Gender Roles
It is often said that The Harry Potter series changed the lives of a whole generation, taking many through this magical journey that left most readers feeling utterly enchanted. The Harry Potter films have been extremely prevalent and one of the most successful franchises in film history, illustrating the fantasy wizarding world of Harry Potter and his two best friends based on the popular book series by J.K. Rowling. The film series, consisting of 8 movies, follows Harry Potter and his friends Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley as they surmount an uncountable amount of adversities. The Harry Potter films are different from many other franchises because an abundance of characters don’t follow what is viewed as the typical gender …show more content…
Gender roles and stereotypes are very prominent in our society today, they highly influence media and the viewers, but what are actually the definitions of “masculine” and “feminine” behavior? As stated by Lerner (1986) in Patriarchy and Historical Materialism, “Patriarchy is the manifestation and institutionalization of male dominance over women and children in the family and the extension of male dominance over women in society in general” (Farrelly, 2). Masculinity is the idea that men are more powerful than women as a whole, they are more capable and more reliable than a woman. Women are portrayed as more helpless and incapable of completing any tasks on their own, they aren’t made to be strong or useful. As Heidman explains …show more content…
Generally, the male character is viewed as the stronger, braver character. The women are usually portrayed in a way that leaves them constantly frightened and needing the assistance of a male. Hermione Granger defies all of these social norms, in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows she consistently saves Harry and Ron and really becomes their hero. As Harry, Ron, and Hermione venture off into the woods on a dangerous hunt they become aware that a certain amount of protection is going to be needed to keep them alive. Hermione is able to step up and charm their campsite so that no intruders will be able to get to them throughout the night. The precautions she took ended up saving all of their lives, and they owe it all to the sole female in this part of the film. Hermione’s character as a whole negates the gender stereotype that men must be the dominant beings and that women are “inferior to her dominant male” (Farrelly, 6). Furthermore, Ron Weasley is the first to show true signs of weakness while out on this dangerous journey. He reaches a point where he can no longer take the stress of this journey and tells Hermione and Harry that he must return home. “To show signs of fear and worry is something traditionally seen as feminine” (Tsatsa, 15), typically, you
It is often said that The Harry Potter series changed the lives of a whole generation, taking many through this magical journey that left most readers feeling utterly enchanted. The Harry Potter films have been extremely prevalent and one of the most successful franchises in film history, illustrating the fantasy wizarding world of Harry Potter and his two best friends based on the popular book series by J.K. Rowling. The film series, consisting of 8 movies, follows Harry Potter and his friends Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley as they surmount an uncountable amount of adversities. The Harry Potter films are different from many other franchises because an abundance of characters don’t follow what is viewed as the typical gender …show more content…
Gender roles and stereotypes are very prominent in our society today, they highly influence media and the viewers, but what are actually the definitions of “masculine” and “feminine” behavior? As stated by Lerner (1986) in Patriarchy and Historical Materialism, “Patriarchy is the manifestation and institutionalization of male dominance over women and children in the family and the extension of male dominance over women in society in general” (Farrelly, 2). Masculinity is the idea that men are more powerful than women as a whole, they are more capable and more reliable than a woman. Women are portrayed as more helpless and incapable of completing any tasks on their own, they aren’t made to be strong or useful. As Heidman explains …show more content…
Generally, the male character is viewed as the stronger, braver character. The women are usually portrayed in a way that leaves them constantly frightened and needing the assistance of a male. Hermione Granger defies all of these social norms, in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows she consistently saves Harry and Ron and really becomes their hero. As Harry, Ron, and Hermione venture off into the woods on a dangerous hunt they become aware that a certain amount of protection is going to be needed to keep them alive. Hermione is able to step up and charm their campsite so that no intruders will be able to get to them throughout the night. The precautions she took ended up saving all of their lives, and they owe it all to the sole female in this part of the film. Hermione’s character as a whole negates the gender stereotype that men must be the dominant beings and that women are “inferior to her dominant male” (Farrelly, 6). Furthermore, Ron Weasley is the first to show true signs of weakness while out on this dangerous journey. He reaches a point where he can no longer take the stress of this journey and tells Hermione and Harry that he must return home. “To show signs of fear and worry is something traditionally seen as feminine” (Tsatsa, 15), typically, you