Minerva's Ramblings: Favourite Romantic Heroes from Classic Literature

Sometime back I wrote a review of North and South, where I mentioned a few of my favourite romantic heroes from classic literature. Turned out I am not the only one falling in love with fictional characters! And so, for all my soul sisters out there, here are the ones closest to my heart.

First, a few rules –

Rule #1. I have stated my favourites strictly in terms of how ideal I think they are as romantic partners. These are different from my favourite literary characters in general. For instance, I think Heathcliff, Rochester and Rhett Butler are among the best written male characters of all time – incredibly complex and completely human. Yet, I would argue that they can be pretty toxic in terms of relationship material.

Rule #2. I have restricted myself to just one character per author, regardless of how delicious the author’s other leading men are (I have no idea why I decided to torture myself this way. Maybe because otherwise, this post may never end).

Rule #3. While some of the television/ movie versions of these characters have certainly gained a lot of popularity, my choices are based strictly on the original book versions.  

Ok so here goes! In no particular order:

John Thornton – North and South, Elizabeth Gaskell

"Oh! Margaret, could you not have loved me? I am but uncouth and hard, but I would never have led you into any falsehood for me."

Richard Armitage as John Thornton in the 2004 BBC mini-series

Clearly, this should come as no surprise. I am definitely partial to the strong, silent type, but John Thornton is so much more. A self-made man with a strong moral code, he is a just employer, caring son, dutiful brother and responsible citizen. What’s more, his harsh early life and the fact that he is required to maintain a no-nonsense attitude in his dealings with people haven’t really rid him of his softer, more humane side. While Margaret is entirely prejudiced and therefore unable to see this at first, readers are quickly warmed to this gentle, honest soul for his exceptional qualities. His admiration for Mr. Hale, despite not agreeing with his worldview, is sincere; he treats his somewhat cantankerous mother with utmost tenderness and his insufferable sister with patience; he goes out of his way to procure exotic fruit for a dying woman whose daughter has just broken his heart.

All this without even coming to his love for Margaret. I am someone who strongly believes that a shitty person, however ardently he professes his love for a woman, can never qualify as a romantic ideal because one fine day when the romance wears thin, he is going to end up being a shitty lover and husband. On the other hand, characters like Thornton are portrayed as such beautiful, though flawed, persons in their own right, that you are left with absolutely no doubt of the depth and sincerity of their love for the heroine. 

Thornton’s passionate, unconditional love for Margaret is the stuff of dreams. His reaction to his mother’s claim after the riot that Margaret is obviously in love with him – hence, why she shielded him from the mob – is heartbreakingly innocent and pure - "I dare not hope. I never was fainthearted before; but I cannot believe such a creature cares for me." Once rejected, he resolves to keep on loving her, though he knows it will bring him pain. He does everything for her well-being and happiness; offering her silent comfort at her mother’s death, and pledging his faith in her character at the risk of his own integrity.

And who can forget that very last scene, when he finally realizes she loves him back - 

"Take care - if you do not speak - I shall claim you as my own in some strange presumptuous way - send me away at once, if |I must go..." Whoever thought grabbing a woman by her hair and forcing a kiss on her lips as she struggles to escape is romantic, needs to learn a thing or two about consent from John Thornton.

Of course, she doesn't let him go! Who would?

Colonel Brandon – Sense and Sensibility, Jane Austen

Colonel Brandon alone, of all the party, heard her without being in raptures. He paid her only the compliment of attention.

David Morrissey as Colonel Brandon in the 2008 BBC mini-series

To everyone going “Whaaaaaaaaaattttt! Picking Brandon over Darcy?” I must confess that, after much painful deliberation among Mr. Darcy, Captain Wentworth and Colonel Brandon, I finally decided upon the good old Colonel.

Wait, what? Old??

I have often felt that Brandon is unfairly sidelined by many Austen fans, and I can think of two possible reasons why. One – while Austen makes Brandon’s feelings for Marianne very clear, we are not privy to Marianne’s feelings about Brandon. In contrast to her overflowing passion for Willoughby, the details of Marianne’s love and subsequent marriage to Brandon are glossed over in a few sentences, literally in the final passages of the book. This may give some readers the impression that theirs is not an ideal romantic pairing.

Two – Alan Rickman.

