“Intelligent women do have their uses, Inspector”
Miss Phryne Fisher
Every Wednesday, I look at women who inspire me, and I have a bit of a life crush on.
Why?
Because I want to find and share great women (real and fictional) to live up to.
Today is the Honourable Miss Phryne Fisher.
Who Is Phryne Fisher?
Phryne Fisher is a kick-ass lady detective in the Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries TV and book series.
The show and books are set in the late 1920s when Flapper dresses, parties and caviller attitudes to life are in full swing.
Miss Fisher is a member of Melbourne’s elite but comes from humble beginnings. She grew up in the rough part of town, where she often used her charisma to get what she wanted. Her title and wealth came after the Great War killed off her English family, and her father inherits a title.
During the great war, she headed off to France, serving as a nurse in France. Having seen death first-hand, she considered herself one of the lucky ones to survive the horrors.
She begins to live her life to the fullest, never wasting a minute. She travels the world fighting injustice, prejudice, and public opinions – all while looking incredibly stylish.
She returns to Australia to stop the man who murdered her sister from ever leaving prison, which is where the story starts.
Why Is Phryne Fisher An Inspiration?
First up, I love clothing. I love dressing up and looking fancy. As Miss Fisher says “A woman should dress first and foremost for her own pleasure.”
She dresses to make herself feel amazing. And if a man takes a liking, then that’s a bonus.
But she is more than a style icon.
She fights, she argues, she sneaks into places. She speaks endless different languages. She drives fast cars, and she flies planes. She’s not afraid to try new things. She’s not afraid to be seen for who she is – even if that leads to the scorn of her battle-axe aunt, Prudence
The show deals with many women’s issues, like post-partum depression, back street abortions and misogyny. But it also deals with issues like PTSD, human trafficking and communism.
She fights for anyone who is threatened. She cares. She helps to help those less fortunate. She’s the type of person I want to be when I grow up.
