Heroes: with and without oomph

Posted by Linden on May 01, 1998 at 19:59:34:

I kicked off a discussion of JA's heroines down the board a bit, but what about her heroes? And not just hers; what about other people's? Here's my thoughts to get the ball rolling.

Maybe we can look at how oomphy they are. Now, I'm a self-confessed disliker of Mr Darcy, but I agree he's got oomph coming out of his eyeballs. So has Captain Wentworth.

Mr Knightley and Henry Tilney are likeable, but maybe not quite so oomphy (in an adaptation it would all depend on the actor playing the roles).

Edmund and Edward are so unoomphy I can never tell them apart (Edmund Ferrars and Edward Bertram or vice versa?).

When we look outside JA we can see some really oomphy heroes: the Brontes' Heathcliff and Mr Rochester, for example. (Can't stand Heathcliff, love Mr Rochester.)

And is it only women authors who do oomphy heroes? Maybe the author has to be in love with the hero (or, if a male author, in love with the heroine).

Notice that I haven't defined "oomph": I'm not certain that I can (I hope someone else can, though). What is it that gives a hero oomph?

Thoughts, anyone?

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REPLIES:

• Oomphy heroes Constanza 21:29:03 5/02/98 (9)
  • Oops! It's Tancredi and not Fabrizio nfm Constanza 16:11:55 5/03/98 (0)
  • Oomphy heroes by male authors Linden 00:32:12 5/03/98 (7)
    • What is oomphiness? Kay 10:47:45 5/03/98 (6)
      • More on oomph Linden 18:30:22 5/03/98 (5)
        • ... and a certain air... Constanza 12:16:32 5/05/98 (4)
          • Woolf with oomph? I'd never have believed it! Linden 19:42:26 5/05/98 (3)
            • Night and Day Kay 11:59:22 5/06/98 (2)
              • Conventionality Constanza 17:04:51 5/07/98 (0)
              • Night and Day... Kate 08:12:15 5/07/98 (0)

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