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There was no lack of inspiration for Kaylee Audrey Drummond, that's for sure. I like stories about girls who steadily gain more confidence, or retain their sweetness in a very bitter situation, or simply refuse to let other people get them down.

Kaylee does all three.

She's like Cinderella in that her family (her actual blood family) treats her pretty badly but she pays them less and less mind, and she always makes the most of a crummy situation, which comes back to benefit her big-time. This is the main reason why her mother doesn't like her, because Lottie can see just how good she is and she can't claim a bit of credit for that. She (Lottie) does all the so-called work and it's Kaylee who reaps handsome rewards.

All Kaylee can say is, "I'm sorry you feel that way, Mother. But that's not my problem. Not anymore."

I didn't watch The Princess Diaries all that much, or enjoy it all that much, either. In hindsight, though, I can at least appreciate the message it tries to convey, how a seeming nobody often turns out to be beautiful all along. Kaylee falls in love with Troy "because you were the one who saw me when I was invisible."

And part of the inspiration for Kaylee's brutal humiliation came from Mia's brutal humiliation at the beach. At least Kaylee has the Lactantiuses to comfort her for real and they agree to let her stay with them for her own good, and most of the crowd takes her side anyway. If anything, it's Sheena who's in utter disgrace, while Lottie is eventually forced to admit she, herself, had stooped pretty low...in more ways than one.

Then Kaylee shows she's the better woman by helping Sheena back to her feet and giving her what she's really needed all along: a friend.

That was the biggest difference between the two girls, having someone to really understand them and care about what they were going through.

Kaylee was able to work through her initial heartache with Troy when Reid, Lara, Mason, and several others told her several times what she was feeling was perfectly natural, that she was a brave, mature, and absolutely wonderful girl, and that they would always be there for her. Because of them, she came to the realization that life, even without Troy in it, not only could be all right but would be all right.

For Sheena, it was the exact opposite. Troy was her only chance at true happiness, or the closest thing to it, and that was all her parents talked about when they weren't attacking each other for something they should have long since gotten over. They were the ones who screwed up, and yet it was somehow Sheena's duty to fix everything. Sheena had no one to talk to at all, and as far as she could tell, no one would have cared even if she'd tried to speak up.

If the two girls were balloons, pressure was gently eased out of Kaylee while Sheena was dramatically pumped up until she exploded.

Not that Kaylee was ready to forgive Sheena that easily. It wasn't until after Sheena ran away, Kaylee saw with her own eyes just how much the girl had fallen apart, and Sheena expressed legitimate remorse that Kaylee's heart relented.

So, as nice as Kaylee is, she has her limits and takes no crap from anyone, which makes her akin to Fluttershy, Belle, Anna, and Lizzie Bennet. She learns to not be afraid to speak her mind, and people end up admiring this trait, even though it further feeds the fire between her and her mother. As the years go by, she remains a quiet and non-confrontational woman that no one in their right mind would make mad.

She also takes after Belle in her love of books. Her mother tried to keep her and her sisters from taking education too seriously, because Lottie essentially wanted to keep her daughters as stupid as possible. That, and Lottie herself never achieved any spectacular educational feats, either.

Kaylee paid her no mind and devoured as many books as she could get her hands on. Her maternal uncle was a big help; Uncle Seth often took her to the library and he usually sends her a new book for birthdays and Christmas. His special nickname for her is "Bookworm."

So, Kaylee's grades in school were almost always perfect, she did a little better than Troy did, and now she debates over whether she ought to get a job that's more academic or athletic. Until she can make up her mind, you'll see her face either immersed in a book, immersed in deep water, or immersed in sweat from a running or boxing match. Only her own family finds her "odd" in this regard.

She has a little artistic streak, too, so this is how she takes after Rapunzel on top of her parental conflict. Speaking of parental conflict, this is how she takes after Ariel and Jasmine, often feeling stifled and wishing for a life of freedom and genuine love.

She's like Anna and Aurora in that she's a bit of a hopeless dreamer, but she's also a bit more practical. As much as she wants Troy, she knows straight off it wouldn't be fair to force him to love her, even if there wasn't another girl on the scene. Now that there is another girl on the scene, she doesn't dare tell Troy anything, although she accidentally spills the beans to Reid. Reid is genuinely surprised at first, but then focuses on simply comforting Kaylee and trusting her to do the right thing. He just tells her, "Be careful of what you say and do around Troy and Sheena."

