Tough Hermione

[dicentra63]

No: HPFGUIDX 38757

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "plinsenmayer" <pennylin at s...> wrote: 

> You know one reason it bothers me?  It seems sexist to suggest that 
> Hermione is less important in the grand scheme of things.  That's  
> not the only reason.  I think equity within the Trio is just 
> incredibly important to the overall message of the books myself, but 
> the inherent sexism bothers me.  

I'm not sure that Hermione not being Harry's bestest bestest friend is
sexist at all, nor does it imply she's less important in the Grand
Scheme of Things.  We know how important Snape is, for example, but as
far as Harry's concerned, Snape can Eat Hot Death.  

There's no reason for Hermione's importance to be based on Trio
dynamics.  If Harry prefers Ron, that's because Ron is a guy, and guys
like doing guy things together.  Going out and playing Quidditch at
the Burrow, test-flying the Firebolt, flying the Ford Anglia to
school, being thick as a stack of boards about girls.  It's entirely
possible that this preference will shift as they get older (hormones),
but from 11-14, guys prefer hanging out with guys. 

It's like JKR says:   
> 
> "But my hero is a boy and at the age he has been girls simply do not 
> figure that much. Increasingly, they do. But, at 11, I think it 
> would be extremely contrived to throw in a couple of feisty, 
> gorgeous, brilliant-at-maths and great-at-fixing-cars girls."
> 
> > Cindy (who has wondered from time to time if Hermione is Tough, 
> but isn't sure she wants to know the answer)>>>>>>
>
Penny: 
> I think Hermione is Tough.  I think she is *a lot* Tougher than Ron, 
> even if she does weep from time to time.  Characters who are in 
> touch with their emotions are typically considerably stronger 
> individuals.  When push comes to shove, Hermione has the Stuff.  And 
> I think we'll see that more & more & more....

Oh yeah, Hermione is Tough.  She's Tough As Nails.  In PoA, when her
hectic schedule starts to get to her, she doesn't fall into a weeping
heap of neurosis, she decks Draco for his smartmouth.  She lets
Trelawney know exactly what she thinks of her, then packs up and
leaves the class without looking back.  She has no trouble taking on
Rita Skeeter, and she actually WINS!  Any time they go on Yet Another
Scary Adventure, her objections have to do with legality, not that
it's too scary for her. (Did she whimper about going into the
Forbidden Forest with Hagrid? I don't think so.)  Nope, she doesn't
shrink.  She was right there with Ron and Harry when they blasted
Snape in the Shrieking Shack and takes on Sirius's rescue as if it
were another library assignment.  Except for that "where will we get
wood?" bit in Book 1 (rookie mistake), she's always been Frosty under
pressure.  That's Tough enough for me.

--Dicey, who thinks JKR's right not to bend to the "can't we have a
strong woman" demands because she's got plenty already