Pomfrey and Gender balance/strong women Madam Pomfrey in particular

[Amanda Lewanski]

No: HPFGUIDX 15048

Jen Faulkner wrote:

> Nonetheless, her [Pomfrey's] role is portrayed as a reactive, rather
> than proactive, one.  She never initiates action, but merely responds
> to others' actions.

Not to muddy the waters, but I think there's some confusion here between
her job and her personality. Medical personnel in 99% of cases are
responding to medical conditions or needs; they don't go out and get
their patients like aggressive shoe salesmen. And in the practice of her
job, she's pretty aggressive about how she does it and who can do what
and where, etc.

>  She is a caretaker, the quintessentially feminine
> role.  And in CoS, she can't do a thing to help the petrified
> students, but simply has to wait until the mandrakes are grown up
> enough to be used.

*Everyone* has to wait until they're grown up. *Nobody* can help the
students, Dumbledore included. This isn't a failure or fault of hers.
This is simply the situation, regardless of the gender of the person in
charge of the hospital wing.

>  No society can get along without women, obviously, but it *can* get
> along without viewing them as leaders.

Why is being viewed as a leader so important? Why are you only important
as a woman if you can be viewed favorably through a traditionally
male-role lens? Why try to be female men, instead of very strong women
doing what they want to do (which may be raising kids or being a school
nurse)?

--Amanda


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