Indeed, Kaylee tries her absolute hardest to watch her step. While her mother and the bulk of her sisters cling to the thinnest thread of hope, she works on getting over herself and trying to think up a nice present that she could give Troy at his wedding, which ends up becoming his birthday present. As irony would have it, that's the very moment when everything goes up in smoke.

But then it's not long before the tide turns in Kaylee's favor. Troy realizes the complete truth about her and ends up reciprocating her romantic feelings, and everyone else must admit that she's the one who deserves him the most because her actions were the most selfless. She only wanted Troy to be happy, whereas the rest of them counted on him to make them happy. She gets him because she lets him go completely, allowing him to come back to her entirely of his own accord.

And because she forgives Sheena, this persuades everyone else to do the same, which proves the true healing factor in Sheena's family.

Jack and Pansy are absolutely gutted by how much they misjudged her. Beforehand, if they'd had their way, they wouldn't have invited her to the wedding, or let her anywhere near them. They practically asked Reid to his face why he still kept her around, why Troy remained so chummy with her despite his engagement, as if it were somehow taboo to interact with anyone else of the opposite gender, or else Kaylee herself just wasn't worthy.

Kaylee, in contrast, lets the Everharts come to her wedding if they want to, and when they do, she dances a little with Jack. It's enough to bring tears pouring down Jack's face, tears of mingled joy and sorrow.

As time goes by, the Everharts are free to come and go as they like. Sheena becomes Aunt Sheena when kids come along, and in a way, Kaylee gets along better with Pansy and Jack than with her own mother. Sure, she and Lottie call a truce and speak to each other civilly, but she'll run up and hug Pansy or Jack whenever they stop by.

The rift between Jack and Pansy is finally mended. Because Kaylee forgave them when she didn't have to, how can they do anything else?

So, Kaylee had more to do with the Everharts' recovery than Troy or Sheena could have ever done. How's that for dramatic irony?

To me, this is what makes Kaylee such a great character. It's definitely the main reason I like her so much. She improves a great deal over time, and good things don't happen to her by accident; she earns whatever she gets, with ample interest. She's pretty much the female version of Reid, something Reid makes sure to tell her.

To slightly alter my favorite line from Cinderella, "And yet, through it all, Kaylee remained ever gentle and kind, for with each dawn she found new hope that someday, her dreams of happiness would come true."

Template courtesy of NeoduelGX : My Character Inspiration Meme

All images property of their respective owners.

Description

There was no lack of inspiration for Kaylee Audrey Drummond, that's for sure. I like stories about girls who steadily gain more confidence, or retain their sweetness in a very bitter situation, or simply refuse to let other people get them down.

Kaylee does all three.

She's like Cinderella in that her family (her actual blood family) treats her pretty badly but she pays them less and less mind, and she always makes the most of a crummy situation, which comes back to benefit her big-time. This is the main reason why her mother doesn't like her, because Lottie can see just how good she is and she can't claim a bit of credit for that. She (Lottie) does all the so-called work and it's Kaylee who reaps handsome rewards.

All Kaylee can say is, "I'm sorry you feel that way, Mother. But that's not my problem. Not anymore."

I didn't watch The Princess Diaries all that much, or enjoy it all that much, either. In hindsight, though, I can at least appreciate the message it tries to convey, how a seeming nobody often turns out to be beautiful all along. Kaylee falls in love with Troy "because you were the one who saw me when I was invisible."

And part of the inspiration for Kaylee's brutal humiliation came from Mia's brutal humiliation at the beach. At least Kaylee has the Lactantiuses to comfort her for real and they agree to let her stay with them for her own good, and most of the crowd takes her side anyway. If anything, it's Sheena who's in utter disgrace, while Lottie is eventually forced to admit she, herself, had stooped pretty low...in more ways than one.

Then Kaylee shows she's the better woman by helping Sheena back to her feet and giving her what she's really needed all along: a friend.

That was the biggest difference between the two girls, having someone to really understand them and care about what they were going through.

Kaylee was able to work through her initial heartache with Troy when Reid, Lara, Mason, and several others told her several times what she was feeling was perfectly natural, that she was a brave, mature, and absolutely wonderful girl, and that they would always be there for her. Because of them, she came to the realization that life, even without Troy in it, not only could be all right but would be all right.

For Sheena, it was the exact opposite. Troy was her only chance at true happiness, or the closest thing to it, and that was all her parents talked about when they weren't attacking each other for something they should have long since gotten over. They were the ones who screwed up, and yet it was somehow Sheena's duty to fix everything. Sheena had no one to talk to at all, and as far as she could tell, no one would have cared even if she'd tried to speak up.

If the two girls were balloons, pressure was gently eased out of Kaylee while Sheena was dramatically pumped up until she exploded.

