Hermione's career

[jwcpgh]

No: HPFGUIDX 80972

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, B Arrowsmith 
<arrowsmithbt at b...> wrote:
> 
> What can one say about Hermione? Bright, motivated, idealistic and 
> bloody dangerous.
> 
> I have a slight suspicion  that you might find the final 
description 
> somewhat contentious.
> 
> Me, I'm a cynical old fart, steeped in disillusion, disappointment 
and 
> distrust of idealists. Hermione is just the type I try and  keep my 
> distance from. Unfair? Only partly, and only partly an exaggeration 
on 
> my  part.
> 
> Bright, we won't argue with. She's demonstrated that often enough.
> 
> Motivated, now. Motivated to do  what? She works really hard  in 
class and in exams; but with what end in view? None, apparently.
<snip> 

> SPEW perhaps. Well, first she's got to show she knows what she's 
> talking about. So far that's not been so. <snip> In this crusade 
she has jumped to conclusions, refused suggestions to think about it 
a bit  more and has received no support, even from such as 
Dumbledore, the apparent epitome of compassion.  Dobby, Winky and 
Kreacher think she's wrong. As do the Hogwarts Elves. As does Hagrid, 
who seems to love every creature  around.
> 
> There has to be a reason. We don't know it, Hermione doesn't know 
it, but it's going to deflate a lot of highly developed principles 
when it comes to light. <snip> Hermione is heading for a fall, like 
many a bright teenager who think they  have a monopoly on 
interpretation of social structures.
> 
> I don't trust idealists. All too often the  ends justify the means.
> And they rarely listen. They know they have all the answers when 
often they haven't considered what the question really is. Sure, 
Wilberforce and Elizabeth Fry did a great job banning slavery 
wherever the British Navy could reach. But they didn't do it like 
Hermione, they got the facts first. They tempered idealism with 
practicality and accurate information.
 <snip>

Laura:

If I may paraphrase Sirius, reading between the lines, mate, I'd 
guess you're not fond of Hermione.  <g>

But really, I think you're being awfully hard on a 15 year old girl.  
Most of the people I knew as teenagers were burning idealists (okay, 
this was the late 60's, but still).  And they've learned over the 
years to work in the real world.  Isn't it better to start out with 
some vision of the way you think the world could be better and change 
the way you work to bring that about than not to have any vision at 
all?  I agree that if Hermione were 35 and still acting the same way, 
she would be not only unpleasant to be around but ineffective as 
well.  But she's got lots of time to learn.

I suspect you're right about the house elf situation-there may well 
be more there than meets Hermione's eye.  But if it turns out she's 
wrong about their status, that will be a very important lesson for 
her to learn-as you say, make sure you've done your prep work before 
you charge off.  And better to learn it at school than later, when 
she could, indeed, do some real damage.

Not to get overly personal, but did you know what you wanted to do 
with your life when you were 15?  I sure didn't.  Hermione's drive 
for knowledge is motivated by 2 things:  her continuing awareness of 
her shaky status as a muggle-born in the WW, and her simple desire to 
learn.  The girl loves learning!  Harry loves Quidditch, Neville 
loves herbology, Fred and George love creating practical joke 
products, and Hermione loves soaking up as much knowledge as she can 
find.  More power to her for it, I say.  





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