Character Summary: Hermione Granger

[Penny & Bryce Linsenmayer]

No: HPFGUIDX 15168

Hi everyone --

I basically trimmed the Hermione FAQ a bit for this summary, but it's
still very long.  Think Caius' Dumbledore summary of a few weeks ago.
:--)

Penny

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Character Summary: HERMIONE GRANGER

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VITAL STATISTICS

Name: Hermione Granger

Pronounciation: Her-my-uh-knee

Age:  14/15 at the end of GoF (June 1995)
Birthdate: 19 September 1979 or 19 September 1980

Physical Description: Bushy brown hair (that can be tamed with effort
for special occasions), brown eyes and rather large front teeth (which
are magically shrunk by Madame Pomfrey mid-way through GoF).  We don't
know anything about her height or build.  Her ethnicity is most likely
Caucasian.

Background: Her parents are both muggle dentists, and she seems to be an
only child.  Most of us guess that she is from an upper middle-class
socio-economic background.  She is a muggle-born witch.

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CHARACTER & PERSONALITY

BOSSY:  Although their initial impression is that Hermione is a bossy
"know-it-all," Harry and Ron soon forge a lasting friendship with
Hermione Granger.  "There are some things you can't share without ending
up liking each other, and knocking out a twelve-foot mountain troll is
one of them."

Hermione definitely is described as having a "shrill voice" and bossy
attitude in the beginning sections of SS. But, even as SS progresses,
her attitude and personality begin to change.  "Hermione had become a
bit more relaxed about breaking rules since Harry and Ron had saved her
from the mountain troll, and she was much nicer for it." She continues
to scold her friends for certain transgressions now and again (taking
Mr. Weasley's flying car in CoS for example), but she's not above
bending or breaking rules that further what she deems legitimate ends.
She still has bossy moments though, even as late as GoF.

Several members have continued to view her as initially painted in SS,
arguing that she needs to "lighten up." By contrast, others argue that
she has grown tremendously over the course of the series thus far and
bears little resemblance to the swotty insecure "know-it-all" that Harry
and Ron first met on the Hogwarts Express. As one member noted, she
begins thinking "outside the box," leaving her "comfort zone of books
and rules."  She begins to use her bookish knowledge to help her friends
and bend some rules in their fights against evil, putting all her
intellect to practical use. She also exhibits some common sense "street
smarts" from time to time, as when she wheedles Hagrid with flattery
into telling them which professors had placed enchantments on the
Philosopher's Stone.

INTELLIGENCE (WHY IS SHE A GRYFFINDOR INSTEAD OF IN RAVENCLAW?):

"You're the cleverest witch of your age I've ever met, Hermione." (Remus
Lupin)
Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban (page 346)

The overriding impression that most readers have of Hermione is that she
is intelligent, studies hard and receives high marks and academic
praise.  However, her intelligence is debatable in the sense that some
members perceive that she clearly has above-average innate intelligence,
while others believe that she achieves superior marks by supplementing
her average or slightly above average innate abilities with long hours
of studying and hard work. One member has suggested that she
overcompensates to make up for her lack of natural abilities.

Those who believe that she has above-average intelligence have stressed
that Hermione needs more than just "book smarts" to receive top marks in
her courses at Hogwarts.  The majority of Hogwarts classes and exams
appear to require students to demonstrate quite a bit of practical
application of knowledge; mere regurgitation on essay questions and
other rote memorization will only take a Hogwarts student so far. She
seems to have a healthy mix of "book smarts" and "common sense."

She is a very grounded logical and analytical thinker.  She was
skeptical from the beginning that Draco Malfoy could be Slytherin's Heir
in CoS.  Similarly, she has remained skeptical since the end of SS that
Snape could be Harry's nemesis (criticizing Ron when he leaps to this
conclusion at different points).  This same logical thinking wins her
Professor Trelawney's criticism in PoA.  Hermione is skeptical about
Divination from the beginning, and it's not much of a surprise to many
readers when she eventually walks out of the classroom.  She is scorned
by her peers from time to time for being "too logical" (and, in their
minds, insensitive) (such as when she attempts to show that Trelawney
did not predict the death of Lavender's pet rabbit or when she attempts
to use logic to explain the Crookshanks/Scabbers problems). Her
analytical skills are praised by Professor Moody (Crouch-as-Moody) as he
tells her that her mind works "the right way" to be an Auror. She
employs logic in trying to unravel the various mysteries that they
encounter in GoF. She uses these same skills to solve the Rita Skeeter
mystery in GoF.

