Clara Brett Martin known as the first female to practice law in Canada in the year of 1897, experienced many hardships according to Constance B Backhouse in her article, To Open the Way for Others of my Sex. She surmounted to “opposition and insult from classmates, teachers, fellow students at law, benchers, politicians and the press,” which is overtly quite similar to what Elle Woods experienced. Nonetheless, Clara was described to have Hungarian and Irish ancestry which presumably created more privilege than those of different backgrounds. Martin’s choice to become a lawyer was quite unprecedented back in the 1890’s and continues to be for woman to this day. Similar to the efforts made by Elle Woods to fight for her equality and rights, in 1891 at the age of seventeen, Clara “submitted a petition to the Law Society of Upper Canada to permit her to become a student member.” It is mentioned that historically, a law was passed by the Law Society stating that “women were not empowered in Canada or Great Britain under any circumstances, to be entered as Members of the Legal Societies.” This historic law was created based on the assumption that women would not apply to Law School during that era. This assumption is similar to Legally Blonde as she is a woman with “stereotypical attire” and would be assumed to work in a domestic workplace rather than a more professional position based wholly on her gender and femininity.
http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/clara-brett-martin-heroine-or-villain-feature/
Wonder Woman, the 2017 Warner Bros film with Gal Gadot playing the lead role, was an ideal feminist creation which invoked positive representation of women as heroes. Gal “felt that the most feminist approach would be for Wonder Woman to remain feminine, to be strong because of, rather in spite of, being a woman. “I didn’t want to play the cold-hearted warrior. We didn’t want to fall into the clichés.” Instead, she and Jenkins thought long and hard about how a woman raised only by women would respond when plunked into a world dominated by men.” (Alex Morris, Rolling Stone 2017).
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/50-best-female-characters-entertainment-industry-survey-results-951483/item/cersei-lannister-game-thrones-50-favorite-female-characters-951508
Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games: “Her brain is as sharp as the arrows in her quiver — she outsmarts the Gamemakers more than once — and her heroism isn’t necessarily something that’s played up as sexy.” (Angela Watercutter, Wired 2012). She is a female protector and fights to protect her family and this is a significant change in film as a woman is considered a heroine.
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/50-best-female-characters-entertainment-industry-survey-results-951483/item/cersei-lannister-game-thrones-50-favorite-female-characters-951508
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/50-best-female-characters-entertainment-industry-survey-results-951483/item/cersei-lannister-game-thrones-50-favorite-female-characters-951508
Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter series: According to Emma Watson who played Hermione thought that “her empathy, her sense of integrity, her decency and resolute belief in fighting for justice and fairness — even when her earnestness made her an easy target for ridicule — they’re all unwavering.” Watson considered Hermione’s role to be smart, a leader, and inspiring. Hermione Granger paved the way for young girls and showed them that it is okay to be the smartest and loudest ones in the room and to never take no for an answer.