Rewriting OoP; some gender & SHIP replies

[pennylin]

Hi --

Hoping this reply isn't too stale ------- I've been out of town.  I like the idea of a fun rewrite of OoP and have no preference as to whether it's a few pages or a chapter at a time.  Jim, the "dark and stormy night" opening belongs in Book 6 according to John Granger.  For those of you who didn't see his talk at Nimbus on Alchemy & Doppelgangers, the hot, dry weather in the opening of OoP was in keeping with the alchemical stage of the 5th book, the "black stage" IIRC.  Granger says to look for it to be cool and wet (rainy) on Privet Drive in the opening pages of Book 6 (as we move into the "white stage").  

I said:
>> I fail to see how any reader could have expected Rowling to 
do more with Hermione than she already has.  What more could 
she have done with Hermione's character than she has?  As this 
is indeed new information to me, I'm genuinely curious as to 
what the arguments might be.   <<

Pippin responded with:

<<<<<<<<Hmm...well, I defer to your knowledge of the fandom, but I 
thought I detected, in the initial commentary after OOP, and from 
what I've heard there was a similar reaction to GoF,  a 
disappointment  that Hermione hadn't developed a passion for 
something besides books and House Elves.>>>>>>>>

Well, I'll defer to your knowledge about what the fandom is saying post-OOP.  I haven't been following HPfGU very closely at all.  It's just that Rowling herself has proclaimed her belief that Hermione is a strong character and this comports with my own thoughts.  And, almost all the scholars who have addressed the gender issue have concluded that Rowling's depiction of gender is positive and overall strong, most especially when evaluating Hermione and McGonagall.  That one salon.com commentator .......Christine ??? who wrote the piece entitled "Harry's Girl Trouble" definitely had issues with Rowling's gender stance, but I could certainly have refuted all her points underlying her arguments.  IOW, I don't think she had a strong position.  Eliza Dresang's piece in the Ivory Tower book is much more on-point, IMHO.   

Pippin:> 
> <<<<<<Also you'll note that Harry  left Hermione during the fight 
> with the DE's. When she was unconscious and defenseless, it 
> was Ron who stayed by her side, paralleling Book One where 
> Hermione leaves Harry and goes back to tend the 
unconscious 
> Ron.>>>>>>>>>>>>
> 
Me:
> You mean the Ron who was babbling nonsense because he 
was being choked by the brains?  Him?  I don't know that he 
*chose* to remain by Hermione so very much.  <snip> <<<

Pippin: <<<<<Neville tells Harry that he thinks Ron is all right, that he was
still fighting the brain when Neville left. He later tells Lupin
again that Ron is all right. So Neville has left Ron alone to fight 
off thebrain and defend the unconscious Hermione, and Ron, 
despite being damaged, does so successfully. 

When Harry chases Bella back through the Brain Room after 
Sirius dies,  he leaps over Luna, who is groaning on the floor, 
Ginny,who, by the sound of it has just come to, Ron who giggles 
feebly, and  Hermione who is still unconscious. So at this point, 
Ron has  fought off the brain, apparently single handed and has 
stayed with the unconscious Hermione all through the fight in the 
Death Chamber.>>>>>>>>>>>

Well, er.......okay.  But, isn't Ron also defending Ginny and Luna?  It's not as though Ron and Hermione are alone, after all.  I also just don't believe he made any conscious choices in this scenario either.  

Penny


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