It is implied that she achieved the top marks in her year for her first
year.  Because of comments and praise from her professors (such as
Lupin's quoted remark above), many assume she achieved the same top
marks for her year in each year thereafter (although final examinations
were cancelled at the end of CoS).

The emphasis on Hermione's intelligence has led many to wonder: if she's
so intelligent, why was she sorted into Gryffindor House rather than
Ravenclaw House ("where those of wit and learning will always find their
kind")?  A number of members have concluded that Hermione must value
bravery and chivalry and other Gryffindor characteristics over
intelligence and book-learning.  One member noted: "I think Hermione is
very bright and that she has a great love of learning.  But she's not
just book smart, she often uses her knowledge in the service of others,
to help them, to right wrongs or fight injustice.  And these are the
aspects that she values in herself and how she sees herself, so this is
why she is in Gryffindor."

INSECURE; BRAGGART: A number of members have expressed their belief that
Hermione is driven to over-achieve academically because of fundamental
insecurity.  They maintain that she has an obsessive fear of failure
(when it saw Hermione, the boggart did turn into a professor who told
her she'd failed all her courses after all). Some members interpret her
propensity to answer questions in class as evidence that she is a
braggart, arguing that she doesn't give anyone else the chance to answer
questions or make comments.

Others have countered that volunteering the correct answers in the
classroom and achieving high marks does not make Hermione a braggart.
She does indisputably enjoy receiving praise for her academic prowess in
the classroom.  She smiles or "flushes with pride" when professors
praise her.  However, she does not seem to call undue attention to her
successes (that is, she isn't heard telling others her marks and asking
about their own marks in comparison).

One member commented that "Hermione just likes to "know" things and
thinks that everyone else does too." Others believe that her academic
success could be driven as much or more by ambition than insecurity.  In
response to the assertion that she prevents other students from
answering questions in class, some members have argued that it is
ultimately the responsibility of the professors to insure that every
student is given an opportunity to answer.  They also argue that
Hermione shouldn't have to squelch herself from speaking up in class
("What so Hermione should censor herself so that the boys, oops, other
classmates don't feel bad and have a chance to answer the questions?"
said one member).

STRONG FEMALE CHARACTER?

In January 2000, online news magazine salon.com featured an article
criticizing the Harry Potter series for its "male-centeredness."  The
author (Christine Schoefer) is extremely critical of Hermione's
portrayal, likening her to a typical Hollywood "damsel in distress."
The author says that Hermione is regarded by Harry and Ron as a "wet
blanket," and adds her agreement, noting that with "her nose stuck in
books, she's no fun."

Rowling has responded to this general criticism (if not that specific
piece): "'I completely understand Hermione and I really love her and I
don't want to depict her as a feisty little . . . .'  She breaks off and
then starts to mutter, 'It irritates me.  It irritates me.  What
irritates me is that I am constantly, increasingly being asked 'Can we
have a strong female character, please?' Like they are ordering a side
order of chips.  I am thinking 'Isn't Hermione strong enough for you?'
She is the most brilliant of the three and they need her.  Harry needs
her badly."

Our members have for the most part sided with Rowling's analysis of
Hermione's character and its strengths.  While some have argued that the
series doesn't contain as many strong female characters as it might,
most everyone is in agreement that Hermione does qualify as a strong
female character.  The author of the salon.com piece certainly minimizes
Hermione's contributions to the final results in each of the novels.
Our members have pointed out that Hermione was integral to the ending
results in each book.  Without Hermione, Harry might not have solved the
potions logic enchantment guarding the Philosopher's Stone.  Without
Hermione, Harry and Ron might not have eliminated Malfoy as the Heir of
Slytherin and focused on other clues.  Without Hermione, Harry and Ron
might not ever have learned that the Chamber of Secrets contained a
basilisk.  Without Hermione, Harry would not have had a time turner or
the opportunity to rescue Buckbeak and Sirius.  Without Hermione, Harry
might not have known some of the spells and charms that enabled him to
escape Lord Voldemort in the graveyard in Little Hangleton. See also the
rebuttal to Schoefer's article in salon.com on 3 March 2000, in which
the author says of Schoefer: "perhaps she missed that Hermione, not Ron,
was the last to leave Harry's side in the first and third books."

