In defense of Hermione (was: Almost normal)

[phoenixgod2000]

No: HPFGUIDX 115438


Sophierom:  
> Although she learns important social lessons in the first few 
> books, she's still learning about how to interact with others.  
> <snip> She tries to force others to accept her values, and
> while I believe that she really does have something to teach the
> wizarding world (racism and discrimination are stupid and cruel,
> whether it comes in the form of muggle-killings, mistreatment of 
> house elves, or epithets like mudblood), she does it in the wrong
> way.  She seems to realize that the forced approach won't work by
> OotP, but she goes on another wrong path by trying to manipulate 
> the house elves. She obviously has more to learn in this matter, 
> but she is, after all, a socially awkward 15 year old.  I'd be 
> surprised if she had it all figured out.  


I agree with everything you say up till this point.  One of my 
peeves with book five (and there were many) was the way Hermione was 
able to lecture Ron and Harry on the nature of the female mind.  I 
just don't buy that a socially awkward fifteen year old would have 
that much insight into another person's mind while Ron and Harry were 
almost comically clueless.  Harry I could understand, but Ron?  This 
is the guy with a huge family and probably large extended family as 
well.  How many times did Bill or Charlie bring their girlfriends 
over?  How much interaction has Ron seen and overheard?  The answer 
is probably a lot.  I would have like to have seen Ron bust out with 
the advice that he may have heard from Bill or Charlie about women.  
Because a little brother not asking his older brothers about women?  
Not happening.  Instead we get Hermione.  A girl who's never had a 
boyfriend, doesn't talk with her dorm mates, doesn't seem to 
socialize with other houses, and spends all her time in the 
library.  And I am supposed to believe that she gets nuances in 
social relationships.  Not so much.

To me it seemed liked Hermione was the mouthpiece of JK as she 
lectured 'those clueless boys'.  I've taught High School and Middle 
school and if it's one thing I've learned it's that girls don't have 
any special insight that boys somehow lack.  Just doesn't happen.  I 
actually thought it was a little sexist to assume that boys are as 
clueless as she portrayed them. 

 
> <snip>  By OotP, she's not throwing this advice in his face; she's
> actually trying to tell him politely, even timidly: "Looking 
> frightened yet determined," Hermione tells Harry, "This isn't a 
> criticism, Harry! But you do 
 sort of 
 I mean – don't you think
> you've got a bit of a – a – saving people thing [italics]?" (OotP, 
> Am. ed., 733).  


Another thing that irritated me!  That was about the dumbest thing 
Hermione could have said.  If Harry hadn't had a saving people thing 
then she would have died in her first year with that very impressive 
brain of hers splattered on a trolls club.  There are a thousand 
different things that she could have said to him that could have 
gotten across the point of slow down and think without being 
obnoxious.  That whole scene was more an example of her lack of tact 
because honestly I think she did more harm than good there.


> I'm not a major shipper, but IMHO, we should hope Ron does not escape 
> Hermione, as Kneasy suggests.  


I think Ron wants a woman like his mother for some inexplicable 
freudian reason and Hermione wants to take care of someone.  They're 
made for each other.

Phoenixgod2000