*For the foreseeable future, some Character Review posts may not be published every Thursday as they have in the past.
*Warning: This post contains spoilers about the characters from the television series World on Fire. Read at your own risk if you have not watched the show.
There is something to be said about a well written, human character. They leap off the page and speak to us as if they were right in front of us, as flesh and blood human beings, instead of fictional creations. For most of history, when the men went to war, women stayed home. It is only in the last 150 years or so that women have actively served in one form or another. In World on Fire, Connie Wright (Yrsa Daley-Ward) does not want to sit around while her fellow Brits fight for King and country.
Connie and her bestie/singing partner Lois Bennett (Julia Brown) join ENSA (Entertainment National Service Association). Following the troops, Connie and Lois perform for the boys fighting dying for everything that the British people held dear. Providing a sense of comfort and normalcy, the soldiers are given a brief respite from everything that war brings with it.
While Connie is traveling across Europe, her thoughts are with her musician husband, Eddie (Ansu Kabia). Like anyone with a spouse, partner, or loved one who is on active duty, she is torn. She knows that what he is doing is necessary, but she is keenly aware of the realities of war.
To sum it up: The idea of women being strong and capable is still a relatively new concept. Up until the last few decades, women were thought to be weak, emotional, and only suited to certain tasks and responsibilities. But Connie is not even close to that idea. As not just a woman, but woman of color in England, she is breaking boundaries, reminding the audience that the stereotypes of women are just that.
Which is why she is a memorable character.
Writergurlny 