Not that Kaylee was ready to forgive Sheena that easily. It wasn't until after Sheena ran away, Kaylee saw with her own eyes just how much the girl had fallen apart, and Sheena expressed legitimate remorse that Kaylee's heart relented.

So, as nice as Kaylee is, she has her limits and takes no crap from anyone, which makes her akin to Fluttershy, Belle, Anna, and Lizzie Bennet. She learns to not be afraid to speak her mind, and people end up admiring this trait, even though it further feeds the fire between her and her mother. As the years go by, she remains a quiet and non-confrontational woman that no one in their right mind would make mad.

She also takes after Belle in her love of books. Her mother tried to keep her and her sisters from taking education too seriously, because Lottie essentially wanted to keep her daughters as stupid as possible. That, and Lottie herself never achieved any spectacular educational feats, either.

Kaylee paid her no mind and devoured as many books as she could get her hands on. Her maternal uncle was a big help; Uncle Seth often took her to the library and he usually sends her a new book for birthdays and Christmas. His special nickname for her is "Bookworm."

So, Kaylee's grades in school were almost always perfect, she did a little better than Troy did, and now she debates over whether she ought to get a job that's more academic or athletic. Until she can make up her mind, you'll see her face either immersed in a book, immersed in deep water, or immersed in sweat from a running or boxing match. Only her own family finds her "odd" in this regard.

She has a little artistic streak, too, so this is how she takes after Rapunzel on top of her parental conflict. Speaking of parental conflict, this is how she takes after Ariel and Jasmine, often feeling stifled and wishing for a life of freedom and genuine love.

She's like Anna and Aurora in that she's a bit of a hopeless dreamer, but she's also a bit more practical. As much as she wants Troy, she knows straight off it wouldn't be fair to force him to love her, even if there wasn't another girl on the scene. Now that there is another girl on the scene, she doesn't dare tell Troy anything, although she accidentally spills the beans to Reid. Reid is genuinely surprised at first, but then focuses on simply comforting Kaylee and trusting her to do the right thing. He just tells her, "Be careful of what you say and do around Troy and Sheena."

Indeed, Kaylee tries her absolute hardest to watch her step. While her mother and the bulk of her sisters cling to the thinnest thread of hope, she works on getting over herself and trying to think up a nice present that she could give Troy at his wedding, which ends up becoming his birthday present. As irony would have it, that's the very moment when everything goes up in smoke.

But then it's not long before the tide turns in Kaylee's favor. Troy realizes the complete truth about her and ends up reciprocating her romantic feelings, and everyone else must admit that she's the one who deserves him the most because her actions were the most selfless. She only wanted Troy to be happy, whereas the rest of them counted on him to make them happy. She gets him because she lets him go completely, allowing him to come back to her entirely of his own accord.

And because she forgives Sheena, this persuades everyone else to do the same, which proves the true healing factor in Sheena's family.

Jack and Pansy are absolutely gutted by how much they misjudged her. Beforehand, if they'd had their way, they wouldn't have invited her to the wedding, or let her anywhere near them. They practically asked Reid to his face why he still kept her around, why Troy remained so chummy with her despite his engagement, as if it were somehow taboo to interact with anyone else of the opposite gender, or else Kaylee herself just wasn't worthy.

Kaylee, in contrast, lets the Everharts come to her wedding if they want to, and when they do, she dances a little with Jack. It's enough to bring tears pouring down Jack's face, tears of mingled joy and sorrow.

As time goes by, the Everharts are free to come and go as they like. Sheena becomes Aunt Sheena when kids come along, and in a way, Kaylee gets along better with Pansy and Jack than with her own mother. Sure, she and Lottie call a truce and speak to each other civilly, but she'll run up and hug Pansy or Jack whenever they stop by.

The rift between Jack and Pansy is finally mended. Because Kaylee forgave them when she didn't have to, how can they do anything else?

So, Kaylee had more to do with the Everharts' recovery than Troy or Sheena could have ever done. How's that for dramatic irony?

To me, this is what makes Kaylee such a great character. It's definitely the main reason I like her so much. She improves a great deal over time, and good things don't happen to her by accident; she earns whatever she gets, with ample interest. She's pretty much the female version of Reid, something Reid makes sure to tell her.

To slightly alter my favorite line from Cinderella, "And yet, through it all, Kaylee remained ever gentle and kind, for with each dawn she found new hope that someday, her dreams of happiness would come true."

Template courtesy of NeoduelGX : My Character Inspiration Meme

All images property of their respective owners.