USA Today Article on The Girl Issue

[heiditandy]

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No: HPFGUIDX C4040
From: heiditandy
Subject: USA Today Article on The Girl Issue
Date: 7/12/00 2:06 pm  (ET)

At http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20000711/2443176s.htm, USA TODAY
writes "Given a choice, what youngster would want to be Hermione Granger
or any of the other women, young or old, in the Potter series so far?"

It's an interesting article, in the sense that it completely
ignores/undercuts the motherliness of Mrs Weasley, the brightness and
importantness of Professor McGonegal, and the changes in Hermione from
the first book through this book. The writer calls her "bossy, shrill,
exasperating and meddlesome to a degree that puzzles Kathleen Odean,
author of Great Books for Girls, an annotated list of books with strong
female characters. ''People get defensive because they like the books
so much,'' says Odean,who admires the Potter books. ''But it's hard for
me to understand why Rowling wouldn't have made Hermione stronger and
more likable.''

I don't know, perhaps because Hermione was based on Jo herself?!?!?!? And
that Jo had plans to, well, mellow Hermione out a little as the books
have gone on?
Personally, I would find nothing wrong with being Hermione, especially
now that she's had her teeth fixed.
Does anyone else have any thoughts on this?