Hermione's rhetorical questions

Amy Z <lupinesque@yahoo.com> lupinesque at yahoo.com
Fri Feb 14 17:00:56 UTC 2003


No: HPFGUIDX 52202

Penny wrote:

> > Hermione is actually not the only character to do 
> > this, though perhaps it does fall into her dialogue more 
> frequently 
> > than others.  

No, she isn't the only one--it is certainly a feature of Rowlingspeak 
if not Britspeak.  Occasionally someone else does it in a way that is 
quite pointed, e.g. Harry:

"Look," said Harry impatiently, "let's say Snuffles is right, and 
someone Stunned Krum to kidnap Crouch.  Well, they *would've* been in 
the trees near us, wouldn't they?  But they waited 'til I was out of 
the way until they acted, didn't they?  So it doesn't look like I'm 
their target, does it?"  (GF 29)

In this example, this rhetorical form is being used in what one might 
call its prototypical way:  in an argument, to emphasize the 
obviousness of one's point.

It doesn't always signify that the speaker is a know-it-all or 
argumentative, and can certainly be an innocent habit of speech.  But 
if Hermione does use it more than most people (which I think she 
does, but I haven't culled the books for every example of anyone 
using it . . . come on, I know there's a LOON out there who'll do 
it), it supports an interpretation of her as, well, sure of her own 
opinions to a degree that could potentially annoy others.  It's 
certainly one reason I think of her that way, so if I am misreading 
the meaning of this pattern, maybe I'm getting her character wrong.

Adding these interrogative tags can be a sign of *lack* of self-
confidence as well ("I look all right, don't I?" said anxiously in 
front of a mirror instead of indignantly in front of a critic); you 
have to see it in context to judge.

> > Me now:
> > 
> > I'd say that habit is regional (London) and to a considerable 
> extent 
> > class-based (working).  Hermione doesn't fit the pattern in any 
> > other way, IMO. 

Interesting.  The movies have decided she isn't working-class . . . 
any take on whether this is supported by canon?  (In the US the 
answer would be a clear yes, with two professional parents, but class 
is different here.)  As for where she comes from, haven't a clue.  
Are you saying you don't see any other indications that she's from 
London?

Cantoramy wrote:

> Answering with a question?  LOL!  
> 
> First person:  "Jewish people always respond with a question."
> Second person:  "We do?" [this joke is older than dirt;)]

I've heard it like this:

Curious visitor: Rabbi, why do Jews always answer a question with a 
question?
Rabbi:  What do you mean, we always answer a question with a question?

It's true, isn't it?  Gads, I'm doing it now.

Amy Z





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