A feminist can be defined as someone who believes that all genders, with a focus on men and women, should have equal rights and opportunities. Although there are many people who disagree with feminism, or disagree with popular media’s portrayal of feminism, feminism is and should be regarded by its dictionary definition, in that it is simply a belief that men and women deserve to be treated equally. There are three recognized waves of feminism, all with their own focusses. Feminism is a fairly heavy and highly contested topic, with a lot of critics eager to “expose” authors who do not portray female characters as feminists, especially J.K. Rowling’s Hermione Granger. However, it is important to remember that Hermione Granger is an eleven-year-old
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Hermione could be recognized as a third wave feminist. She puts an emphasis on her gender identity, befriending two boys, which is untypical for a girl that age, and also her gender expression, wearing her “bushy brown hair and rather large front teeth” (Rowling, 112) proudly, and never changing them throughout the course of the novel, despite most likely having the magical ability to. Alexandra Hidalgo expands on this idea in her essay titled Unstoppable Force: Maternal Power and Feminism when she alludes to Hermione being a third wave feminist, but more importantly, she alludes to Hermione having to grow into the part of a third wave feminist, and that who Hermione is in the first book is a person who has the potential to be molded into a feminist (76). This shows that although Hermione does indeed show many feminist qualities at the beginning of the novel, she is still a character who grows and develops throughout the course of the book. By befriending two boys, the reader can infer that Hermione disregards many gender stereotypes, and instead is shown trying to find gender equity. The reader also sees her being proud of her Muggle …show more content…
In her essay “ Because I’m a Girl, I Suppose!”: Gender Lines and Narrative Perspective in Harry Potter, Melanie J. Cordova references Eliza T. Dresang and Elizabeth E. Heilman who regard Hermione’s character as polar opposites, as brave and chivalrous and as bookish yet inconsistently competent, respectively. Cordova then suggests that she views Hermione as misunderstood, as her only representation is through the eyes of a teenage boy (21). Although these are all interesting and insightful points, there is still an argument to be made that Hermione does not necessarily possess one of these character traits, but instead that she possesses them all. There is no need to create such a distinct hierarchal binary for Hermione, a very complex character, to fit into. If Hermione is to truly be a feminist figure then she needs to be able to access all of her emotions equally. There is a high degree of doubt that any feminist critic would expect a male character to never show his emotions as that is unhealthy behavior, so there is no need to apply that standard to Hermione. Because Hermione can be recognized as a third wave feminist, it is even more important to recognize that Hermione showing her emotions in a variety of scenarios is not necessarily feminine behaviour, but that the inverse, not showing emotions, is regarded as masculine. When Hermione opens herself in terms
Hermione could be recognized as a third wave feminist. She puts an emphasis on her gender identity, befriending two boys, which is untypical for a girl that age, and also her gender expression, wearing her “bushy brown hair and rather large front teeth” (Rowling, 112) proudly, and never changing them throughout the course of the novel, despite most likely having the magical ability to. Alexandra Hidalgo expands on this idea in her essay titled Unstoppable Force: Maternal Power and Feminism when she alludes to Hermione being a third wave feminist, but more importantly, she alludes to Hermione having to grow into the part of a third wave feminist, and that who Hermione is in the first book is a person who has the potential to be molded into a feminist (76). This shows that although Hermione does indeed show many feminist qualities at the beginning of the novel, she is still a character who grows and develops throughout the course of the book. By befriending two boys, the reader can infer that Hermione disregards many gender stereotypes, and instead is shown trying to find gender equity. The reader also sees her being proud of her Muggle …show more content…
In her essay “ Because I’m a Girl, I Suppose!”: Gender Lines and Narrative Perspective in Harry Potter, Melanie J. Cordova references Eliza T. Dresang and Elizabeth E. Heilman who regard Hermione’s character as polar opposites, as brave and chivalrous and as bookish yet inconsistently competent, respectively. Cordova then suggests that she views Hermione as misunderstood, as her only representation is through the eyes of a teenage boy (21). Although these are all interesting and insightful points, there is still an argument to be made that Hermione does not necessarily possess one of these character traits, but instead that she possesses them all. There is no need to create such a distinct hierarchal binary for Hermione, a very complex character, to fit into. If Hermione is to truly be a feminist figure then she needs to be able to access all of her emotions equally. There is a high degree of doubt that any feminist critic would expect a male character to never show his emotions as that is unhealthy behavior, so there is no need to apply that standard to Hermione. Because Hermione can be recognized as a third wave feminist, it is even more important to recognize that Hermione showing her emotions in a variety of scenarios is not necessarily feminine behaviour, but that the inverse, not showing emotions, is regarded as masculine. When Hermione opens herself in terms