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 Heroines of fifties teen romance novels tend to share similar characteristics. The heroine is generally not a beautiful girl, but perfectly pleasant on the eyes. She tends to get along well with her family, although there's always a little tension with either her older sister or her bratty younger sibling, or some combination of both. Her parents (and she does tend to have two) are usually the good-natured, easygoing, dry-humored type. At school, she tends to work on the school paper rather than being a cheerleader. She is not the most popular girl, but she's not a cast-out wallflower either. She generally has two, or three good girlfriends and enough friends for a good-sized dance party in someone's furnished rec room. She may start the novel with a steady beau�-generally of the tall, dark, handsome and good-natured variety, or pick up one during the novel. Even if she does have a steady beau (who is always respectful and kind), she may undergo a brief flirtation with a taller and more handsome boy who is usually slightly less good-natured than her steady, but often far more exciting. Dates often include long walks, trips to the malt shop, formal and casual dances, and the aforementioned rec room get-togethers, complete with listening to records, dancing, drinking soda, and perhaps the odd bridge game. Check out Dream Dates for more about the girls and their dates. Comments? Questions? Suggestions? Email me at schka46[at]hotmail.com. |