My Five Favourite Book Characters

As I was preparing to write about this particular topic, I realised that a good majority of books in my reading list are non-fictions – mostly memoirs, biographies, history, travelogues and political commentary. But this initial confusion didn't stop me from finding my favourite characters. After all, they had been living rent-free in my mind.

1. Hermione Granger, Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling (1997-2007)

Hermione Granger was a role model for many people who grew up reading the Harry Potter series. She is smart, intelligent and hardworking. But the best part about her character is that she has her own flaws. She isn’t perfect. She is bossy, stubborn and may not really be a ‘likeable’ person in real life. But her emotional growth is well portrayed in the series. Behind her nerdy know-it-all image, there is a loyal friend, someone who stands up for people’s rights and a human being with a very emotional heart.

2. The goat in Pathummayude Aadu, Pathummayude Aadu (1959), Vaikom Muhammad Basheer

The writer was an active participant in India’s freedom fight. So, after travelling around the country, he comes back home to find a new member in the family – a goat. The goat in the story belongs to Basheer’s sister Pathumma. What is the big deal about a goat? Because, here we have an animal who lives its life non-apologetically, according to its own terms, without caring about the humans around it. It has absolute freedom in the house and would eat anything bio-degradable in the house – be it fallen leaves, the food prepared in the kitchen, trousers or even the author’s copy of newest editions of his own book. We can all respect a goat who has a mind of its own (as long as I don’t have to deal with such animals in my own house, obviously)!

3. Fitzwilliam Darcy, Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen (1813)

A very popular character, indeed – thanks to the 2005 movie starring Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen and the 1995 TV series. Strong appreciation to Jane Austen for creating such a delicate yet strong male character – and also possibly one of the most notable and celebrated male characters in literature history – more than two centuries ago in a conservative British society. Also, if there was a crown for the position of ‘the in-house literary fiction representative of the socially awkward population in the world’, it would perhaps go to Mr. Darcy.

4. Big Brother, 1984, George Orwell (1949)

This character actually never shows up in the book. He is presented through people’s words, minds and fears. Yet, it is one of the most villainous character in all of literature – someone who watches all our moves, someone who is to be praised always, someone who has the power to torture you with your darkest fears. Also, this book wasn’t really an easy read for me and sure has left some disturbing feelings in my head.

5. Isabel Archer, The Portrait of a Lady, Henry James (1881)

An intelligent and curious lady who moves from North America to Europe with her aunt in the hope of learning more about the world and becoming the smart lady of her own vision, but who ended up making ridiculous emotional decisions wrecking herself (and the hopes of the readers as well). She had to choose between her head and heart, but ended up making a 50-50 choice, trapping herself into the choice forever, unable to come out of it due to societal pressure, her own ego and stubbornness to control her own narratives. Must be a familiar trope, but still an interesting character. My takeaway from the book is – our problems are easily solvable if we allow ourselves to look at them in a third person point of view, but we are unable to do so because we are caught up in our own thoughts, like in a whirlwind.

Note: The pictures used in the article are not mine. Credit goes to the rightful owners.