Utopian vision vs realism in fiction

[sirius_3lack]

No: HPFGUIDX 33385

"Tabouli" <tabouli at u...> wrote:
I'm reminded of telling my Honours supervisor (successful young 
female lecturer of strident feminist convictions) about David 
Lodge's "Nice Work", in which a strong, highly educated, intelligent, 
attractive young lecturer in English Literature (female) visits a 
factory floor with the company's managing director (male), and all of 
the (male) workers shout out sexist remarks, whistle, etc.  For me, 
as an example of what is essentially a cross-cultural encounter, I 
thought the situation depicted was very believable.  

I had exactly the same argument with one of my (young successful 
feminist) English Literature lecturers regarding this passage.

Whilst myself and several others found the scene believable (although 
somewhat steroetypical of the average Rummidge factory worker!) our 
lecturer seemed extremely offended - somehow painting Lodge as a 
sexist/misogynist for daring to portray real life attitudes in his 
work - as if not to mention the attitudes would deny them existence. 
Very Odd.

But back to the rest of your post. 

I would agree to some extent that the success of the Potter books is 
due in part to their depiction of traditional gender roles closer to 
the *real life* experience of most young readers.

But I would also like to borrow the arguments of my erstwhile English 
Lecturer for a second: 

Is the Potterverse the way it is in regard to gender roles because 
that is how the world of the younger reader is percieved by an adult 
author?

Or is it written in this way in order to encourage the perpetuation 
of these traditional gender roles in the adult lives of the young 
reader?

Any thoughts?

Sirius