Female Characters and Mentoring (WAS SS/PS Chapter Twelve Summary)

[Cindy C.]

No: HPFGUIDX 29060

Joywitch wrote:

> Not wanting to open a can of worms that has, in the past, resulted 
in 
> much screaming and yelling, I have to say that I have never liked 
the 
> stereotypical nature of most the women in the HP books.  Pince, 
> Pomfrey, McGonagal and Hooch all seem like schoolteacher-lady 
> stereotypes -- the prissy librarian, the fussy nurse, the stern 
> headmistress, the tough coach.  


OK, you have a good point.  JKR's portrayals of adult female 
characters aren't as compelling as her male characters.  In fairness, 
though, we should give a nod to Rita Skeeter, who doesn't fit the 
schoolyard matron stereotype, and who I find quite compelling, 
important and interesting.

I was wondering about something, though.  It seems to me that (in 
some cases) if a character is not the product of a bunch of gender 
stereotypes, then the character in most instances ought to work 
equally well if labeled as a male or a female.  Does anyone think the 
books would have worked as well if certain characters had been 
written the same but had been female instead of male?  Would Moody, 
Lockhart, Snape or Lupin have worked had they been female?  How about 
minor characters like Pettigrew, Fudge or Bagman?  If not, why not?

Also, I notice that each Champion in GoF has a headmaster of the same 
gender.  Would it have worked if Krum had been with Madam Maxime and 
Fleur had been with Karkarov (with the appropriate name changes, of 
course)?  

I don't really have a point here, but it does seem that there is not 
very much mentoring across gender lines.  Trelawney takes Brown and 
Patil under her wing.  McGonagal helps Hermione obtain the Time-
Turner.  Harry gets extra instruction from Lupin and Moody, and he is 
developing a close relationship with Dumbledore.  In my experience, 
cross-gender mentoring certainly occurs in the real world, so I 
wonder why we don't see it more in the books.

Cindy