[HPforGrownups] female characters

[Alix Petty]

No: HPFGUIDX 3614


----- Original Message -----
From: Christina Gross <Changeling at darcy.inka.de>
To: <HPforGrownups at egroups.com>
Sent: Sunday, October 15, 2000 7:59 PM
Subject: RE: [HPforGrownups] female characters


> On 13.10.2000 at 23:43:09 Sister Mary Lunatic wrote:
>
> >However, I'm not going to let it spoil my enjoyment of Harry Potter.
> >Yes, it makes me uneasy sometimes as I see the long string of
> >subordinate female characters.  But I rather think that JKR is
> >reproducing the world as it is, and not how it may be idealized by
> >future visions of genuine equality.  The only real sign of female
> >equality seems to be the fact that Quidditch teams are not
> >gender-biased.
> >
>
> I can still enjoy the books, too, even if Rowling decides to have
> only marginal and little developed female characters beside Hermione.
> I simply wish she would be a bit more subversive when she reproduces
> the world we are living in. She "gets them while they're young", so
> to speak, and might have wanted to grab the opportunity to plant some
> new images of females in her readers' heads. Nothing major. Let the
> female Quidditch players not just be names that pop up now and then
> but show that they can be just as ambitious and passionate about
> their sport as Harry and Ron are. Stuff that goes unnoticed, but
> settles in our minds and jumps out at us when we don't expect it.
>
> There was trace evidence of McGonagal's mentoring Hermione in all the
> books, but after she really emerged as a mentor in the beginning of
> PoA it just fizzled away. The picture of McGonagal that just pops up
> first in my mind is her in a robe and hairnet, scolding people for
> being out of bed at inappropriate times. Only later I think of her
> wizarding abilities and the wry sense of humor she shows went she
> comments on Professor Trelawney.
>
> Cho Chang was a similar dissapointment. She first appeared as a
> competent Quidditch Seeker in CoS, doing her best to make up for her
> inferior broom when playing against Harry, but then she was quickly
> reduced to the part of "possible date and crush target".
>
> And don't get me started on Fleur.....
>
> However, I think the developement of Molly Weasley in GoF and the
> appearance of Headmistress What-Was-Her-Name-Again give reason to
> hope. Although it bugged me that Molly didn't go to the Quidditch
> World Cup with no explanation given (or did I just miss it?).

IIRC, Molly was off to Diagon Alley to get everyone's school robes, dress
robes, potion ingredients and books -- however, whether she got landed with
the job, or whether she was using it as an excuse to escape the quidditch
and have some quality time to herself browsing the shops is a matter for
conjecture.

Alix