45 Master Characters (13 page)

Florence Nightingale

Mother Teresa

Beauty in
Beauty and the Beast

Mary Poppins in
Mary Poppins
by Pamela L. Travers

Widow Douglas in
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
by Mark Twain

Meg March in
Little Women
by Louisa May Alcott

Nurse in
Romeo and Juliet
by William Shakespeare

Miss Emma and Tante Lou in
A Lesson Before Dying
by Ernest J. Gaines

Francesca Johnson in
The Bridges of Madison County
by Robert James Waller

Elinor Dashwood in
Sense and Sensibility
by Jane Austen

Grandmother in
100 Years of Solitude
by Gabriel Garci´a Ma´rquez

Ruth in
Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe
by Fannie Flagg

Sethe in
Beloved
by Toni Morrison

Annie Wilkes in
Misery
by Stephen King

Sally Owens in
Practical Magic
by Alice Hoffman

Hera the powerful goddess of marriage and fertility spills forth the stars of the Milky Way seeding the earth. Heracles' (Hercules) name means “glory to Hera,” a testament to her immense power. When Zeus took a liking to her she was able to resist him until he promised to marry her. He later betrayed her causing her to become vengeful. Marriage vows are sacred to her, and she would not leave Zeus or give up on their partnership. She now uses her power to hold the family of gods together, dispensing justice and giving advice.

The Matriarch

The Matriarch is the woman in charge. She sees to the needs of her family and demands respect in return. She needs her family just as much as she would have them believe they need her. She has no identity outside of her role as wife and mother, but unlike the Nurturer she is extremely strong, resourceful and tough skinned. She doesn't take it well if her husband is unfaithful, and she will not just sit by and ignore the wrongs done to her.

She's a very strong and committed woman. No other archetype can be as faithful and loving a partner as the Matriarch. She'll never leave a family member or colleague no matter what happens in life. She can be very supportive and giving when she wants to be, and she expects the same in return. She's the one everyone looks to for advice.

Her wedding day is the most important day of her life. She wants her wedding day to last forever. The sense of inner fulfillment she feels as she walks down the aisle is addictive. All eyes are on her, the center of attention and the object of admiration. Her husband becomes her life, and she sees their union as entering into a legal agreement with one another. It's as if they are forming a corporation. She wants to be the perfect wife, but she doesn't do it to make her husband happy; she does it to make herself happy. She takes pride in running a strong household.

Without a family of her own she'll put all of her energy and strength into starting her own company and creating a surrogate family with employees.

What Does the Matriarch Care About?

The Matriarch cares about becoming a wife and may feel incomplete without her husband and family when she is married. Marriage brings her prestige and her wedding day is the happiest day of her life. Wedding vows are sacred to her and she takes commitment seriously.

She wants to keep her extended family together and to be in constant control of them even if they no longer live in her house. She feels they need her help.

She loves to make plans and host get-togethers. Everyone had better show up, too, or she'll never let them forget it. Nothing is more important than coming to a family party.

Her husband is her identity; family comes second. She dotes on her children and may take over when the grandchildren come. A daughter-in-law often becomes upset with her for the strong child-rearing advice she gives. She means her advice as law.

What Does the Matriarch Fear?

The Matriarch fears never getting married and never having children. When she does get married she fears the loss of her husband and will stick with him through good and bad no matter what. At any cost she'll keep her marriage together. If she didn't have a family she would strive to hold her company together at all costs.

In
Terms of Endearment
Aurora Greenway's (Shirley MacLaine) desire to control her daughter's life makes her an example of a Matriarch.

She's terrified of growing old and of being alone. She dreads the day her children will try to leave home as well as the days her husband is away on business. She doesn't know what to do with herself.

She fears losing control when it comes to her children, but she hides it well. She's a fighter and will fight to save any child who has taken up drugs and needs a strong person to help. She can't help it if this child feels obligated to her later in life.

What Motivates the Matriarch?

Love, belonging and respect are strong motivators for the Matriarch. She wants a family as well as a sense of unconditional love and support. She may have put a lot of work into her husband's career, and she wants to be recognized along with him. If he ever receives an award he had better thank her in his speech!

Marriage and an expensive wedding are her goals. After the nuptials, she wants to be involved in all the other family weddings in her extended family. She frequently butts in and makes demands, telling everyone how things should be done.