Nel Question #9: Gender

[elfundeb]

No: HPFGUIDX 127415

A week late and a topic short -- just gender, not race.  Many apologies.  

First, Dr. Nel's original question:

"When asked why her central character is male, Rowling replied that,
having imagined Harry as the hero, she could not easily change him
into Harriet Potter.  She has also said, 'Hermione is such a good
friend . . . that I don't feel I have shortchanged girls!' (JKR chat
transcript).  However, Donna Harrington-Lueker faults the books for
'subtle sexism,' maintaining that 'none of the girls or women in GoF
escapes shrillness, giddiness or fear.'  Hermione is 'bossy, shrill,
exasperating and meddlesome,' 'the stereotypical good girl who
completes her work ahead of time, chides her friends fro breaking
rules and always has her hand up in class.' Christine Schoefer writes,
'Girls, when they are not downright silly or unlikeable, are helpers,
enablers and instruments.'  Of the professors, Minerva McGonagall is
'stern,' overly 'bound by' rules, and too emotional in a crisis:
Sybill Trelawney is 'a misty, dreamy, dewy charlatan.'  Do you agree
with these analyses?  Do the HP novels uphold stereotypical gender
roles?  Why or why not?  What would the books be like if Hermione was
the central character instead of Harry?"

Reading through past posts, the list members have overwhelmingly
concluded that the articles Dr. Nel cites represent an extreme
position, and virtually no one has endorsed that view.  That doesn't
mean that the topic hasn't been contentious, however, or that readers
have generally been happy with JKR's depiction of female characters.

Additional questions:

1.  It has been said many times on this list that JKR skillfully uses
stereotypes in creating her secondary characters.  Does her use of
stereotypes undercut her assertion of gender equality?  To what extent
do her main female characters conform to or transcend the stereotype?

2.  Hermione has been criticized on this list for sometimes melting in
a crisis, but since OOP a more common criticism has been that she was
too successful to be believable.  What do you think of Hermione's
character?    Has JKR succeeded in drawing a strong yet believable
character?  Are there other examples of strong female characters? 
What about her female characters in traditional roles?

3.  JKR stated in an interview, "Although it is true that you do have
a headmaster as opposed to a headmistress, but that has not always
been the case. As you will find out, there have been equal numbers of
headmistresses."
http://www.quick-quote-quill.org/articles/2000/1000-cbc-rogers.htm  
QTTA and FBAWTFT also mention women ministers of magic going back to
the 14th century.  Do you think the books themselves convey the same
impression of equal representation in education?  In government?

4.  Do you believe the books are male-centered?  Could she have made
the books less male-centered without sacrificing the story?  Is this
important to female readers?  To male readers?  Should it be?

The topic of gender has resurfaced at regular intervals over the
years.  Here are some links.  There are *many* more good posts than
the ones referenced here.  It's quite worthwhile to delve further into
some of these threads.

Initial thread discussing the Salon article begins here:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups-Archives/message/369

Susan McGee on JKR's male identification and its impact on the female
characters http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/3466

Amy Z summarizes a discussion of strong females in HP
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/14852

And Scott does the same
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/15146

Elizabeth Dalton on disappointing female characters
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/33134

David ponders The Sleeping Woman in HP
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/37446

Porphyria on the relative complexity of female characters
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/41330

Emma Hawkes on witches' careers
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/44006

Kneasy on the members' stereotyping
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/84611
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/86706

Ginger on Molly and the mother stereotype
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/125296

And a link to the topics and schedule for the Nel discussion
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/125653

We need a volunteer for the next topic - Snape, scheduled for next
week.  Any takers?

Debbie (hoping at least one Snape fan will volunteer)