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

[hickengruendler]

No: HPFGUIDX 164700

Alla: 
> 
> I believe that for example her adding up the portraits of 
> Headmistresses to be in the same area as DD speech in OOP. I 
believe 
> that she wanted to defend herself, etc. I wish she would not. I do 
> not see WW as modern society at all. I think that if she wanted to 
> write about patriarchal society, because it suits her story better, 
> she should have been strong enough to stick to it.
> 
 
Hickengruendler:

I am not sure about this. After all, two of the four Hogwarts 
founders were women. Granted, it are the two of the less important 
houses (for the storyline, I mean), but still. The wizarding world is 
a society, where witches could found schools even more than a 
thousand years ago. Therefore it does not seem very patriarchal in 
it's roots. I guess it's one reason, why I was not suprised by the 
female ministers and headmistresses, who suddenly appeared everywhere 
starting with OotP. To me, they fit in this world and the picture I 
made about it in the first four books, even if we met only male in 
important roles.

About strong female characters: Frankly, I think the problem is, that 
JKR and some of her readers have a different opinion about what a 
strong female character is. Prior to even the release of GoF she was 
asked, why she didn't include some strong female characters in the 
books, and she at once mentioned McGonagall and Hermione. I think she 
sees McGonagall as a strong female character, because McGonagall is a 
very capable witch, with a forceful personality and lots of spice 
behind her somewhat frosty exterior. While the readers mean with 
strong female characters well layered femeale characters (actually, I 
think McGonagall is pretty well layered, more so than Sirius or 
Dumbledore, but I have found out long ago, that I'm in the minority 
with this), and really conflicted one, with a thrilling past or many 
different sides. So I don't think JKR ever lied about including 
strong female characters, she just has a different opinion about what 
a strong female character is.

Hickengruendler