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"There is no more lovely, friendly and charming relationship, communion or company than a good marriage."
--Martin Luther

Tuesday 27 August 2013

Top Ten Tuesday: Favourite Secondary Characters

It's another link-up with Top Ten Tuesday at The Broke and the Bookish.  Today we're blogging about the most memorable secondary characters. 

1.  Fred and George Weasley from the Harry Potter series:  These guys never fail to make me laugh.  I have burst into giggles on numerous public buses because of them.  I love that they lend a lightness to difficult situations and they really do care about their family and friends.

2.  Severus Snape from the Harry Potter series:  It's arguable how "secondary" he is in the end, but in most of the books he's not a major character.  Snape's personality is so fascinating because it's only in the end (other than briefly in book 5) that we see his life from outside of Harry's point of view.  I love reading the old books and wondering what is really going on in his mind.

3. Easter in State of Wonder:  He's such a mystery.  He's a source of strength to the main characters, yet he has gone through serious trauma and cannot tell them his story at all.  He's also symbolic of the hazy ethical questions that permeate the book.

4.  Matthew Cuthbert from Anne of Green Gables Again, possibly not so secondary, but since the book follows Anne, I'd say he counts.  Matthew has a heart of gold and is a great example of a quiet, unassuming man displaying great character.  (Honourable mention for the Anne series goes to Miss Cornelia, because of her "Isn't that just like a man!")

5.  Mr Collins in Pride and Prejudice:  He makes me laugh every time.  He is so smug and awkward.  How much was the chimney piece at Rosings Park again?



6.  Queequeg the harpooner in Moby Dick:  Initially described as a "savage", Ishmael soon got to know Queequeg and they because close friends.  He's certainly memorable because of his physical description (tattooed all over, carrying a sunken head) and the fact that he has to share a bed with Ishmael, but I also like him because he's such an unlikely friend.

7.  Death (pronounced Deeth) the librarian in Bitterblue He's so serious that you're never sure if he likes anyone, but given a nearly impossible task (learning a new language so he can decipher coded notebooks), he perks right up.  He speaks to my nerdy heart.

8.  Mrs. Jellyby in Bleak House:  Wikipedia describes her as a "telescopic philanthropist"; she is obsessed with charity work for Africa, but completely neglects her children and home.  I read Bleak House nearly 10 years ago (yikes!) and have never forgotten her negative example.

Okay, over the course of today, I've thought of a couple more.

9.  Reepicheep from Prince Caspian and Voyage of the Dawn Treader:  So brave, and so hilarious.

10.  Harriet Smith from Emma:  I love that she's so awkward and, to quote Cher Horowitz, "adorably clueless".  She also has a heart of gold; how else could she stay friends with Emma after the woman totally messes up her love life. 

Honourable mentions go to a whole gang of folks from Harry Potter (Luna, Hagrid, Tonks, Neville, Professor McGonagall, and my beloved Remus Lupin), as well as Willoughby from Sense and Sensibility (I love to hate him, especially the moment when he pulls out his copy of Shakespeare's Sonnets) and Cinna from The Hunger Games and Catching Fire.

2 comments:

  1. Great list! lol, Mr. Collins, sometimes I'm amused by him, sometimes I'm irritated by him. I guess it depends on my mood when I read it xD

    Yay for Fred & George Weasley :D

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