Get ready to dive into a world of wild women, powerful witches, and fierce female survivors. In this unit, you’ll explore how stories featuring female protagonists challenge traditional ideas about survival, society, and power. Whether it’s magical realism, fantasy, historical fiction, or gritty survival tales, these texts ask big questions about what it means to be strong, dangerous, kind, rebellious — or all of the above. 

We’ll look at famous archetypes like the maiden, the mother, the crone, and the witch, and see how these characters reflect — or completely flip — society’s expectations. You’ll read about women who defy the odds, confront injustice, and rewrite the rules in both subtle and bold ways. 

From enchanted forests to post-apocalyptic landscapes, from ancient myths to modern retellings, this unit will help you think deeply about gender, power, and the stories we tell — and give you the chance to respond creatively along the way.