselves as the default because it’s so ingrained. Many women may not believe it because they see so much out there that is aimed at the edification of women. So allow me to explain.
It is generally assumed that male lead characters are more universally appealing. This idea of the male form as default can be seen nearly everywhere: clothing, art, literature, music, sports, comic books, video games, advertising. It is beyond a mere “this is what men want, this is what women want.” The underlying theme is that whatever men want is good enough for women; whatever women want is unappealing to men.
To illustrate this idea, let’s look at books. An overwhelming majority of well-known literary figures are male, even when the books are written by female authors. When there are female characters, they are often “flat” (undeveloped, supporting, stereotypical) characters. If I asked you to name some famous heroes in your favorite works of fiction, who would you name? What if I asked you to list the female characters in your favorite books. Would you be able to do so? Would you be able to list books with strong female protagonists which appeal to both men and women?
I will concede that the majority of universally appealing male characters are not the “guy-guy” type, and their fictional situations are not necessarily unique to boys or men. But why, then, wouldn’t similarly “androgynous” female characters with broadly relatable adventures appeal to both boys and girls?
One unfortunate side effect of this male-as-default mentality is that female authors have been limited in certain ways. Many women succumb to the pressure by writing male characters; writing under assumed names; using initials instead of full names; writing “women’s” fiction; failing to be published at all. This is intolerable. We live in twenty-first century America. There is nothing wrong with boys being able to relate to the adventures of a similar-age female any more than girls enjoying books about their male age-mates. And there ought to be nothing wrong with women being strong forces in the realm of writing, without compromising themselves.
We have to start young. Today, if you have a family, go to the library and borrow some books with great female lead characters and read them to both your sons and daughters. Here is a list of some of my favorites to get you started:
-The Ramona books, by Beverly Cleary
-The Little House books, by Laura Ingalls Wilder
-The Secret Garden, by Frances Hodgson Burnett
-3 of the 5 books in the Time Quintet (A Wrinkle in Time, A Wind in the Door, and An Acceptable Time), by Madeleine L’Engle
I would love to hear what other books with strong female leads you might recommend for both boys and girls.
