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Monday, April 25, 2011

Top Ten Mean Girls in Literature

Broke and Bookish
 Top Ten Mean Girls in Literature

1. Miranda Priestly the all-powerful editor of Runway magazine in The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger.

2. Fannie Dashwood the sister-in-law to the Dashwood sisters in Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen.

3. Mrs. Coulter the nearly unfeeling mother in His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Reeve.

4. Mrs. Danvers, the sinister house-keeper in Rebecca by Daphne duMaurier.

5. Cruella Deville from One Hundred and One Dalmatians by Dodie Smith.

6. Dolores Umbridge, the abusive and passive-aggressive Defense Against the Dark Arts professor in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling

7. Bellatrix Lestrange the Death-eater who killed Sirius Black in the Harry Potter series

8. Scarlett O'Hara the spoiled-brat, bad girl of Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell.

9. Mrs. Sarah Reed, Jane's loveless and cold-hearted aunt in Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte.

10. Mrs. Henry Lafayette Dubose, the crotchety neighbor of Scout and Jem Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.

11. Nurse Rached the cold, sadistic nurse who was locked in the power struggle with Randle McMurphy in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey.

I've strained my brain and come up with eleven but I know I will think of ten more "mean" women in literature as soon as I hit "publish".  Can you think of any others?



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18 comments:

  1. RachelApril 25, 2011 at 10:46 PM

    Mrs. Reed, Delores Umbridge and Miranda Priestly made my list as well.

    Rachel-Endless Reading

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  2. KarenSiApril 26, 2011 at 2:05 AM

    Mrs Coulter and Mrs Danvers made my list too. Big yes to Scarlett O'Hara (although I love her character). Delores Umbridge almost made my list too.

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  3. UnknownApril 26, 2011 at 2:11 AM

    I agree with you about 6 and 1! Umbridge always really got under my skin.


    Women I'd like to smack with a Mallet

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  4. AllisonApril 26, 2011 at 3:10 AM

    I love your list! I haven't read about 75% of those- I need to add them. I definitely agree with the HP ladies and Miranda Priestly! I wonder if real-life Anna Wintour is such a mean girl (she's definitely as successful!)

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  5. AnneApril 26, 2011 at 4:48 AM

    Love your list, Miranda Priestly was a great choice, I forgot about her!

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  6. BibliophileApril 26, 2011 at 5:39 AM

    Great list! You have some very good choices, including three I put on my list: Fannie Dashwood, Umbridge and Scarlett.

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  7. LisaApril 26, 2011 at 7:46 AM

    Dolores and Bellatrix are on my list too. I agree that Scarlett was meaning and contriving but for some reason she holds a place in my heart.

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  8. DJLApril 26, 2011 at 7:56 AM

    I like that you went one more on your list. :) And you have some evil ladies on your list that I know make me grind my teeth like Cruella and Miranda Priestly. Thank you for visiting and happy reading!

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  9. TrishApril 26, 2011 at 8:16 AM

    Ha, yes, #1,4,5,8 & 9! Great list. Some lists even mention Rebecca herself.

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  10. gautami tripathyApril 26, 2011 at 9:28 AM

    I got a lot in common with yours!

    Check out my bad girls in my Top Ten post!

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  11. Jenni ElyseApril 26, 2011 at 11:14 AM

    I totally should've put Mrs. Danvers, Miranda Priestly, and Mrs. Coulter on my list! Gah! I can't believe I forgot them!

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  12. Alexis @ Reflections of a BookaholicApril 26, 2011 at 2:02 PM

    Great list. I agree about Mrs. Reed. I loved Scarlet :) Yes she was spoiled and selfish...but there was something about her. Anyways..thanks for sharing.

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  13. StacyApril 26, 2011 at 2:26 PM

    Umbridge, Mrs. Coulter, Bellatrix all made my list too. New Follower Here.

    Stacy
    http://demureconnoisseur.blogspot.com/2011/04/top-ten-tuesday-mean-girls.html

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  14. AnonymousApril 26, 2011 at 5:50 PM

    Mrs Danvers is a good one - definitely fits the bill!

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  15. Lark AndreaApril 26, 2011 at 8:29 PM

    Great list! We have Bellatrix in common.

    Reading Lark's Top 10

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  16. La CoccinelleApril 27, 2011 at 2:17 PM

    Mrs. Coulter made my list, too. Nasty piece of work, that one...

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  17. AnonymousApril 28, 2011 at 5:47 PM

    fannie dashwood for sure! I always want to slap her when I read that book, she is so vile.

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  18. merryzideAugust 6, 2011 at 11:25 PM

    Cathy, from Steinbeck's East of Eden may be the meanest of all time

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