Hermione and hubris (was:Re: What is Hermione afraid of?)

[jwcpgh]

No: HPFGUIDX 80390

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Kirstini" <kirst_inn at y...> 
wrote:
<snip>. I 
> was trying to intiate a discussion into whether or not Hermione's 
> desire to achieve, and to achieve highly at everything, will be 
> significant later on in the series. <snip> Ambition requires 
selfishness, and Hermione has ambition in 
> droves. As we've seen ("perhaps if I could take SPEW further..."), 
> she doesn't intend to use it to do anything as obvious as climb a  
particular career ladder, but she wants to employ her talents to    
> the best of her abilities. She's ambitious to be true to herself.>>>

Laura:

Okay, Kirstini, I'll take the bait. <g>  Not trusting my ability to 
define the word, I looked up "hubris" on my handy-dandy on-line 
dictionary, and here's what it said:

in classical Greek ethical and religious thought, overweening 
presumption suggesting impious disregard of the limits governing 
human action in an orderly universe. It is the sin to which the great 
and gifted are most susceptible, and in Greek tragedy it is usually 
the hero's tragic flaw. (from the Encyclopedia Britannica online)

Merriam-Webster was a bit less emphatic, defining the term 
as "exaggerated pride or self-confidence".

It seems to me that the word "hubris" in regard to Hermione's 
character is an overstatement.  She is generally very confident about 
her academic abilities, and with reason, but she's not cocky about 
it.  She has moments of test anxiety (admittedly, sometimes over 
small matters)  and knows that there are some areas in which others 
do better than she does-DADA, for instance, and broom-handling.  I 
don't think her self-regard is out of proportion to her abilities, 
nor do I think it extends to anything about herself other than her 
school performance.  

Is the SPEW thing an example of hubris? You might say so, since 
Hermione takes it into her head to pursue it without consulting the 
creatures who would be most affected, i.e., the house elves. But I 
don't think that her *beliefs* are wrong or presumptuous.  It's her 
tactics that are questionable.  (Sirius was right when he told her 
she had a lot to learn!)

If you think that hubris is going to be Hermione's fatal (I hope I'm 
speaking metaphorically here) flaw, then you must think that her 
pride in her intelligence will warp her judgement.  As I understand 
it, that's the way hubris works-people think so much of themselves 
that they can't see reason.  But Hermione rarely, if ever, acts 
precipitously, without thinking and thinking again.  She gathers 
facts and solicits advice from those who have information before she 
acts.  That doesn't sound like hubris to me.  Our Hermione is just a 
good old girl geek, and more power to her!