Pomfrey and Gender balance/strong women Madam Pomfrey in particular

[Schlobin at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 15065

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., Amanda Lewanski <editor at t...> wrote:
> 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

Amanda, I don't get it.

A leader should be a leader -- either male or female.

What you are saying here is that only men can be leaders. 
That women who want to be leaders are trying to be men....

I just don't agree.

For example, in Native American societies, such as the Hopi, many of 
the leaders were women.

Being a leader is an important role that can be filled by either a 
man or a woman successfully. 

Raising kids is an important role. I hope that both men and women can 
embrace this role.

Nurturing is an important role that I hope both men and women can 
embrace...

But why would you say that a leader is a "female man"?

Susan




> 
> 
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