Silk & Steel: Action heroines of popular literature (IANS Column: Bookends)

Given how monotonous and mundane the daily existence of most of us can be, action in its various cultural manifestations is a pleasure, giving us the vicarious experience of lives lived fast and dangerous. For good measure, the sphere is also one where there has been gender equality right from the very beginning.

Religious pantheons Greco-Roman, Norse, Sumerian-Babylonian, Hindu all have female divinities who were no less than their male counterparts. The tradition was replicated in folklore, and later, in literature though never adequately in real life, till well into our times. But then, our world is far from perfect.

In literature, however, there are far fewer double standards. Action heroines, who are usually the polar opposites of the 'Damsel in Distress', slowly rose from a rare subversion of what was socially acceptable to become a norm.

Figuring in more than the usual woman versus woman fight, aimed mostly at titillating a section of readers