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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