What's The Appeal?
Despite the progress following the women's movement, it doesn't take a
feminist to realize that society still measures women based primarily on
their appearance. From Helen of Troy into the present, great beauty has cast
its shadow on the self-confidence of women. In the romance novel, the model
heroine has long mirrored this ideal of the perfect beauty. But the
realistic heroine, or the Plain Jane, is on the rise—appearing more
frequently in women's fiction across the board.
Jane Austen's heroines
and Bronte's Jane Eyre are early prototypes, but the Plain Janes in most
romance novels reference the common woman. This heroine accepts the general
opinion around her that her looks, or her manners, or her thinking aren't
special. However, while she may want a better life, she doesn't focus on
perfection the way her society does.
The other meanings of the word
"plain" equally apply in defining the heroine: she's unsophisticated,
modest, honest, tranquil, of good intellect and independent by choice. Any
suffering she experiences stems from the limits society places on her
because of her looks.
As George Bernard Shaw said of Eliza Doolittle,
"You use a glass mirror to see the face; you use works of art to see the
soul." Shaw's "Pygmalion," later adapted into "My Fair Lady," was about the
heroine's need for a better job and the better way of life that went with
it. Eliza's transformation into a duchess isn't her own idea, nor her own
ambition. Professor Higgins, in the original play, doesn't fall in love;
Shaw resisted that change in his hero even when his audience wanted it. To
him, the story was about the cost of upper-class meddling to improve the
lives of the lower class. "My Fair Lady" takes on the romantic theme, the
change in the heroine's appearance occurs because she needs to be different
in order to move toward the person she wants to become. Although her
appearance may be different, this isn't the way she wins the hero. Her
perception of her appearance, and the hero's perception, change because
they've fallen in love. And, like the song says, "Love is all you need."
Authors' Thoughts...
Jude Deveraux
"I love the idea of the Plain Jane. We can identify with them. No one in
real life resembles a supermodel. We're normal people living normal lives."
For a novel that captures the essence of "the one least likely," Jude
Deveraux recommends Courting Miss Hattie by Pamela Morsi.
Monica Jackson
"The Plain Jane heroines are a hair on the left side of different—if
you know what I mean. I had always wanted to take a heroine a bit farther
than the English governess type of plainess I read about; I wanted a real
heroine with acne scars, stretchmarks and a smart mouth." Monica Jackson
recommends any book by Beverly Sommers.
Eugenia Riley
"Since the Plain Jane heroine so often experiences ridicule at the hands of
others, I love to watch the growth in this heroine's psyche as she comes to
realize she truly is beautiful in the eyes of her one special hero." For an
excellent book of this type, I recommend Morning Glory by LaVyrle
Spencer.
Maybe she has a minor scar, or she's too tall, too thin for the style of her
time, or too fat, her nose too long, her thighs too big, her breasts too
small or too big, her jaw too strong. Whatever the perceived flaw, she's not
quite perfect and isn't considered—or doesn't consider
herself—beautiful. Every woman in the world doubts that she's perfect
or fails to see her true beauty. This theme, this kind of heroine, resonates
with many readers.
-Constance Martin
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