“Shrimp Cocktail” – Callum Quinn, © 2022
*Spoiler Alert: The Good Place Series*
For those of us living in the United States, March is National Women’s History Month. It is a time dedicated to celebrating the accomplishments and roles of women in our country’s development, but it is also a good opportunity for us to celebrate women in general. And as part of this celebration, let us not forget our favorite fictional characters and how they have shaped our lives and our perspectives—especially those characters who are tough, feminine, and fabulous.
NBC’s The Good Place—first aired in September of 2016—introduced us to a number of wonderful and memorable characters ranging from bright-eyed intellects like Chidi Anagonye and Janet to quirky, human-obsessed supernatural beings like Michael and the Judge. But no one runs the show quite like Eleanor Shellstrop, the “trash bag from Arizona” who started it all.
Now, admittedly, Eleanor is definitely not the best role model (at first). There’s a reason our story begins with her realizing she’s been mistakenly let into “The Good Place,” which is this show’s version of a Heaven-like afterlife: Eleanor drinks too much, parties too hard, shirks any sense of responsibility and moral obligation and cares very little for anyone but herself.
However, especially as the show goes on, the negative aspects of her personality are often balanced with and then finally overthrown by traits that are deemed significantly more positive and admirable. Even in her earliest stages, she exhibits qualities that provide her with some redemption, making her likeable to us as the audience even when she’s at her worst. And it is because of these traits that Eleanor Shellstrop is the perfect example of a resilient, modern, fictional feminine icon that we should strive to emulate not just in our writing, but in our day to day lives.
First of all, she is highly intelligent. During their earliest “reboots” in the afterlife, Eleanor is usually the first to suspect foul play and inevitably discover the truth behind “The Good Place.” She constantly uncovers any clues that are laid out before her, seeks help when it’s necessary, and drives the group to work together to solve any problems.
Which brings us to another reason to admire and respect Eleanor: she exhibits great leadership skills. Especially in the later seasons, she willingly makes sacrifices and bears the brunt of most of the stress in order to spare her team; she understands the need to listen to those around her, and in spite of all her failings, she does have empathy for others. She displays this empathy as early as the first season when she comforts and befriends Tahani, and it culminates by the fourth and final season, when she helps grant her friend Michael his greatest wish.
But we must not forget that Eleanor is also confident, which is a trait so few female protagonists have been properly gifted in recent fiction. A lot of modern writers seem to suffer from this notion that “strong” female characters shrug off any implication that they might be beautiful, and generally shy away from typically feminine habits. Eleanor, fortunately, expresses neither of these behaviors, thus demonstrating that strength and classic femininity are not mutually exclusive. She is constantly making offhand compliments about her looks, even referring to herself at some point as a “hott, blonde Wile E. Coyote.” She is also not above complimenting and uplifting her female companions as well, to the point where she even admits a possible sexual attraction to Tahani. And, come on, who rocks a bright pink sweater better than Eleanor Shellstrop? Basically, she knows who she is, and what she wants, and she flaunts it for all it’s worth.
But most importantly, Eleanor is human. From the beginning, she is self-aware enough to know that she does not belong in The Good Place. She has a history, she knows she makes mistakes, and she recognizes when she has failed. This trait is part of her growth, as it is part of the growth of all her companions in The Good Place. And it is this trait that especially inspires Michael to continue to push her forward, even when things seem bleak for the team—because throughout all their time together, he has seen what Eleanor, in all her humanness, can accomplish. And it is a lot.
— C.O.
Night Owls, who are some other great women in fiction?
