Thursday, May 31, 2012
Discussion Post: Harry Potter's Girl Trouble
Chase Fowler
Schoefer’s evaluation of the women of Harry Potter was well thought out but ultimately failed to understand why the characters are written in that way. She does acknowledge that Hermione is a book worm and is intelligent because of it but she also sees this as a drawback because she’s always studying. I find that intriguing that she views someone who would prefer studying as opposed to breaking every rule Harry and Ron do as a drawback. She then bring up Ginny who is always stammering and blushing around Harry. She then goes on to talk about how she made a mistake when she started writing in the cursed diary which led to her being under it’s influence. This is where I believe Mrs. Shoefer really loses touch with the story.
The series is a coming of age story. The story is about these kids growing up and learning lessons along the way. Hermione is a book worm because she is at the school to learn but her studying always comes in handy when they’re in a pinch. Ginny is a young girl with a crush, that’s how most young people act when they have a crush on someone. And yes she did make a mistake when she started writing in the diary but that’s the point of growing up, you learn from your mistakes.
Her analysis of the teachers had me more annoyed than anything. How she was flustered with McGonagall because she didn’t act like Dumbledore was just mislead. McGonagall is not Dumbledore, she’s meant to be his opposite. Dumbledore lets the rules slide while she upholds them. The fact she was upset that she wasn’t more like Dumbledore in that respect was bewildering to me.
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I could not have agreed with you more. I felt that she was more focused on the fact of "sexist". These are only stories that are for children to enjoy reading. When children are reading they are not ripping apart the book and analyzing every character. Books are a way to use the imagination to take you on a journey.
ReplyDeleteVery well put! Christine Schoefer focused merely on all the negative factors related to the female characters. Hermione is more then just a book worm, she achors the youthful female character. She is Harry Potter's female counterpart where Ron is Harry's male counterpart. Together, all three make the team. Equal but diverse parts, Harry with the adventurous lead, Ron with the comic relief and Hermione with her wisdom.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the statement of "McGonagull is not Dumbledore, she is meant to be his opposite." It also another way of distributing powers or responsibilities, comparative to the checks and balances of the legal system but in magic form.
The books were written for enjoyment and perhaps the analyzation of the series is Christine's form of enjoyment.