Spirited Young Lady: Difference between revisions
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There's a certain kind of character commonly found in historical fiction set in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries (though she can appear earlier or later, too). Her literary ancestress can be found in some of the best-loved novels of the Regency and Victorian eras. She's the girl who bends the rules just a little. Oh, she can dance a country dance or pour tea with the best of them, but she may also be a good walker or horseback rider. She may be the most intelligent girl in the story, and she's almost certainly the wittiest and the most outspoken, sometimes earning her the title of spitfire. She may be talented in more practical ways, as well: if given the opportunity, she may turn out to be a wise investor, and she may harbor talent for music, writing or art may that goes beyond drawing room entertainment and becomes a means of financial independence, if necessary. In rare cases, she may even solve a murder. She may run into some trouble, especially if she fails to obey the powers that be, but she usually comes through in the end . . . and will likely attract the hero as well.
The
To sum up, here are the defining traits of a
* She is a young woman, usually between 16-25.
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* She may be outspoken, bold, or in some cases even defiant.
* Despite the above, she generally avoids going so far beyond the rules of her society that she would be labelled disreputable: she is, after all, a lady.
* Though the
The [[Proper Lady]] and the
Compare [[Rebellious Princess]], who's of a higher social standing but may behave similarly. The
{{examples}}
== Anime and Manga ==
* Although Vivian in ''[[Victorian Romance Emma]]'' is a little too young to be eligible for being a young lady, she is certainly spirited enough to become a
** Monica is a [[Have a Gay Old Time|queer]] case. She does have the guts to pooh-pooh stiff propriety whenever it's necessary and my does she speak her mind; however, she knowingly play-pretends to be a fragile flower for her husband, and seems enthusiastic about getting rid of Victorian fashions and customs in India - and then again, she's a tiger when it comes to some young man breaking her dear little sister's heart.
* Candy White Andree from ''[[Candy Candy]]'' strives to be this. As a [[Heartwarming Orphan]] who is taken in by a rich clan, and has been [[Break the Cutie|through lots of hardships in her life]], it won't be easy. [[Plucky Girl|But she won't stop trying.]]
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* Many of [[Georgette Heyer]]'s heroines count as this. One example would be Frederica, who at 24 is running her younger brother's estate and bringing up her younger siblings.
* Margaret Hale of ''[[North and South]]'' is a strong, determined woman who will put herself in the way of angry mob in order to protect someone in need. (Later events suggest that she's pretty good at business, too.)
* Scarlett O'Hara of ''[[Gone with the Wind]]'' is a rare [[Anti-Hero]] specimen. She displays the strength of character and drive for success associated with this trope. She also knows how to act the part of a lady when she needs to, although her manipulation, bitchiness, and decidedly unladylike antics <ref>
* Isobel Archer in Henry James' ''Portrait of a Lady''.
* Among the March sisters in ''[[Little Women]]'', Jo is one who best fits this trope, given her outspoken nature and her intellectual gifts. (Meg plays the [[Proper Lady]] in contrast.)
* In ''[[Black Beauty]]'', the Lady Anne is a
* Valeria Brinton of [[Wilkie Collins]]' ''The Law and the Lady'' is ladylike, graceful, and devoted to her husband. She also becomes one of the first amateur female detectives in the nineteenth-century novel.
** Rachel Verinder from ''[[The Moonstone]]'' is another, perhaps better known, example from the same author.
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* Emily Byrd Starr, throughout the [[Emily of New Moon]] trilogy by [[L. M. Montgomery]], is intelligent and considered eccentric ("temperamental") by those around her. She adores taking long walks in nature (as usual for a LMM heroine) more than mingling in society, and by the end of her series she is able to make a living by writing stories. (She has no [[Proper Lady]] her own age, however -- [[Tomboy and Girly Girl|she's in fact proper compared to her dashing and flamboyant best friend]], Ilse.)
** Similarly, the Story Girl in her own books. Unconventional, the leader of her gang of friends, and frequently squabbling with her [[Proper Lady]] cousin, Felicity. At the end of ''The Golden Road'' {{spoiler|her remarkable talent for elocution turns into her vocation, and it's never even stated that she marries.}}
*** Montgomery must like this trope because it is also used in her most famous work [[Anne of Green Gables]], with [[Fiery Redhead|Anne]] being the
* In the ''[[Doctor Syn]]'' novels, Charlotte Cobtree in "Doctor Syn Returns" and her sister Cicely in "The Shadow of Doctor Syn".
* In the [[Aubrey-Maturin]] series, Diana is an extreme example, contrasted with her [[Proper Lady]] cousin Sophie.
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== [[Live-Action TV]] ==
* In the [[The Edwardian Era|Edwardian-era]] ''[[Downton Abbey]],'' Lady Mary, the earl's oldest daughter, is in most ways a textbook example of this
== [[Theater]] ==
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== [[Western Animation]] ==
* Belle of ''[[Beauty and the Beast]]'' is a middle-class example: humorous, energetic, intelligent, witty, spirited in a subtly feminist
* Rapunzel from ''[[Tangled]]''. She's pretty good about following Mother Gothel's orders, but she's even better at finding loopholes around those rules.
** Similarly, Ariel from ''[[The Little Mermaid]]''.
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