[HPforGrownups] Re: Harry and Women (WAS Logic and Math of Sexism )

[Peter and Denise Clements]

No: HPFGUIDX 41394

Kelly wrote:
> Harry seems to fall into the typical male
>(mis)understanding of the female role (Virgin/Whore); most males tend to
>view women as one or the other.

Now me:
They do???In the WW??? Harry does??? Can you clarify if you mean the WW or
just the real world?
I think his reluctance to ask anyone to the Yule Ball  is because of

1)Harry's blatantly obvious self esteem issues
(Quote from GoF, pg 253.)
 Harry doubted very much if any of the girls who had asked
to be his partner so far would have wanted to go to the ball with him if he
hadn't
been a school champion.

2) He's never had to do this before! (that we've been told of)
Can you imagine the Dursleys letting him go to a school dance?And even if
they did he hadn't had any close relationships at his prior school so
wouldn't have been game enough to ask someone to dance! Harry (at this point
in time) is feeling embarrassed and unsure of himself as is Ron (who knows
he's going to have to go to this shindig in girly robes).

Kelly wrote:
 >And his friendship with Hermione is just
>that- a friendship (she's not even a sister). Unlike Ron, it didn't even
>occur to him to ask Hermione to the Yule Ball, and Ron himself just
>assumed that she would go with him just because she is his friend... note
>that Ron did *not* ask her to accompany him bc he was starting to view her
>as a girl who likes to be appreciated for things other than her mind.
>Indeed, Ron (and Harry) tease her bc someone else actually found her
>attractive.

Now me:
Don't forget that Harrys mind was centered on Cho, not Hermione.
I agree that Hermione and Harry have a very deep friendship and attached to
this is a deep respect. As Jenny from ravenclaw pointed out Harry has a deep
respect for those around him. Not being a 14yr old boy I can't say with
surity that I "know" how a boy of this age would think _but_ Harry and Ron
have accepted her as an equal. They have accepted her as a friend,
confidante and fellow warrior (if you like). I don't think either of them
think of her as just a dance partner. Having a son and nephew of roughly
this age I would have been surprised if JKR didn't write the teasing into
it. This is typical boy stuff and the closer the relationship the more
teasing goes on.

Denise
(who remembers what it was like at her first school dance)