What are your three favorite book characters?
I have read and re-read Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice since discovering it as an adult. I delight in Elizabeth Bennett’s wit and growing awareness that initial appearances are not always the right ones. Fitzwilliam Darcy is the man who draws Elizabeth’s ire initially. Elizabeth is best friends with her older sister, Jane; through Elizabeth’s observations, we get a glimpse into the genteel life of early 19th century England. We learn why it was so important for a daughter to marry and marry well during this time period. The television station A&E made an excellent adaptation of Miss Austen’s tale starring Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth back in 1995.
When it comes to American-based classics, my favorite heroine is Scarlett O’Hara from Gone With the Wind. She is spoiled, selfish, and single-minded but all too human as she struggles to rebuild her life following the Civil War. Scarlett seeks after the man of her dreams but realizes too late that he was never the right one for her. Set in the warm climate of Georgia, Margaret Mitchell’s tale of the Old South is special to me. I read that book at least once a year during my high school years, and it was a graduation present from my grandmother. I read this book during my eighth grade year as a book report assignment; we could choose our own titles. My book had over 1000 pages, and I received a great deal of ribbing for choosing such a long book. I read the entire novel and made an A on the report, too.
My third favorite character originally heralds from a small village called Nain; her name is Hadassah, and her tale is told in two novels from Francine Rivers’ Mark of the Lion series—A Voice in the Wind and An Echo in the Darkness. Hadassah is a young woman who is made into a slave during the days of the Roman Empire when being a Christian could cost you your life. Romans believed that Christians’ allegiance to Jesus Christ was treason since they held that the emperor was a god. Hadassah’s faith in the LORD and her boldness cause her to face the ultimate test in the arena, but God has another plan for her and the man He has chosen for her—Marcus Valerian. I actually cried at the end of the first novel because of what happened to Hadassah. I could not wait too long before I read the second. If you want to know more, you’ll have to read it yourself. This set of novels is filled with historical details that made me want to delve more into ancient history. Hadassah’s faith reminds me of how I should live my life.
