Hermione the housewife?

[Heather Edmonds]

No: HPFGUIDX 9812

From: Ebony <ebonyink at hotmail.com>
 I'm sorry, but I don't think "locked up, barefoot and pregnant" could ever be used all at once to describe our Miss Granger in any plausible future scenario.  She'd probably punish the man who even thought about trying it by zapping him with some obscure curse, the effects of which probably couldn't be described in polite company.

ROTFL. 

It was one thing for a girl genius to throw in the towel at the turn of the last century... she had few career choices.  It's quite another for the smartest witch of her generation to sit at home knitting and baking cookies.

Playing devil's advocate here I think the operative word you used is choices. What about the theory that the purpose of education is to give you choices, not take them away. Being the smartest witch of her generation gives Hermione the oppportunity to choose what she wants to do, and those choices may change depending on the life stage she is at. 

What if at some point Hermione wants to sit at home and bake cookies?  Would that be so awful? Personally I can't see that she would want to, but that's not the issue. I deplore those who tell women they are wasting their education (usually its their degree) staying at home. If they use it to ensure their children have a bteeter start in life. The point is debatable because I don't know whether it makes a difference one way or the other. I'm the product of two working parents (In fact my Mum's an early years teacher and she sent me age 3 to one nursery while she taught other peoples 3 year olds) and I don't think I'm dreadfully damaged by the experience.

I have had six/ seven years of post compulsory education this means I should be able to work in my chosen profession or change direction but who is to say that ten years down the line I won't want to take a break and stay home with any children I may produce. It could be argued that this is a waste of education and intelligence but are either ever truly wasted?  There are many more uses for education than the world of work.

This is probably rather garbled after all it is 3am on this side of the pond but basically my point is being the smartest witch is giving Hermione more choices but it shouldn't take away her right to make the choice that she wants.

Heather, who quite frankly can't see herself giving up working but who knows.

"...Words strain,
crack and sometimes break, under the burden,
under the tension, slip, slide, perish,
decay with imprecision, will not stay in place,
will not stay still.
Eliot, 1944.


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