Janeway is still incredible representation
As a young woman, I’m obsessed with Janeway. I imagine her being amazing representation back then, but I think that she’s still incredible representation now. Here are some things that I think still make her unique 30+ years later:
She’s “motherly” and she wants to have children, but she’s never made to feel bad or less than about not having children.
She’s so naturally commanding. There are no conversations about her being a woman in charge, she just is.
She has a mixture of stereotypically masculine and feminine interests and traits. As a starfleet captain, she gets to work a lot with science and engineering but in her spare time she plays gothic holonovels and knits.
She sacrifices her personal happiness with great stoicism. This feels like a trope I see used for male heroes, intended to show their strength of character, but I rarely see it used for female characters
She often argues for the pragmatic stance without being an emotionally closed off person. This is so refreshing since many female characters often argue for the moral and/or emotional stance. Female characters who argue for the pragmatic stance will often be shown as emotionless, cruel etc.
She has very realistic mental health problems and regrets, but she presents herself with incredible confidence. She has the same touch of overconfidence that Kirk has, but seeing a female character possess this trait (without being a villain) is still unusual.
She’s a middle aged woman who gets to be seen as beautiful and desirable without that being the focus of her character. The respect she gets from others is earned by her actions, but her beauty is also acknowledged.
Janeway is good at almost everything, but she isn’t always right and she’s no Mary Sue. She’s so aspirational because she’s so realistic, she is never “chosen”, special or superhuman in any way. She feels like a woman I could know, and it’s inspiring to see an “ordinary” woman lead and do extraordinary things with knowledge and determination.
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