If you are still reading this, please bear with me. While I think this incredibly talented actor (and his voice!) was one of the most gorgeous specimens of humanity (what is it with me and British accents?), I believe he was somewhat miscast in the 1995 movie. Marianne certainly is very young; but Brandon himself is a desirable counterpart well within his prime. At 35, he is just a few years older than the sexy Captain Wentworth, whom fangirls gush over constantly…in fact, he is even younger than Mr. Knightley, another favourite Austen hero of many! At the time of the movie Mr. Rickman was not, neither did he look, anywhere close to 35.

However, if you are familiar with Austen’s use of irony, it is obvious that she doesn’t really mean Brandon is a consolation prize. Nor does she hint that ending up with him is a sort of “punishment” for Marianne’s “inappropriate” relationship with Willoughby, as some of the movie’s reviewers have theorized!

Austen’s Brandon is brave, honourable, respectful and considerate. Like Thornton, it is not only his relationship with Marianne, but his interactions with others is very telling of his own character. In this regard, he gets the edge over Darcy and Wentworth in my book, simply because he is a genuinely nicer person. He is a loyal friend to John Middleton. He is kind to Mrs. Jennings. He stays true to his first love, taking care of her when she is destitute and adopting her daughter as his ward. This is particularly remarkable given how “ruined women” and illegitimate children were viewed at the time. And I love his relationship with Elinor, and the mutual respect they have for one another.

Brandon’s love for Marianne is selfless. Rather than trying to possess her or win her over with grand romantic gestures, he simply remains a true friend who holds her happiness close to his heart. As Marianne matures over the course of the novel, she grows to admire his qualities and appreciate his quiet faithfulness, and eventually this turns to love. Theirs is a love borne of respect and friendship, and therefore is the truest kind of love.  

Gabriel Oak – Far from the Madding Crowd, Thomas Hardy

"I shall do one thing in this life - one thing certain - that is, love you, and long for you, and KEEP WANTING YOU till I die."

Matthias Schoenaerts as Gabriel Oak in the 2015 film

Describing Gabriel Oak as a “hero” is misleading, since he is about as average as you can imagine. He is neither particularly good looking nor charismatic; he does not perform any feats of valour to impress Bathsheba. In fact, for much of the story he is almost an afterthought, fading into the background. Nothing of interest ever happens to him; it is Bathsheba who runs around getting into all kinds of interesting situations while he stands back, a silent observer (well, most of the time, at least).

It is interesting how such a passively written character could also be such a complex one. I believe that what is so special about Oak is the dynamic he shares with Bathsheba. There are many instances where authors have successfully captured the romantic or sexual chemistry between characters; however, it is very rare that a deep platonic relationship such as Oak and Bathsheba’s can be portrayed so believably as Hardy does in his novel. While the limelight is often stolen by Troy and Boldwood, Oak’s rivals in love, it is to him that Bathsheba turns to for support, be it regarding her love life or her managing her farm. And, instead of the usual romantic novel trope where the hero saves the heroine from some major catastrophe or danger, I love that what Oak most often offers is merely sensible, unbiased, honest-to-goodness advice, whenever Bathsheba needs it (and sometimes when she doesn’t – hey the guy does have his faults).

Oak is extremely self-aware. He acknowledges his deep, unrequited love for Bathsheba, yet he does not allow himself to be defined by it. He moves on with his life, works hard, treats people well and earns their admiration and respect for his intelligence and integrity, to the extent that even his rivals turn to him for advice! He is no wimp, either – he never lets Bathsheba play around with his feelings or manipulate him into getting what she wants. The advice he offers is always brutally honest and with her interest at heart, though he knows he might lose out. With Troy, he pleads with her to be cautious and untrusting, at the risk of coming across as a jealous lover; with Boldwood, however, he urges her to marry him, knowing he would make her a good husband.

Like Brandon and Thornton, Oak too has a heart of gold. He empathizes with Boldwood, and tries to help him; he does everything he can to save Fanny. Of course, he is ultimately rewarded for his patience and faithfulness, finally winning Bathsheba’s heart. In classic Oak style, however, he refuses to fall over at her feet, whereby she is compelled to come “courting him”, to which he responds what we have been thinking all along - "I've danced at your skittish heels, my beautiful Bathsheba, for many a long mile, and many a long day; and it is hard to begrudge me this one visit."