[HPforGrownups] Re: Gender balance/strong women/victims

[Alexandra Y. Kwan]

No: HPFGUIDX 15075

Hello,

From: <Schlobin at aol.com>
> Sure. except that argument for argument's sake is pointless..

Sometimes.  Other times it's also very fun.  Why else would people join
debate teams?

> > No. Why would I do that? All I was saying is that both men and
> women in this series are defined by their relationship to men. For
> every women defined by a man, there's a man defined by a man.

So?  Why shouldn't we have a equal share of men defined by women and women
defined by men?  Or more numbers of women defined by women?  You're mixing
two arguements together.  The point isn't only women are defined by men, the
point is all characters are defined only by men.  And the question remains,
why only by men?

> Well, we have a profound disagreement. In my opinion, women should be
> valued as women, not in relationship to men.

Thank you!

> I believe that because she has created Hermione, and many other
> female characters, that she believes she has not favored men in her
> books. If she saw our comments and the analysis that essentially only
> 13% of the books are about women, she would take a deep breath and
> reconsider. She IS brilliant.

I absolutely agree that she's brilliant, but as someone living in the
current society, we are all indoctrinated by male/female gender roles.  The
indoctrination usually begins so young and is thusly so deep that most of
the time, we ourselves are not aware of it.  I believe that JKR might have a
few lingering thread of such indoctrination.  But since she's so brilliant--

> My guess is that although she might have "bristled" at criticism that
> there are not enough strong women, she probably rethought the whole
> thing. I would conjecture that that might be the reason that she made
> the next DADA professor a woman. I have tremendous faith in her and
> respect for her.

My view *exactly*.

> [snip Prof. McGongall (sp) and the her actress]
I will wait till the movie before making any comments about it.

> [snip about Ginny]
> how do we compare neville longbottom with ginny weasley?
> Some are characterizing ginny as a "victim", but not neville.
> why not? might it have to do with ...gulp..gender?

Strangely, I have always had the general impression that Ginny is a way
stronger person than Neville <g>.

little Alex