[HPforGrownups] Stereotypical Sexism (was Re: Stereotypes, Sexism & Masterful Writing Reviewed)

[Silverthorne Dragon]

No: HPFGUIDX 88375

}Spang said}

I think JKR perpetuates this silly notion that beauty and brains do not
reside together, that intelligent girls do not or should not care about
beauty or if we take the Bellatrix example, beauty might actually be evil
because it is used in power game


{Anne Repsonded}

Or else she uses beauty as more of a statement than anything else--and not
necassailry in a sexist way. Note that in the examples you sited, there was
a specific reason for the woman's beauty (or lack thereof) to be noted.

(Warning, working off memory here, and don't have the books in my
lap...again...:P)

Hermione, for instance...the only time we're really asked to look at her
'beauty' is when the potion that makes her teeth grow too large comes into
play....when she goes to Pomfrey to get them fixed, she actaully has the
woman (unknowingly)  shrink them to a smaller size than they were originally
so that she's no longer buck-toothed. Although it acknowledges that Hermione
didn;t like her buck teeth, and wanted to look 'prettier' by doing away with
them, it doesnt really state whether she's drop dead gorgeous, pretty,
plain, OR ugly. And other than a breif description of her looks in book one,
that's the only nod to her 'looks' that we get--but there's no text to
support (that I remember) that she's either plain OR ugly....perhaps
average, but then most people are average in looks--so there's really no
point in belaboring the fact, including writing out how many 'hours'
Hermione may or may not spedn in front of the mirror each morning to 'look
good'. Now, if Hermione does ti to catch someones attnetion at the school
dnace in the next two books, then we're likely to see more of her 'beauty',
if only to emphasis how good she;s trying to look for her current interest..

Cho is obviously pretty (pretty enough to catch Harry's attention for a book
and a half in fact), but I would hardly call her a 'Bimbette'. She seems to
be young, intelligent...and you can't really blame her  for moping around in
book 5--Cedric meant a LOT to her, and everyone deals with grief
differently. Her way was to shut off in most things and dwell on Cedric.
Perhaps a little self-absorbed, but that hardly qualifies as 'bimbette'
material.

The half-veela girl (Sorry, no book, no name...^^;) from Beaubaxtons is also
pretty, and sure, she seems a bit flightly--but is that because of her
looks, or her upbringing and/or nature as a half-veela? Also, all we really
see of her is bits and pieces--hardly enough evidence to 'prove' that she's
a 'bimbette'...(although certinaly old enough to like the guys...and knows
that looks work very well on them often enough)...add to that Maxine--who
although a half-gaintess, comes across as a 'handsome', if not 'beautiful
woman--and certianly no bimbette by any measure (She even has the sense
Hagrid, poor chap, seems to be lacking much of the time...)

The only student that stands out as 'ugly' is Millicent Bulstrode, who is
described as ox-like often enough, due to her size and less than pretty
face--but in her case, her looks seem to be there to match her
attitude--bul(ly)ish, strong, and eager for a fight with other non-slyth
kids.

Bellatrix seems to more of an example than a standard--rather, actually in
the Japanime tradition (If I may be so bold)--in which stunning beauty hides
a stunning ugliness (and/or evil) within. Over time though, whether by
choice or circumstance, the 'ugly' always wins out, unveiling itself at the
last turn of the story when the good and the bad battle it out--just as it
did for Belle. Once stunning, her beauty has been wasted away by time, the
ministrations of the Dementors in Azkaban, and her own inner nature finally
coming to the fore--making her truly as ugly as her soul by the time we see
her at the end of book 5.

Other than a few other women (Molly's 'frumpiness' is perfectly natural for
a middle-aged woman with a lot of children to look after), Rowling actaully
avoids physcial descriptives as a rule, or so I believe, and relies more on
their personality and actions to see them through. 'Beauty' or "ugliness' is
barely given a nod...unless it is a core part of that character--even her
nod to James and Sirius seems to be more of a 'these guys were so cute, the
girls couldn't help but stare' sort of thing--and when we see Sirius in
current times, much of his 'beauty' is also gone--a victim of time and
circumstance, much as Belle's was. So as far as the 'look' factor goes, I
don't think it's that she's reverting to sexism...she's using it as a
statement for certain characters.

Anne