Hermione: Major Character or Not

[Penny Linsenmayer]

No: HPFGUIDX 50251

Hi all --

Pippin said with regard to Hermione's growth as a character:

<<<<But I think Hermione's stand-out role in the resolution of PoA 
obscures the fact that for large parts of the novel, and of CoS 
before it, Hermione has little to do. She's in the Hospital Wing for 
large parts of CoS and on the outs with the boys in most of PoA. 
If JKR hadn't given her a major role in GoF, I'd have wondered if 
she (JKR) wasn't losing interest in the character.>>>>>>>>

Ahem.  Hermione is "out of action" in CoS from pages 190 - 249 (CoS, US paperback).  By my math, that's roughly 20% of the book, and though she's not actively engaging in conversation or doing things during that time, she's already done the necessary work.  She has "little to do," does she?  Er..... wonder how much longer it would have taken Harry and Ron on their own to discover that the monster was a basilisk and had been using the pipes?  Hermione started the solution and Harry finished it.  

PoA -- she's on the outs with the boys from pages 173-215 (US paperback).  That's 42 pages ... 13% of the total page-time.  And, don't forget she's not completely on the outs with Harry during that entire time, just Ron.  Granted, Harry isn't forcing Ron to make-up with her, though he does suggest it rather forcefully for Harry at one point.  But, Harry was certainly making overtures toward repairing his friendship with her, and he obviously does care about her.  As you yourself concede, she certainly did have a major role in PoA.  

Hermione has played a major and decisive role in each of the 4 books, IMHO.  I think people consistently overestimate her petrified time period and the time period during which she was on the outs with the boys.  The math shows it's not as significant as some have argued.

Penny
(who will weigh in on the other "ship" issues later......)



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