sexism in the WW

[erinellii]

No: HPFGUIDX 84492

 > --- Erin wrote: This is a society in which Alice Longbottom can be 
an auror...
 
> Debbie: 
> I see this as an example of JKR having become more conscious of her 
own gender biases in writing characters.  <snip>  In GoF, there is 
absolutely no mention that Alice was an Auror.  Crouch states that 
the Lestranges et al. were accused of "capturing an Auror -- Frank 
Longbottom -- and subjecting him to the Cruciatus Curse" and further 
accused "of using the Cruciatus Curse on Frank Longbottom's wife."  
<Snip> In OoP, on the other hand, they were both described as 
Aurors.  The difference is so striking, I'm left with the nagging 
feeling that Alice was promoted between books.  

Erin:
All right, I take your point here, and I even agree with what you've 
said.  But I also believe that what you're saying isn't really 
relevent to the point I was trying to make at all.  IMO, once JKR has 
written something into the canon, the reasons *why* she has done it 
do not affect its presence there.  Alice Longbottom IS an auror.  
Period.  What we were trying to figure out in this thread was if the 
WW is sexist- not if JKR is.




 Debbie:
> There are other ways in which the sexism of our own world has crept 
into the books regardless of JKR's intentions.  While we are aware, 
mostly through historical details presented in the novels and in 
FBAWTFT, that there have been women in positions of power in the WW, 
the MoM characters that play a significant role in the story -- with 
the exception of Umbridge the villain (who I see as a bureaucratic 
functionary run amok) -- are male.  Thus, while we know that Fudge's 
predecessor was female, we know nothing about her.  

Erin:
I don't know that I see this as sexism in the WW.  I see where it 
could be argued that it is sexism on JKR's part, by not giving women 
equal story time, but not on the part of the WW.  


Debbie: 
> Amelia Bones has the same position once held by Crouch Sr., but in 
her only scene, she allows Harry's hearing to be commandeered by 
Fudge in a dereliction of due process.  It was her department, and I 
can't imagine that JKR would have let that happen if Crouch was still 
in charge. Thus, while she speaks her mind at the hearing, she 
appears ineffectual.  

Erin:
We can't know exactly what constitutes due process in the WW.  It may 
be that Fudge was well within his rights to preside over the 
hearing.  It has already been remarked many times on this list that 
the WW seems to lack the system of checks and balances in government 
that we muggles take for granted.  Also, I am not willing to crucify 
JKR over what you imagine she would or would not have done.  You have 
no way of knowing how she would have chosen to write that scene had 
Crouch still been in charge.  I could state that I think Crouch would 
have sided with Fudge and expelled Harry without any hearing at all, 
but that doesn't make it true.




Debbie:
Also, it is strongly implied that Amelia Bones is single.  (If she is 
Susan Bones' aunt and she is married, by the WW conventions we see 
she would have a different last name.)  In the WW, as well as here, 
it appears that women have a much more difficult time reaching the 
top of their professions if they must juggle work and family.  

Erin:
Unless I'm missing a key piece of canon, I don't see this at all.  I 
know Susan Bones tells Harry that Amelia Bones is her "auntie", but I 
don't recall her saying that Amelia was her mother's sister or her 
father's sister.  So Amelia could very well be her aunt by marriage 
(wed to Susan's mother's or father's brother) and have a whole 
houseful of kids for all we know.

 

Debbie:
  The other women we know that work for the MoM (Mafalda Hopkirk, 
Bertha Jorkins, Marietta's mother) don't appear to have high-ranking 
positions, and Marietta's mother, the our only WW example of mother 
with a paying job(Hermione's parents are muggles and don't count) 
fears for her position if her daughter was found to be associating 
with Harry Potter.  

Erin:
I notice that, again, you didn't throw Tonks in there.  I'd say auror 
is a pretty important job. And, ok, she's not married, but she is 
very young yet.  I'm betting she gets some romance in before the end 
of the books.  And I can't see her ever giving up her job as an auror 
regardless of who she marries- she's too well-suited for it.  Also, 
Alice Longbottom is a WW example of a working mom. 



Debbie: 
> And while there are plenty of female professors (and former 
headmistresses) at Hogwarts, one of the qualifications for the job 
seems to be a lack of a spouse.  

Erin:
So far, we haven't seen ANY Hogwarts professor with a spouse- male or 
female- so I fail to see how this is sexism.  Also, there is a very 
specific reason for this- canon is not yet complete.  JKR has said in 
various interviews that certain teachers ARE married, that Harry does 
not yet know about these marriages, and hinted that crucial plot 
developments hang upon the secret spouses.


Debbie:
Moreover, though I think JKR made a very specific effort in OOP to 
give McGonagall more spunk than she had in the past, her spunk 
manifests in catfights with other women professors, such as Trelawney 
and Umbridge, which is stereotypically female behavior.  Like Molly, 
McGonagall remains a shadowy figure as far as her contribution to the 
Order is concerned. 

Erin:  
I think, that in calling McGonagall's struggles "catfights", we're 
seeing more sexism from you than from JKR.  I didn't see them that 
way at all, I saw them as power struggles.  Why is it that any time a 
woman disagrees with another woman, someone has to call it a catfight?
Granted, McGonagall's cat animagus form probably lets her in for more 
of that than usual.  But I see the Snape/Sirius feud as far more 
catfight-like overall, what with remarks about each other's physical 
appearence and having no real issues to speak of.  An example of a 
catty remark is Lavender(or Pavarti, whichever) saying she'd be 
Umbridge's friend "as long as I don't have to borrow that cardigan."
I don't see McGonagall saying anything like this to Umbridge's face, 
or behind her back.  As far as the McGonagall-Trelawney feud, I read 
this as the same dynamic Spock and Dr. McCoy share in the original 
Star Trek.  Spock/McGonagall's logical mind simply can't accept 
McCoy/Trelawney' "intuitions".  Spock snipes at Dr. McCoy to humorous 
effect also, but I've never heard anyone call that a catfight.



Erin