Harper's Island: Negotiating a Masculine World to Become a Female Hero

This article will analyze the portrayal of the main character in the television program Harper's Island, Abby, as a female hero. The term "female hero" will be used throughout because "heroine" has traditionally implied that female heroics are inherently different and less significant than those of males. This article will compare Abby to previous female heroes from a range of texts and establish her as an atypical female hero. The reason for using this show to analyze the female hero, which has had so many different interpretations and representations, is because Abby fits into the position in a unique way. She can be considered a combination of a vast range of different elements of historical and contemporary female heroes, as she negotiates a male world but never becomes masculine in order to be heroic—something that is rarely seen in other female heroes.