Jane Eyre is a wonderful female character. She somehow remains childlike in her spirit; curious, intelligent, sympathetic and honest, yet she is also a strong woman who will not compromise her principles. Her loyalty is unwavering and I was happy that she was rewarded for her perseverance at the end of the novel. Even so, Charlotte Bronte did not wrap everything up in a perfect bundle. Edward Rochester would not have been the easier man to live with but Jane knew his faults and how to moderate them. It was a good match.
Able Seaman, Titty, from Arthur Ransome's Swallows and Amazons series, is my next choice. Oh, to have her imagination! She is full of spunk and adventurous ideas; Captain Flint (Uncle Jim) would still be missing his "treasure" if it hadn't been for her ingenuity. A first class female heroine!
She is one of the main character's in Dante's The Divine Comedy. Beatrice ......... what better reputation than being famous for guiding souls to Heaven! Even though Dante only saw her twice in his lifetime, she became his muse and he called her, "la gloriosa donna della mia mente" which translates to "the glorious lady of my mind".
A slightly less than enthusiastic vote goes to Penelope, wife of Odyseuss in The Odyssey.
There could be no better tribute to love than to wait for your husband for 20 years, ten while he was fighting in the Trojan War and ten while he was attempting to make his way home again. However, I still think there must have been some way to get rid of all those pesky suitors!
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