I am very interested in fictional witches whose attitudes, characteristics and behaviour remind me of people I have encountered in real life, including energy vampires, horrible stepmothers, unpleasant teachers and negative colleagues.
Not only that, but I also have an unpleasant and unwelcome suspicion that some of these witches show and embody something of what I might have become by default if I had taken the path of least resistance and not faced reality, escaped the clutches of energy vampires, fought my fate, defeated my destiny and overcome many unseen influences.
Gwendolen Chant, who appears in Diana Wynne Jones’s Charmed Life, is yet another witch of interest. There are some scenes in this book that make me feel very uncomfortable, not only because of how I was treated but because of how I felt and behaved – or wanted to behave – when I was much younger than I am now.
Gwendolen’s life before Chrestomanci
Gwendolen Chant is around 12 years old; she is a very pretty and charming young girl, a golden haired, blue eyed princess; she has much innate magical ability; she is convinced she has great talents and will achieve future fame; she displays queenly behaviour, feels destined for great things and expects to rule the world.
