The Hero and the Crown

Prior to the 1980s, female protagonists were a rarity in the fantasy genre, and even when they appeared, they were seldom depicted as being physically capable and socially equal to the men. Although certain notable characters—such as Eowyn in Lord of the Rings—sometimes occupied important, near-equivalent roles, later contributions to the fantasy genre relegated women to diminished, supporting roles in the name of “realism.” The cultural dialogue at the time argued that women would not be capable of the feats typically demanded of fantasy protagonists; additionally, some argued that in settings inspired by medieval Europe, women’s behavior would be much more restricted.

Authors like Robin McKinley, Tamora Pierce, and Ursula K. Le Guin sought to deconstruct and revolutionize many restrictive conventions of the fantasy genre, including the role of women. Second-wave feminism, which began in the 1960s and continued into the late 1980s, inspired much of this development. While third- and fourth-wave feminist movements emphasized the value and power of femininity, second-wave feminism emphasized equality between men and women, arguing that women were just as capable of embodying traditionally “masculine” behaviors and roles. Characters like Aerin, who are cast as powerful warriors, came about as a result of this movement. Rather than emphasizing Aerin’s power in a traditionally feminine role, McKinley places her heroine in the traditionally male role of a knight and a dragon slayer and pointedly shows her to be more capable than the men in fulfilling these duties.

Although the advent of second-wave feminism resulted in a more nuanced version of fantasy literature, the development of the fantasy genre at the time did have limitations, particularly regarding the issue of intersectionality. While some authors, like Le Guin, did try to call attention to the overwhelming presence of the Western, white perspective in fantasy, most novels still maintained this perspective, even if the authors chose to write about strong female characters. It is important to note that The Hero and the Crown reinscribes this limitation as well, for Aerin is isolated and rejected for being pale and redheaded in a world filled with dark-skinned characters. This aspect of the story typifies the lack of intersectional dialogue in feminist and fantasy circles at the time.