As I was exploring information about the intersection of politics and worldbuilding, I also discovered that there is quite a bit of thought put into the topic. I found several additional essays at Worldbuilding Magazine in their first volume, the sixth issue of Worldbuilding Monthly. What’s a little unfortunate about this magazine is the tendency to accredit the essays to screen names rather than the true author. As I write this, I do consider that possibly, the authors go by these names in the gaming and other publication community, but it feels like it lacks a bit of credibility. Even so, I read the issue front-to-back, and many of the theories and points articulated appear to provide a nice analysis of other literary works and historical events. In a nutshell, it was a fascinating read, and it pushed me to write an article further exploring the relationship between power and politics.
Although this article provides examples of female protagonists, I’m not striving to make this about feminism. In fact, I would argue that the selections below are only human and finding a softer side of power within their worlds. That they are only human, and the power theme is so subtle, I believe it makes them more universal than a straight feminist piece. Here are seven female leads in books and or book series that tackle the topic finding a place of power through more subtle means:
Katniss Everdeen
The Hunger Games
Also in my research for this article, I stumbled across an article: The Hunger Games is Not a Feminist Masterpiece. In this analysis, the point I found the most poignant was:
“In a sea of paper-thin stock love interests and Strong Female Characters, Katniss Everdeen is a refreshing dose of reality.”
Phèdre nó Delaunay de Montrève
Kushiel’s Dart, Kushiel’s Chosen, Kushiel’s Avatar
I don’t have many lists dealing with worldbuilding that do not include this work. Ms. Carey is really my measuring stick.
Mama Elena
Like Water for Chocolate
I, regretfully, have not read this, but it is close to the top of my TBR list.
Claire Randall/ Fraser
Outlander
I’ll admit, I had trouble reading the first book in this series. I did it for book club. But once that first one was out of the way, I enjoyed the remainder of the series. The second book is my favorite to date.
Elizabeth
The White Queen
Did she have a last name? I can’t recall… She’s an easy historic figure to explore in historical fiction. Another I’d like to explore one day is Cleopatra.
Firdaus
Woman at Point Zero
I haven’t read this one either, but I have just finished Anubis Gates by Tim Powers (book review forthcoming) and this is up next for Audio.
Elle Jones/ sur Phillary
Open Season
Some of the above authors have a strong influence over the protagonist, Elle, in The Caeteran Tales. like my understanding of) Mama Elena and Claire, Elle starts from a place of power and finds herself powerless and left to figure out the politics and social dynamics of a new world.
As I write these stories, I like to explore how I implement what I’ve learned from others within my own writing. Including my own work here isn’t a shameless ploy, but more of an exercise in sharing my influences and how my own work compares. I have a few others (I am Malala and The Paris Wife) in the main image here, and I’m certain I could find more. In the classics, Jane Eyre & Pride & Prejudice come immediately to mind. The Scarlet Letter would be another one to explore. My goal is to look across genre when I explore characters.
What is politics? What is power? How do they relate?
According to StronglyOPlatypus[i]:
“Politics, at its core, is a game of power. It’s more than a game though, it is an inevitability. Any system which divides power between the people…will have a thriving network of politicians who all aim to bend the governmental apparatus to their will.”
This topic generally leans more toward the institution of government itself, but it’s a valid point that I believe demonstrates that all government, all rule, all leadership, and even all relationships show some exertion of power over other people. That’s an important aspect when looking at how some seemingly non-political works speak volumes in the area of politics and power. Consider the following examples:
- How does one born into a lower class achieve power?
- Katniss: all she wanted was to live a peaceful life and protect her sister. She was a reluctant hero, and her power was gained through her actions that showed kindness in a society where there was none.
- Firdaus: would use the fact that men desired her to her advantage to make them suffer.[ii]
- Phèdre gains power through her submissiveness and seduces powerful men and women alike.
- Through knowledge, Claire in Outlander attained her power during a period of history where women were thought to be witches if they healed.
- How does one maintain power once achieved?
- Elizabeth did in The White Queen by Phillipa Gregory? Granted, she rose through class into power as well, but once there, the many sacrifices she made–right down to tolerating Edward’s infidelity–in an effort to retain the power she had gained through love and marriage and childbirth cannot be overlooked.
- Mama Elena exercised violence and cruelty over her daughters to keep them in check.
- How does one use her poser to make things better in the world?
- Katniss was called by the rebellion to use the natural power she found with the people who identified with her actions.
- Phèdre saved her peaceful realm from overthrow through her submissive relationships. Though there were many, more specifically, the one with the man who was used as the tool to overthrow Terre d’Ange.
- Claire. Hers was simple. She saved people one at a time through her practice of medicine. It earned her repeated patronage and renown throughout the series.
- I’d like to comment on Firdaus and Mama Elena, but I need to read those works first. Maybe one day I’ll return to add them to this list with commentary.
Another quote from the Worldbuilding Monthly
“Power comes in three main forms: money, weapons, and words, all of which are interrelated and dependent on one another.”
Money Currency
Money, I’d argue, should be reframed to Currency. In societies where there is no coin, what serves as payment for services rendered? That’s a fun question to ask during a worldbuilding exercise.
Weapons
Weapons is a generic enough term. However, when you’re considering it in Worldbuilding, it can take on multiple forms. If your work is set in space, a la Star Wars, the physical weaponry will be vastly different than a piece set on Earth in medieval times or than a piece set in modern times without the ability for space travel. However, in all cases, it’s important that when building your world, you don’t overlook the non-physical or figurative weapons. For example, a character’s position or charisma.
Words Action
Words; this one I would also lobby to change to Action. StronglyOPlatypusi comments on promises, crossed fingers, and a person’s influence. S/he talks about how a person sway the masses and win over people to a cause and challenges the reader to consider how s/he wouldn’t work against a friend, spouse, or family member. This is all well and good, but to move this more generically to actions makes it extremely powerful. What a character chooses to do and how the other characters observe and react to the character’s action is where you see the politics in play. For example, if you have a character who refuses the custom of marriage, how does that action sway the others in the story? Does that stance of the character bring on a small revolution within the people who secretly disagreed with the custom?
I’d love to hear others’ thoughts on the dynamics of power in
References
[i] StronglyOPlatypus. “Pennies, Promises, and Pointed Sticks: A Guide to Power and Politics.” Worldbuilding Magazine. October 2017. Accessed February 20, 2019. https://www.worldbuildingmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Issue-6-1.pdf.
[ii] Liu, Timothy. “The Theme Of Power English Literature Essay.” UKEssays. May 12, 2016. Accessed February 19, 2019. https://www.ukessays.com/essays/english-literature/the-theme-of-power-english-literature-essay.php.
[iii] Lisa. “The Hunger Games Is Not a Feminist Masterpiece.” The Fandomentals. November 12, 2018. Accessed February 23, 2019. https://www.thefandomentals.com/hunger-games-not-feminist-masterpiece/.