Gender balance/strong women

[Amy Z]

No: HPFGUIDX 15017

Sorry to keep replying in short bursts.  I don't have access to a 
word processing program and have to respond to one message at a 
time.  (The power's out at home . . . grrrr.)


> James was an animagus, Lily was not. Was the spirit of Lily 
>supposed to come out? The realization that his patronus was his 
>parent would be lost then. It makes more literary sense to make it 
>an animal that is related to Harry that he will figure out later, 
>than to spell it all out at once. 

Yes, it makes more literary sense given the overall structure of the 
book.  But it is JKR who chose to structure the book this way!  Why 
is it James who's the animagus instead of Lily?  Why are the four 
friends all male?  She didn't have to choose that arrangement, but 
she did.

I don't, personally, have a problem with the whole 
James/Prongs/Patronus thing.  But one can't delete it from 
the "evidence of sexism" list by saying that it fits better with the 
author's plans for the book--that begs the question of why her plans 
don't often include powerful women.

Amy Z