Wanted! Complex Female Adult Character: (was:Re: ESE!McGonagall...

[dumbledore11214]

No: HPFGUIDX 164667

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "phoenixgod2000" <jmrazo at ...> 
wrote:
> Betsy, I agree with you post completely!(I don't feel right, quick,
> say something nice about Snape or Draco)  But I would go even a 
step
> further. This is a story about a boy without a father, and 
ultimately,
> how Harry deals with his unresolved father and the other men in his
> life is far more important than how he deals with the women in his
> life. At least in my opinion.
> 
> And I have made the point before, but I'll make it again.  rather 
than
> worry about the women, I worry about what I think is the very real
> lack of strong male/father characters in the story.
<SNIP>

Alla:

Oh, good to see you back even temporarily. Me too, me too to every 
word of your post. Just take a look at how Lily's sacrifice and 
James sacrifices are distinguished even in interview, hehe.

Lily is still a Saint, etc. But I have to say though I completely 
agree that **all** father figures in HBP have multiple flaws, while 
mothers in JKR's views are not ( well, Lily and Molly anyways), I do 
think that men are written better - much more flawed but better. IMO 
of course.

> Julie:
> I never said nor think that JKR "owes" us well-developed female
> characters, I just pointed out that the male characters are for
> the most part more well-developed and multi-layered than the 
> female characters (especially the adult ones). <SNIP>

Alla:

And I never said that you said that, LOL. I asked a question that I 
had in mind based on general feeling after reading this thread. But 
yes, agreed that males are written better, no questions about it.

Although as somebody said previously, even while she is not adult, I 
think Hermione is very well done.


> Julie:
> Again, it's more curiosity for me about why JKR made the
> choices she did. I do believe she has every right to
> focus more thought and time on characters she likes to
> write best without being labeled sexist for it. It doesn't
> stop me from wanting more for the less developed 
> characters however ;-)


Alla:

I believe that reader has an absolute right to expect the things to 
happen in the story and dislike the story if it does not, I am just 
not sure how readers unfulfilled expectations necessarily translate 
into bad story ( and no, you did not say that, it is a very general 
statement, not even just for this thread).

Although reader interaction with the text sometimes does create a 
new story, hehe. 

JMO,

Alla.