The Female Students (and other female charcters)

[elfundeb]

No: HPFGUIDX 33265

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "christi0469" <christi0469 at h...> wrote:
>  If the female characters in Potterverse have not eveolved by the 
> end of the 7th book JKR will have failed to give a gender-balanced 
> perspective to the series: however, I do see a lot of potential in 
> the female characters we already have (and we will probably get 
more 
> as the books progess). As Harry matures his understanding of the 
> females around him will hopefully mature as well, giving greater us 
> greater insight into their personality. I do admit that the in the 
> books we have so far the female characters have not been given 
> enough dimension, but I can accept the arguement that it is due to 
> Harry's limited POV.
> 
> > I'm surprised that so many people here object to my negative 
> > descriptions of the female characters in the "Potterverse."  If 
> you're 
> > defending these characters in order to show that women really 
> aren't 
> > so fussy, weak, etc., remember that the women in the Potterverse 
> are 
> > fictional.  I don't see them as anything like the real women that 
> I 
> > know.  If you are defending these characters because you like 
> them, I 
> > am surprised.  I really like many of the male characters in the 
> > stories, but practically none of the female charcters in the 
> > Potterverse appeal to me much.

I would add that in my view JKR's treatment of women (and minorities, 
for that matter) doesn't square well with statements she has made 
that prejudice is a major theme of the books.  After paying lip 
service to the lack of traditional prejudice in the wizarding world 
by peppering the sidelines with female professors and Quidditch 
players and making sure we're aware that the Hogwarts population has 
a reasonable percentage of minorities, all of the female characters 
we see close up conform to classic stereotypes.  (Aside -- do people 
feel the male characters are also stereotyped?  I don't get that 
sense as much as with the females.)  If the Weasleys are such 
Quidditch fans, why don't we see Ginny out there at the Burrow 
playing with her brothers?  Why do there not seem to be any female 
Aurors?  Why does every witch devour Witch Weekly?  And why are the 
minority females notable mostly for their athletic abilities 
(Angelina, Cho) or their exotic appearances (Cho, Parvati)?  In so 
many places in the books she slips in little details about the 
wizarding world, but she just doesn't seem to do it in her treatment 
of witches.
> 
>  I do like some of the female characters, especially McGonagall. I 
truly believe that there is a lot of depth to 
> McGonagall that has yet to be explored. 

McGonagall is a character I have particular problems with.  Despite 
her position as assistant headmistress and obvious talent in her 
chosen field of transfiguration, she seems to be pretty much an 
outsider as far as knowing what's going on (starting with the first 
chapter of SS/PS when she peppered Dumbledore with questions about 
what happened in Godric's Hollow) and she seems to be mainly an 
administrator rather than a true leader like Dumbledore is (for 
example, she's the one who checks the book and sends the letters to 
witches/wizards turning 11).  And in GoF she fails utterly at the 
task Dumbledore assigns her of guarding Crouch and acts like a 
hysterical female.  McGonagall's development is a big reason for my 
sneaking feeling that JKR saved the best parts for the male 
characters.

Prof. Trelawny remainds me 
> of a professor I had in college who was just far to impressed with 
> her own accomplishments. 

I think Trelawney has a lot of potential as an interesting character, 
but she is still a female stereotype, and not a flattering one.

I will be very surprised if Ginny doesn't turn into 
> an important and potentially strong character. 

JKR has as much as told us that Ginny will get much more development 
in OotP, and there's just a hint of that in Ginny's role in the Yule 
Ball squabbles.  But aside from that, I can find little in canon to 
disprove the notion that she is a weak and immature character.  Some 
of that can be laid at Tom Riddle's doorstep (his words "stupid 
little Ginny" still ring in my ears), and the fact that Ginny is 
portrayed as extraordinarily tongue-tied where Harry is round, but 
not all.  Her judgment in CoS was extremely poor (why, for example, 
didn't she throw the diary in the fire after she stole it back from 
Harry; opening it up again was an act of idiocy -- but maybe a case 
where character was sacrificed to plot).  That said, I'd really like 
her to grow up and be strong. And if Hermione, the most brilliant 
witch at Hogwarts, chose her as her confidante regarding the Yule 
Ball date over the witches of her year (two of whom don't even have 
names!), she has definite possibilities.> 

Debbie (hoping for Lavender to demonstrate exceptional bravery in the 
battle against Voldemort, for her and Parvati to become acclaimed 
seers, but realistically putting too many of her feminist eggs in 
Mrs. Figg's basket)