[HPforGrownups] Re: Pansy Parkinson (Was: House characteristics)

[puduhepa98 at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 150658

> >>Betsy Hp:
> > <snip>
> > She also  tends to have more girlfriends than boyfriends, which   
> >  JKR seems to use as a short-cut for either "shallow" or "mean", 
> >  with her female characters.

<snip>
Pansy is described as having a "gang" of Slytherin girls she leads  
around.  Lavander and Parvati are best friends; Cho and Marietta are  
best friends.  All five girls are either shallow or mean or seen as  
lacking somehow.

It's not a written in stone thing, but on the flip  side Hermione's 
best friends are boys, and Ginny doesn't have a female best  friend.  
It's a tone thing, I guess, and frankly I doubt it's anything  JKR 
did on purpose.

<snip>  But it's the *type* JKR is  claiming for Pansy that I have 
issue with.  I don't think she's shown  Pansy in that light.  Not 
enough to be an example of how not to be for  young girls.  

> >>Betsy Hp:
> > But Pansy never  does much to fill the "mean girl" role.
> > <snip>
 
> >>kchuplis
It's an important part of being a "mean girl" type  though.  Pansy 
should, if she's to be that sort of girl, be trying to  date the most 
powerful guy in the school.  She should be trying to  become the most 
powerful girl in the school, and she should be making  Hermione's 
life a living hell.  And... well, she doesn't.

>  >>Quick_Silver:
> She sort of comes across as a female  Peter.

Nikkalmati:
I don't think JKR means that Pansy fills the role of a classic teenage  
"mean" girl with all that comes with that role.  I think JKR meant that  Hermione 
is her own person, who knows who she is and thinks for herself.   Her portrayal 
of Pansy is of a girl who defines herself by Draco, follows  her boyfriend, 
and who would be content to be Mrs. Draco for the rest of her  life - not a 
very high ambition.  JKR would prefer her girls to be more  independent. IMO
Nikkalmati









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