Character Summary: Hermione Granger

[Ebony AKA AngieJ]

No: HPFGUIDX 15206

It's official:  I now have FAQ writers' block.  Penny's character 
sketch was just... well... so *comprehensive*.  I can't believe that 
it's condensed at all!

Hermione's my favorite character of the moment (it rotates 
between three), and I've been heavily concentrating on reading 
and writing her fanon selves, so this was very timely for me.

Most of the below is re-hash... but here goes...

> ==========================================
> 
> QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION:
> 
> 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?

Oh, I feel that plenty of lightening has taken place since PS/SS.  
All of the characters have changed since then.  Upon first read of 
GoF, I was disappointed that she hadn't become as laid-back as 
I thought she could have been, but since then I've found several 
instances where she shows that she's not as anxious anymore.  
The way she handled Draco ("twitchy little ferret, aren't you?").  
The fact that she's able to enjoy herself with Krum at the Yule 
Ball.  Her awe of authority figures also seemed to be a bit 
tempered now... which is perhaps a Good Thing, as I'd be willing 
to wager that absolutes may blur in the books to come.
 
> 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?

Both.  She has above-average intelligence.  Gifted children, 
when challenged, are naturally investigative, intuitive, and 
inquisitive.  The excessive studying, however, is a mystery.  Most 
gifted kids I know or teach don't have that compulsion to study 
just for the sake of studying.  As a matter of fact, homework 
assignments that seem pointless to the gifted child will often not 
be done... trust me on that one.  :-)

I have the sneaking suspicion that some of Hermione's 
obsession with academic success comes from home.  We don't 
know much about the Grangers... they could be the scary kind of 
parents who tell their child that they are less than worthy if they 
bring home less than full marks (straight As here in the US).  

Also, Hermione, like most kids who are in awe of authority 
figures, aim to please them.  I have kids like that here... they 
hang on my every word and that of my colleagues, and do 
absolutely everything we ask just to earn our praise... the kind of 
kids who will be devastated when we look at them with 
disappointment.  Teacher's pets, maybe... but there you have it.

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

SHIP Alert... ah, never mind.  I won't even go there today.  :-)

I agree with Caius 100%.

> 4. Is she a braggart?

In the beginning, yes.  At this point, no. 

> 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?

I don't think she's male-identified at all!  She doesn't derive her 
identity from being Ron or Harry's friend... she would have 
excelled at Hogwarts without them... and the celebrity would have 
still asked her to the dance.  

Let's be honest here.  Who would *you* rather hang out with, 
ladies?  Ron and Harry, or Lavender and Parvati?  Is there even 
a real choice there?

I suspect that Lavender, Parvati, and any other girls in their year 
didn't mesh well with Hermione.  She was on her own for two 
months before she made friends with Harry and Ron.  She 
shares a dorm room with the girls.  I speculate that she quickly 
found that she had very little in common with them.

I also think she has a mentoring friendship with McGonagall, 
and could be forming a friendship with Ginny or others behind 
the scenes.

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)?

Whatever career she holds, I think it will involve two things.  The 
first is challenging her intellect.  If she truly is gifted, then she 
needs something that will stretch her.  Gifted folks are weird 
(come on, Mensa list members, how many times have YOU 
been called eccentric?) in that we pursue a project with all our 
might and energy, then move on to the next challenge... the next 
mystery.

She also seems to  empathize with others... she's become very 
good in recent canon at putting herself in the shoes of others 
(Hermione critics, please spare me the Crookshanksgate 
refutation.)  I think she wouldn't be satisfied with books alone.

It's far too early to tell about kids.

> 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?

In recent canon, she's become the heroine.  I would say that for 
most of canon (PS/SS, CoS, and PoA) she was the other 
sidekick, who just happened to be a girl. 

At the risk of Susan McGee's wrath raining down on my head 
(remember this summer's "all girl" faux pas?  ack!), I'll say that 
her feminine attributes seem to be surfacing more, 
differentiating her from the boys significantly.  I'm sorry, but it's 
there... and as they mature, I think that this contrast will be even 
more apparent.

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

Who knows?  I'd be willing to wager that she does.
 
> 9. Do you like or dislike Hermione?  Do you identify with her 
character?

Was annoyed by her in PS/SS until the end.  Liked her in CoS.  
Loved her in PoA, and loved her to pieces in GoF.  

I identified with her, but not as strongly as I did once I read the 
Time-Turner subplot in GoF.  This is the part of canon that leads 
me to wonder if Hermione *would* stay at home with kids... that  
part of her that thinks she can do it all would have to change.  Not 
saying that she wouldn't... but she would truly have to.  

Again, nice summary, Penny!

--Ebony AKA AngieJ