And Your Favorite Fictional Woman is...

This month on the blog we've been celebrating innovative, inspiring, inventive women--from Rhodessa Jones' who uses theater to empower incarcerated and HIV+ women to choreographer Gabrielle Lamb whose determination helped her break out of the ensemble. If you visit our Twitter feed (@NEAarts), you'll find pin-worthy quotes from the likes of Sun Mee Chomet, Holland Taylor, and Nina Shapiro-Perl. While these women are all forces to be reckoned with IRL, as they say, we know there are also plenty of fierce women whose lives have been caught on celluloid, between the pages of a book, or in an artist's medium. On our Facebook page, we asked our fans, "Who's your favorite fictional woman--and why?" Here's what they had to say... Wonder Woman...because she was my hero when I was young. -- Vickey M. Pelagia from Captain Correli's Mandolin (the book) for her strength and compassion, surviving and thriving. -- Susan B. Scarlett O'Hara, for her ruthless defiance against social, feminist expectations of her time. For her unforgiving determination to not give up, and her childish stubbornness. -- Emily L. H. Emma Harte, A Woman Of Substance. She endured nearly every tragedy, disappointment, and betrayal a person can experience, but still held her own and created the life she wanted. -- Dawn R. M. Degas' bronze dancer with her chin up, shoulders back, hands clasped, chest out, in position, and leaning in to life...perfectly ready for the world. -- Andee R. So many! Louisa May Alcott's Jo from Little Women because of her assertive, buoyant sensitivity. -- Alison P. A. Buffy Anne Summers. Buffy is a seemingly insignificant female who in fact turns out to be extraordinary--she saved the world a lot. - Nancy C. Morticia Adams, a role model in so very many ways. -- Hope O. Jane Hudson, Katharine Hepburn's character from the movie Summertime. I adore her because she takes a chance on a solo adventure, despite being rather lonely and questioning the purpose of her life. When faced with an opportunity for love, which she knows would make her happy but would ultimately compromise her integrity, she goes back to said life with renewed faith in herself and her decisions. -- Christiana M. Francie Nolan, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn--the embodiment of resilience, optimism, and grace in the face of ignorance. -- Mary K. Elizabeth Bennett is one of my favorites--depth of character, witty, so loyal to her family even as she chuckles at them. -- Sharon B. Z. Pono, from the book Shark Dialogues - a Hawaiian matriarch determined to fulfill her destiny at any cost... And it cost everything. -- Marcie M. Now it's your turn! Go on, tell us--who's your favorite fictional woman and why?