Although the readers are limited by Harry's point-of-view in the
stories, it is strongly implied that Hermione has developed a mentoring
relationship with Professor McGonagall.  She excels in all her courses,
but her best subject appears to be the one taught by Professor
McGonagall: transfiguration.

OTHER STRENGTHS:

Hermione demonstrates unwavering loyalty to her friends. She also has
spirit, spunk and backbone, as most aptly illustrated when she slapped
Draco Malfoy in response to his taunts about Hagrid.

Hermione is also very responsible and practical.  This sense of
responsibility can lead her to take actions that can be misinterpreted
as interference into the affairs of others. For example, when she tells
Professor McGonagall about Harry's receipt of the Firebolt, she takes
this action out of concern for his safety and responsibility but the
boys clearly believe she should have minded her own business.  Harry
does later (after he has the Firebolt back) admit that Hermione was
"only trying to help."

By GoF, Hermione is revealing that she has a strong social conscience
and that she is inclined to take an activist role in rectifying social
wrongs.  It does seem she will need to curb her tendency to over-do
things, however, as it became increasingly clear in GoF that she was
disregarding the desires of those she was trying so hard to protect.
Hermione has no tolerance for bigotry or prejudice in any form.

She's been praised for her compassionate nature and her kind thoughtful
gestures (she's "unfailingly" kind to Neville for example). One member
has noted that she clearly "models compassion" to Harry. She's a highly
principled person, with a keen sense of "right and wrong." As she tells
Ron at the end of PoA when he asks why she didn't tell him or Harry
about the time turner, "I promised I wouldn't tell anyone."

Hermione appears to be a very perceptive person, attuned to the needs
and emotions of others around her.  She is sensitive to Harry's
disappointment that he cannot visit Hogsmeade during the first Hogsmeade
weekend. She was calm and reassuring to Hagrid regarding his problems
with Buckbeak. Hermione was perhaps the only person to notice and act on
Neville's keen distress while Professor Moody was demonstrating the
Cruciatus Curse in class. She recognized that Harry had not entered
himself into the Triwizard Tournament and was astute enough to realize
that he might need to lean on a friend and take a walk the next morning.
Sirius notes that Hermione is a good judge of character.

Hermione has developed a self-assured dignity and maturity by GoF. She
is self-confident enough to keep her Yule Ball date a secret and to
transform herself from a "nerd girl" into a stunning young woman for
this occasion. She has the social courage to stand up on behalf of her
friends and to challenge wrongs.

She seems very disdainful of "hero-worship," particularly in GoF.  She's
very critical of Viktor Krum in the beginning as she initially perceives
that he likes the attention he receives from admiring females.  She also
appears to dislike Fleur Delacour for similar reasons (that Fleur goes
out of her way to attract male attention).  Hermione appears to be
outraged when her male best friends seek out the most "beautiful" dates
they can get (or when they pay attention to girls based solely on
appearances).

OTHER WEAKNESSES:

Hermione certainly let her ambition (or insecure desire for academic
achievements, depending on your perspective) get out-of-hand during her
third year at Hogwarts. While some members criticized Hogwarts
(McGonagall in particular) for allowing Hermione to take on too heavy a
load, another member pointed out that this was a good way for Hermione
to learn her own limitations.

Hermione has a tendency to worry far too much and to let her worrisome
nature come across as meddlesome bossiness.  Her worries led her to
inform Professor McGonagall about Harry receiving the Firebolt, which
led to unnecessary strife with her best friends.  She exhibits the same
tendency when she threatens to tell Professor McGonagall about the
Marauder's Map.  She has perhaps an overdone respect for authority
figures ("We attacked a teacher.We attacked a teacher .Oh, we're going
to be in so much trouble.").  She also sometimes appears nervous and
tense during times of danger. Harry also correctly perceives that her
reaction to the news that his scar had been hurting him would be to
panic and worry excessively.

