By Michelle Monaghan
What turns a strong female character in a book into a role model for young women? Read this article and find out!
Sarah J. Maas is the author of the popular Throne Of Glass series and A Court Of Thorns and Roses series. Although both of her series are well known for having strong female characters and heroines, one stands out above all others, Morrigan. Better known as ‘Mor’, Morrigan is one of the central characters in the A Court Of Thorns (ACOTAR) series. Mor may not be the main character, but the way her personality and backstory are framed within the series stand out to me as a strong and independent woman, who myself and many other female readers can be inspired by.
Mor says about her childhood, “I was a dreamer born into the Court of Nightmares” but as she grew up, she became a strong and powerful High Fae. So powerful that she was stronger than her own family. However, Mor’s family sought to take advantage of this and sell her off in marriage because of her power could be used as a valuable bargaining chip. Mor has the power of truth and when it first awakened it shook the entire Court of Nightmares. Due to the strength and enormity of her power she was viewed like a prized mare to be used in any way her family see fit.
Mor’s standout quality is her refusal to accept the cards she has been dealt. In many fictional series we see women traded for power, status or money. Used as a bargaining chip by authors and characters alike, however the depth and strength of Mor’s character is shown when she takes her destiny into her own hands, by ruining herself and her value so it cannot been seen as desirable in the marriage game. Despite being afraid of the consequences, she stands up for what she believes to be right, in the process becoming independent and free from the constraints of her family. These qualities are further exemplified in comments from her cousin Rhysand the High Lord of the Night Court, another crucial character, who said about Mor, “If I had not met my cousin, I would never have learned that light can be found in even the darkest of hells. That kindness can thrive even amongst cruelty.”
It’s clear she has a profound effect on other characters, as Rhysand appoints her his Third, which allows her to run and oversee the Court of Nightmares and the Court of Dreams. Later on in series she would join the fight alongside her cousin and closest friends- showing her as a capable warrior alongside any man and willing to fight for her family and for the protection of her home Velaris the city of starlight.
Mor’s message to the female readers of this series is that no matter what anybody does to you, for whatever reason you can survive it. It may be scary to stand up for yourself, but it’s better than having people bully you and try to control you. I personally feel this from Mor every time I read about her in the books, as she inspires me to have the courage to become a stronger person.
No matter what she says or does in the series, Mor will always follow her own path and step up to protect those important to her, her past only making her more determined to do so. This is why Mor and so many other female characters in Maas’s book will continue to be inspirational to female readers, reinforcing they are their own person and each unique in different ways, as we all are in the world.
For information on where to buy Sarah J Maas’s Court Of Thorns And Roses Series and her Thrones Of Glass Series check out her website. Plus there is a whole new novella from the ACOTAR series coming out in May next year- can you tell I’m excited?