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Oct
21
Classic Bitches I Have Loved (The Bare Necessities—Erin Blakemore)
2010 at 5am Posted by Rebecca Joines Schinsky
The Bare Necessities is a series in which writers and book industry professionals share annotated reading lists of books they love.
Erin Blakemore is the author of The Heroine’s Bookshelf: Life Lessons, from Jane Austen to Laura Ingalls Wilder.
We all know her: the antagonist we love to hate, the protagonist we publicly decry but secretly admire for her lack of tact, compassion, or both. As I researched the classic heroine/author pairs that would become The Heroine’s Bookshelf, I was reminded of the lingering power of the literary bitch. At once pariahs and powerhouses, these women are difficult, unnerving, and endlessly entertaining, whether we embrace the term or shy away from it. Here are a few of my favorites:
Scarlett O’Hara – Gone with the Wind, by Margaret Mitchell. Best to start at once with the queen B. Ready to lie, steal, and sleep her way to every goal, Scarlett is unimaginative and utterly terrifying. Bad mother? Check. Mercenary? Yup. Yet we follow her through 1,000 plus pages, panting as if we were the ones too-tightly laced, hanging on her every bad decision and backstabbing move. Simply put, Scarlett shows other bitches how it’s done.
Ingrid Magnussen – White Oleander, Janet Fitch. I hate to imply that being a terrible mother is a must-have for a literary bitch, but Ingrid Magnussen just does it so well. Ingrid stands center-stage in White Oleander, a book I’d nominate for nouveau soap-opera classic. Cold-hearted, absolutely self-centered, and possessing no motherly love or compassion whatsoever, Ingrid destroys her daughter’s life not with the pull of a trigger, but with the seeping, creeping oleander poison she uses to kill her lover. Her bitch cred is only increased by her empty promises, lies, and attempts to warp reality – weapons of psychological warfare that make her a villain I just can’t forget.
Mrs. Danvers – Rebecca, by Daphne duMaurier. It’s a shame that the deliciously warped Mrs. D. was stereotyped by the Hitchcock film, because her literary incarnation is even more paralyzing and intense than the one we know on film. The conniving capacity of this legendary bitch makes Rebecca damn unnerving…even more so when you realize that Mrs. Danvers’ machinations are almost entirely responsible for the former Mrs. de Winter’s powerful legend. I wouldn’t want this woman anywhere near my house, let alone planning my Halloween costumes.
Aunt March – Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott. I know, I know – the book is approximately one thousand years old. But what’s not to love about Louisa Alcott’s portrayal of a crusty, embittered old woman intent on making twitchy fifteen-year-old Jo’s life a living hell? From her evil dog to her constant cry of “Josyphine!”, Aunt March is the perfect archetype of a secretly lonely, loving bitch (her extravagant gift of Plumfield to Jo after denying her a long-dreamed-of trip to Europe doesn’t hurt).
Of course, this list is wildly truncated (see also: Doreen from The Bell Jar, the evil grandmother from Flowers in the Attic, all Jane Austen antagonists, and A Little Princess‘s Lavinia and Miss Minchin).
Visit Erin Blakemore’s website and blog to learn more about The Heroine’s Bookshelf.
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Oh, you just have to love Scarlett. If she were alive today, she would be running a multi-million dollar company. The only one I’d add here, realizing many would not consider this classic, is Delores Umbridge. She is one sadistic old bitch.
Sandy´s last [type] ..Homer & Langley – EL Doctorow audio
One of the worst/best bitches I’ve ever read is Undine Spragg from The Custom of the Country by Edith Wharton. She makes Scarlett look like a kitten. And then there’s Cathy from East of Eden- a homicidal bitch and Catherine Earnshaw- a crazy bitch.
Chrisbookarama´s last [type] ..The Princess Bride Readalong- Milestone 3
As soon as I saw this title, I immediately thought of Scarlett! And the whole time I read that book and every time I see that movie, I still love her.
Ashley´s last [type] ..Top 10 Fictional Crushes
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Rebecca Schinsky, Kristin Otts and Kristin Otts, Erin Blakemore. Erin Blakemore said: Linksplosion! I talk classic bitches http://ow.ly/2XeF2 The ugliness of heroines http://ow.ly/2XeFB ; reasons to reread: http://ow.ly/2XeGA [...]
What a great list. I love the choice of Ingrid. She was so cold.
Fantastic list! And great additions from Chrisbookarama of Cathy and Cathy.
I just realized that all of those books were written by women. I can think of a few books by men that feature women like that (Miss Havisham courtesy of Charles Dickens) but a lot of the classics off the top of my head just do not give women that much credit. Women writers knew better!
Bitsy´s last [type] ..Seaward