Some have criticized Hermione as being too much of a "superstar."  She's
smart, and as seen in GoF, she can change her appearance enough to make
a dramatic entry to the Yule Ball, to the surprise of her peers.  Others
have argued that taking pains with her appearance for that one special
first date doesn't detract from the fact that Hermione is, from all
appearances, very practical and down-to-earth (confessing to Harry the
next morning that she'd never take that much trouble with her hair on a
day-to-day basis).  The group's members have also speculated that
Hermione might be "over-done" in the HP fanfic universe (where one can
find stories in which she is depicted as the love interest of virtually
all the male characters).

Members have debated whether the characters might have any parallels
with the "Marauders" (Harry's father and best friends).  Which Marauder
would Hermione most closely parallel?  Most members concluded that she
is most like Remus Lupin (intelligent, hard-working), while others
paired her more closely with Sirius Black (bright and unswervingly
loyal).

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ROMANCE:  Does she have as yet unrevealed romantic feelings for Harry?
Is that why she kissed him at the end of GoF?  Does she instead return
Ron's obvious romantic interest?  Or, does she have no romantic interest
in either of her best friends?  Could she be confused and perhaps have
some romantic interest in them both?  While it seems clear-cut to many
people that Ron has interest in Hermione (even though he doesn't know it
yet) and Harry has yet never expressed any interest in her, Hermione's
romantic interests are debatable.  The fandom is deeply divided on this
issue.  While some fans profess to be "no-shippers" ("they're just
kids!"), scores of others are deeply devoted to one "ship" or another
(the "H/H" (Harry/Hermione) and "R/H" (Ron/Hermione) ships being perhaps
the two most popular and vocal ships.   The FAQ has a cross-reference to
the "Potential Romance Pairings FAQ" at this point.

Note: If you're going to reply to this aspect of the character sketch,
be sure to put SHIP somewhere in your subject heading, especially if
this is the focus of your reply!

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LIKENESSES TO JK ROWLING:

Jo describes herself during her childhood as a "pudding-faced child with
glasses, a snotty, swotty little kid" who was quite insecure (she has
ascribed many of her own traits from her childhood to Hermione Granger's
character, including Hermione's social activism).  "The character of
Hermione is Rowling as a young girl: hard working, bookish, a
worrywart.  Rowling says she was painfully swotty, with NHS spectacles
and short, short hair.  She claims that she loosened up a bit later on,
but I'm not so sure about this.  At times during the interview she is
nothing short of earnest, especially about her work.  She defends
Hermione pretty fiercely, too. 'My American editor says that I am mean
to her because she is me.  But I don't think that I am mean to her.  I
love her dearly.'"

Rowling has also said that Harry "must have a lot of me in him, although
Hermione is a more faithful portrait of me when I was younger." She
seems to have a soft spot for Hermione, the character who has so much of
Rowling's own personality.  Commenting on her first meeting with
screenplay writer Steve Kloves, she says she just "melted" when Kloves
told her that his favorite character was Hermione.

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QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION:

Many of these questions have been debated before, but since we've
discussed Hermione quite a bit in the past, I had a hard time coming up
with "new & original" questions for discussion.  Feel free to add in
your own though!

1. Is she still the same bossy know-it-all that she was in PS/SS or has
she "lightened up" quite a bit already?

2. Does she just study hard, either to make up for her average
intelligence or out of insecurity, or does she instead possess
above-average intelligence?  Both?

3. Any new thoughts on why she was sorted into Gryffindor rather than
Ravenclaw?

4. Is she a braggart?

5. Is Hermione male-identified?  Does she derive her self-worth from her
male friends and successes within a male-centered environment?  Or, as
some members have noted, is it instead possible that the readers don't
know about Hermione's relationships with other women as a result of the
limitations of Harry's point-of-view?

6. What might her future hold?  What sort of career might she choose
(assuming she's alive at the end of the series)?  If she had children,
is it possible she might choose to stay home with children (part-time or
full-time)?

7. Members have debated whether she merely bears a strong resemblance to
Rowling or if she is indeed Rowling's "surrogate" in the series.  Is she
the "heroine" to Harry's "hero" or just a strong female character who
bears a startling likeness to Rowling?

8. Will she make it to the end of the series alive?

9. Do you like or dislike Hermione?  Do you identify with her character?

Discuss!!