Elizabeth Keen empowers women: The Blacklist character defines her identity on her own terms

Elizabeth Keen isn’t going to bow to pressure and she is determined to bring criminals to justice. The FBI profiler is a character on The Blacklist with a job to do and she won’t stop until it’s complete. Viewers of the popular NBC show who have watched from the beginning have seen Keen question everything: Her work, herself, and even her childhood. Those questions, even without all the answers, is what has made her into the strong character seen on the show.

Mom, field agent, crime solver and wife are a few of the impressive qualities that this TV character has and she isn’t shying away from showing them all off. Elizabeth Keen, who is marvelously played by Megan Boone, is not looking to follow in anyone’s footsteps as she is defining her own identity. Willing to chase every lead and make her own decisions, her choices are based on her own hunches and facts as they are presented. The strong focus on her work is an attribute that is also seen defining her own identity and the confidence to move on when she hits roadblocks.

Her decisions sometimes go against other members of the team and even against Raymond Reddington, who sometimes loves to lead people astray. Always a part of Keen’s personal and professional life, it is Reddington who is her biggest ally at work and can sometimes be her biggest nightmare at home. Agent Keen walks the line in a way, keeping her priorities straight as she lives without knowing all the answers.

One of the most empowering points of this NBC character has to be how Keen deals with her childhood. She didn’t have it perfect. Her childhood memories have holes reflecting unkind situations and her parents are a blurry figure of her mind. Despite what she didn’t have, it never stops her ambition from moving forward today as an adult.

Elizabeth Keen’s identity is revealed on her own terms

As Agent Keen struggles with her background, she realizes the need to trust herself, especially when the bullets are flying and she needs to be at her best. Defining her identity is an ongoing (and sometimes very challenging) process that never ends. This process is what makes her a strong woman and a more resilient FBI Agent.

Not everyone has a perfect childhood or grew up in a stable home. Everyone has something in their past that could potentially hold them back. How we deal with past defines our identity today and how we shape our future.

What empowers Agent Keen also empowers female fans who watch The Blacklist. Defining who we are today typically doesn’t include moments where we are still searching for past truths. Those answers will come for Keen at some point – we can’t just wait. Our quest for answers may continue into the future, but it will never hold us back from being our true self today.

This column was written by Jodi Jill and if you’re looking for more then be sure to head on over to the link here. Also, you can follow her on Facebook and Twitter! (Photo: NBC)