JKR and women (long, very long)

[storm stanford]

No: HPFGUIDX 3478

  Hi everyone

  "Simon J. Branford" wrote> McGonagall maybe a strong character but she, IMO, has too little> involvement in the stories. Dumbledore is ahead of her in the pecking> order and Snape is roughly level with her.

  Penny said
  "McGonagall is Deputy Head Mistress.  She's not exactly level with Snape IMO. She is in terms of "on air" time, I think, 

   She's also head of Gryffindor & teaches Transfiguration, the post Dumbledore held before becoming Head Master.  She's one of 7 registered animagi in the last century.  She's got just as much on-screen time as Dumbledore in my book.  I think we also see as much of McGonagall as we do of Snape for the most part."

  simon siad:
  > Also we have Sirius in there as well. There is just a lack of female> characters in the story - too many are bit parts.

  Penny said
  Interesting that as a female, I'd disagree.  I don't really see it as a male-centered series at all.

  Storm says ...
  Oh I do (see it as a male centred series)! btw I'm not saying this is bad (though a little sad for me) but it is a story written from the POV of an adolesent boy. Thought I've never been that particular creature I can imagine the lives of ppl who are not direct role models for them just don't feature on thier emotional horiszen.

  but back to the male centred-ness, as a female reader if you are not (identifed with) Hermonie then who can you be? Whereas if one is to id as one of the male charators there are heaps of interesting ppl to pick on, charators who have history and edges (cf Snape, Black, Wormtail, Lupin, Hagrid etc)
  Whereas  the female charators (of whom MacGonagall is the chief adult) seem to me to be more one dimentional. for example I have no idea what, if anything motavates MacGonagall, and I've never thought about it. I don't know what motivates Snape either but I think about it - and we talk about it quite a lot here

  I think that Snape does seem 'equal' (though in the school heirarchy he is not) because Snape's role brings him into conflict with Harry we have more of a foucs on him. So I see why, though MacGonagall's apparent superioity she seems "equal" to Snape.

  Simon
  "I think the problem is that I do not like Hermione." 
  yes well that is a bit of a problem <g>

  Simon
  "She annoys me. Quite a few of the things that people see as being faults in her (taking her studies far too seriously, especially the PoA too many subjects incident, and taking
  the political stuff too far) are problems that I know, looking back at my teenage years, that other people had with me. I can see her doing things that I did, things that I now realise where either stupid or irrelevant and an inner voice in me is screaming: "Don't do it - there is no need"
  hmm, Simon I'm going to be *very* american here - so hold on - Its not bad to be opinated or policical! we need ppl like that to stir the pot and make sure we don't sink into a self interested torpor. (soothing music) accept your adolesant self! learn to love H as an expression of your adolesance (jangeling bells, wafting scents) right I'm approriately embarrsess by that little interlude so I'll go back to the post.

  Peg Kerr
  "I think JK Rowling made the point in one of her interviews: that she was careful to balance the gender ratio among the professors at Hogwarts.  And yet there's this complaint that "there are no women"! "
  see just having the names or bodies there isn't enough for me. I want to know about them to be able to idetify them by more than just thier profession (teacher, mother etc) we don't know the history about any but the male charactors. (even Lily who should be so important we have to wait till book 7 to find out - this does not give JRK much time to devlop her charactor!)

  ok, I suspect this doesn't hang together but I hope you 'get' what I'm saying
  storm





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