Tough Hermione (WAS What Harry will miss the most/Liking Hermione)

cindysphynx cindysphynx at comcast.net
Tue May 14 23:37:57 UTC 2002


No: HPFGUIDX 38758

Sheez!  

I write a post, click "Sent", and it goes winging off into a black 
hole somewhere.  Well, try again.  

I apologize if the original of this post turns up, but here it is 
again.

***************************


I asked:

> > Cindy (who has wondered from time to time if Hermione is Tough, 
> but isn't sure she wants to know the answer)>>>>>>

Penny replied:
 
> I think Hermione is Tough.  I think she is *alot* 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....
> 

Weeelllllll . . .  I have a really hard time with the idea that 
Hermione is Tough, let alone Tougher than Ron.  A really hard time.  
I'd say Hermione is Tougher than Hagrid.  But Ron?

I mean, look at the Whomping Willow/Shrieking Shack scenes, for 
instance.  Ron has a broken leg, whereas Hermione got thwacked in 
the head by the Willow.  JKR writes the scene with the following 
excerpts (with my emphasis added for the words that trouble me so):

*************

"Oh, help, help," Hermione whispered *frantically*, dancing 
*uncertainly* on the spot, "please . . . "

"Crookshanks!" Hermione whispered *uncertainly*.  She now grasped 
Harry's arm painfully hard.

"Where's Ron?" she whispered in a *terrified* voice.

"Where does this tunnel come out?" Hermione asked *breathlessly* 
from behind him.

Harry glanced at Hermione, who looked very *frightened* but nodded.

Hermione's grip on Harry's arm was so tight he was losing feeling in 
his fingers.

"No, Harry!" Hermione gasped in a *petrified whisper*.  Ron, 
however, spoke to Black.

"Harry!" Hermione *whimpered*.

*************

OK, that's enough.  

All this, all of this whimpering and being 
frightened/terrified/petrified/uncertain in just a few pages.  I 
guess I have a real gripe with Hermione's characterization in those 
scenes, which are from my favorite part of my favorite book, because 
she is hardly being written as a capable heroine there.  It really 
starts to get to me, it really does.

So why does JKR do these things to Hermione, for cryin' out loud?  I 
have no idea.  I'd like Hermione better without these Weak 
responses, to be honest.  

And the weeping Hermione does.  I could do without all the weeping.  
I *really* wouldn't miss the weeping.  I take the point that people 
who weep might be in better touch with their emotions.  But it sure 
doesn't make them appear Tough in my eyes.  

But hey.  No one ever promised me a Tough Hermione.  And every 
character can't be Tough -- that would be boring.  There's a lot of 
Toughness among other characters, so maybe JKR felt Hermione has to 
be written as Not So Tough for variety.  But given the dearth of 
female characters in HP, it sure would be nice if the starring 
female character didn't comport with the old female stereotype of 
being shaky under pressure.

Cindy (not ruling out the possibility that Hermione will get Tougher 
and hoping that JKR will pay substantial attention to this issue in 
the next three books)






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