The Sleeping Woman

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 37478

David wrote:

>>We have from time to time here discussed a number of 
issues that I believe are related:
-             Ginny's character is undeveloped;
-             Lily has received far less treatment than James
-             There is dissatisfaction among some listies with the way 
women are presented in general in HP.

I believe the common thread is that JKR has been suppressing 
femininity in the books, because this side of Harry's character, or 
rather, of the reader's perception of themselves, is yet to 
develop.<<


I would say it is not femininity which is being suppressed but 
sexuality, both because explicit sexual content would be out of 
keeping with the tone of the books and because this part of 
Harry's psyche has not yet developed. Harry relates to females 
as splintered, incomplete aspects of the mother he has lost, as 
symbolized by the M in many of their names. He represses his 
awareness of  their sexuality as much as he can. He seems to 
wish his thoughts about Cho would just go away.  It is only at the 
very end of GoF that he allows himself to enjoy the feeling he 
gets while watching Fleur in the distance. 

However, as many have noticed, sexuality is not absent from the 
novels. Instead, it is disguised. Using the traditional symbols of 
fairy tales, such as toads and magical trances, Rowling deals 
with sexual development in a non-threatening way. Consider  
Hermione's first appearance in PS/SS. She arrives with Neville 
under her wing, in search of a lost toad. Freudians will not need 
to be told that the toad in fairy tales is a symbol of sexual 
relations (Bettelheim, The Uses of Enchantment.)  In fairy tale 
language, the toad is the part of Hermione's sexuality that is 
"lost", ie not yet developed. As in the many tales where the toad, 
or frog, becomes a handsome prince,  this little episode teaches 
how what might  seem ugly and repulsive may be transformed 
by love into something highly desireable. 

Hermione is far more comfortable with the nurturing aspects of 
her femininity.  She exercises her maternal skills on  various 
orphaned characters: Neville, Harry, Hagrid,  and Winky.  It is 
interesting that Ron resists her attempts to mother him, and  that 
she in turn accepts a date with Viktor Krum knowing that school 
loyalty will forbid her to indulge her coaching instincts.

Ginny, on the other hand, does not assume a maternal role 
toward Harry (nor does she carry the ubiquitous M). I agree that 
her immaturity and neediness are echoes of Harry's own and 
that we will see her grow out of them just as Harry has.  Her 
rescue may be seen as Harry rescuing his own feminine side, 
but also as a symbolic defeat of Harry's sexual fears as 
embodied in the traditional Serpent.

 As Harry grows into adulthood, his need for a surrogate mother 
may diminish and he may come to desire a romantic rather than 
nurturing relationship with a female friend. The Oedipal need to 
separate his yearning for a mother from his sexual desires 
might actually drive him away from Hermione at that point, 
although her  kiss at the end of GoF may signal her desire to 
have things otherwise.

One of the lessons of the Potter books is that, unless you have 
the brains of the Sorting Hat, it is unwise to slot people into rigid 
categories as a result of your first impression. It is possible that 
as they mature, Hermione and Ginny will switch roles, with Ginny 
taking on more of the nurturing and Hermione developing a 
romantic interest in our Harry. And then, of course, they might 
switch again ;-)

Pippin