1. Atticus Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Atticus is not the protagonist of To Kill a Mockingbird. Rather, he is Scout's father, a lawyer and widower with a dry sense of humor and a strong sense of morality and justice, all of which he has instilled in his children. Because of his penetrating intelligence, calm wisdom, and exemplary behavior, Atticus is respected by everyone, including the very poor. However, when he agrees to do the right thing-- defend a black man charged with raping a white woman-- he exposes himself and his family to the anger of the white community. With his strongly held convictions, wisdom, and empathy, Atticus functions as the novel’s moral backbone. To me, he is a hero in the truest sense of the word. Ironically, neither Jem nor Scout consciously idolizes their father at the beginning of the novel. Both are embarrassed that he is older than other fathers and that he doesn’t hunt or fish. I love that! I admit that in terms of my developing a big hero crush on him, it didn't hurt at all that Gregory Peck played him in the movie :)
2. Heathcliff of
I think Heathcliff is one of the most memorable characters in fiction because he is so darkly, deeply passionate-- a truly tormented soul. I'd never want to date him, but wow, I love him anyway. He is a master avenger filled with hate for everyone who has wronged him-- except his beloved Catherine. He is horribly cruel. I actually think that the love story between young Cathy and Hareton is the true love story, but it was Heathcliff that shook me up and rocked my world.
3. Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer from The Adventures of . . by Mark Twain
As a kid, I felt so very sorry for Huck, but I admired him. Twain makes it clear that Huck is a boy who comes from the lowest levels of white society. His father is a drunk and a ruffian who disappears for months on end. Huck himself is dirty and frequently homeless. Although the Widow Douglas attempts to “reform” Huck, he resists her attempts and maintains his independent ways. The community has failed to protect him. What I love about Huck is his epiphany which arrives when he has to make a decision whether or not to rescue Jim when he is captured and held for return to slavery. In the culture he was born into, stealing a slave is the lowest of crimes and the perpetrator is condemned to eternal damnation. He decides to risk hell to save Jim, and in the process he comes of age and saves his soul. Huck has risen above his upbringing to see Jim as a friend, a man, and a fellow human being.
What I love about Tom is that he is a mischievous boy with an active imagination who spends most of the novel getting himself, and often his friends, into and out of trouble. Despite all his mischief, Tom has a good heart.
4. James Bond from the 007 series by Ian Fleming
Does this one really require an explanation? I think not. Suave, debonair alpha male who knows how to please the ladies and save the world over and over again. Works for me.
5. Harry Potter from Harry Potter series by JK Rowling
Uh, JK Rowling is a billionaire. Why? Everybody loves Harry! I'm not all that original:)
6. Jamie Fraser of the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon
James Alexander Malcolm MacKenzie Fraser is the sexy, soulful eighteenth-century Scottish Highlander from Gabaldon's historical/romance/adventure/time-travel series. His love for Claire is so deep that he finds death and torture a preferable fate to life without her. You won't believe what this guy goes through! And yet, there's something so endearing and real about him.
Honorable mentions: William Wallace of Braveheart and Jack from Lost. Love, love, love them-- because they're brave, smart, noble-- but they're not in novels so I'm just including them here as honorable mentions.
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