There's a big difference between being a "strong female character" who won't take shit from anyone and being abusive. Unfortunately, many people don't know it. Being strong is more about knowing when to walk away from a situation and having the means to do so:
You’re telling your own story: You graduated college and you’re a grown-ass woman now. Tina Fey is your hero; Beyoncé, your preacher. You know how to take care of you. You’ve learned self-defense. If any man ever hit you, you’d rip his eyes out. You’ve seen Mad Men, and if anyone ever sexually ha
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Many of these stories may be from female authors who were abused, and this attracts female readers who were abused as some sort of revenge fantasy. I can understand the cathartic nature of such works, but catharsis is actually a myth. The more you dwell on something, the more control it has over you.