Top Ten Tuesday: “Literary Best Friends”

November 30, 2010 at 1:16 pm (Uncategorized)
Tags: best friends in literature, Top Ten Tuesday

I have to admit … some of these top ten lists are irresistible.  Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.  Today’s list is top ten “Fictional BFFs”  I’m sure I’m leaving out a lot, and also as usual this list is slightly biased toward what I have read recently, but here goes…

10. Elizabeth Bennett (Pride and Prejudice) she has to get on the list if for no other reason that she willingly went to visit her friend Charlotte even after the latter had married Mr. Collins. I rest my case.

9. Diggory Venn (Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy) Kind of a minor character, but unwaveringly loyal to his lost love, Thomasin Yeobright, even though he had “lost” her to another.

8. Damon (or Pythias) from Classical Mythology. (you knew I had to get at least one classical reference thrown in here) Kind of an overt Tale of Two Cities theme, where Damon takes the place – as a prisoner – of his condemned friend Pythias so that the latter can make one final visit to his loved ones before being executed by the tyrant Dionysius. In this case friendship was rewarded when Pythias – though delayed – arrives just in time before his friend Damon is executed in his place.  The tyrant is so impressed with his loyalty he lets both go free.

7. Helen Burns (Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte) She was Jane’s steadfast friend from the dismal Lowood Years.  Who among us was not heartbroken with her passing? Resurgam!

6. Nicholas Nickleby (Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens). Have to get at least one Dickens character in here.  I will stand by any person who demonstrates such loyalty and compassion as he did with the beleaguered Smike…

5. Basil Hallward (The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde) Another rather minor character, but Dorian’s downfall cannot be blamed on his painter friend, who made efforts to stop him and to save his soul.

4. Samwise Gamgee (the Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkein) He would follow a friend to the end of the earth – or at least to the top of Mount Doom, as he did for Frodo.

3. (any of) Harry-Hermione-Ron (from the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling) This triumvirate endures seven volumes and has become synonymous with friendship after being ‘randomly’ thrown together in the first book.

2. George Milton (from Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck) A “controversial” pick within my own mind, but how he takes care of Lenny – even to the extremest of measures – earned my respect.

1. “Charley” (from Travels With Charley by Steinbeck). I’d hate to rate one human character as better than the rest, so I’ll stick with man’s best friend. Charley’s constant companionship and work as the author’s ambassador in his travels around the country earn him my top spot. And what about his reaction upon seeing the bears in Yellowstone? Here’s a friend who would fight to the death on your behalf!

Well, that’s my list. What about yours? Did any of mine make your list?