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It is horrifying to me what became of the girl I thought I knew.
If you’ve found yourself nodding along in agreement with
Hermione’s qualities at all, I trust that you see the problem.
I trust that Cas and I weren’t the only ones sitting up and
scratching our heads these last two books.
Previously, you can count on one hand how many times you’ve seen
indecisive and wimpy. She’s not the girl I fell in love with...as
Previously, you can count on one hand how many times you’ve seen
Hermione cry...in Book 7, she never stops crying. She’s
indecisive and wimpy. She’s not the girl I fell in love with...as
fall for
Rowling chose to sacrifice her greatest character for the
popularity of anvils and the predestination of a plotline penned
years before Hermione had a chance to grow into the woman she was.
I say “was” because she was chopped down at the knees before we
got to really see the woman she could have been.
The real Hermione Granger may well have died in the Department of
Mysteries, because it’s hard to recognize her after that. There
are glimpses of her in the seventh book, but few and far between.
Too much focus was thrust on the pissiness of teens confined to a
tent in the wilderness of Britain and the forced relationships
that droned on and on...and on, instead of actual plot
development or the progression of war.
It’s particularly horrifying to me because she is such a huge
role model for girls and young women everywhere. To show them
that true love is the relationship that makes you feel bad and
that the boy who really loves you is the one who doesn’t respect
you, belittles you, makes fun of things you care about and uses
you is a disgrace and a disservice to them.
They should be taught instead that the person who really loves
you treats you well, believes in you when you don’t believe in
yourself, lifts you up when others put you down, and can’t stand
for anyone speaking bad about you, even if that person is you.
They should be shown that true love is the relationship of
equals. Of partners who care more for the other’s well-being than
for their own.
It is a relationship of honesty and trust, not the one riddled
with jealousy and posturing. True love makes you feel good about
yourself, gives you confidence, it would never degrade you, stop
you from growing or leave you when you needed it most.
Real, soul-deep love is shown, not said. It is through their
actions that a person ‘speaks’ their love. They are there for
each other, reliable. They are strong when the other
can’t be, they calm each other down, direct each other to the
right path and support each other no matter how many wobbles and
pratfalls one or the other make.
To imply that someone as intelligent and independent as Hermione
would stoop to the level of the slacker, non-driven Ronald
Weasley is simply unbelievable.
Or maybe this is a testament to just how insecure Hermione is...
that her opinion of herself is so low, that she thinks she
deserves to be treated the way Ron treats her. That she would
believe that he really loves her when all he does is put her down.
The only way he can muster the brainpower to treat her well is
because of book! Not because it’s his natural inclination to care
for her, worry after her, provide comfort for her, compliment
her. No! A book told him that girls like that...
If you’ve found yourself nodding along in agreement with
Hermione’s qualities at all, I trust that you see the problem.
I trust that Cas and I weren’t the only ones sitting up and
scratching our heads these last two books.
Previously, you can count on one hand how many times you’ve seen
indecisive and wimpy. She’s not the girl I fell in love with...as
Previously, you can count on one hand how many times you’ve seen
Hermione cry...in Book 7, she never stops crying. She’s
indecisive and wimpy. She’s not the girl I fell in love with...as
fall for
Rowling chose to sacrifice her greatest character for the
popularity of anvils and the predestination of a plotline penned
years before Hermione had a chance to grow into the woman she was.
I say “was” because she was chopped down at the knees before we
got to really see the woman she could have been.
The real Hermione Granger may well have died in the Department of
Mysteries, because it’s hard to recognize her after that. There
are glimpses of her in the seventh book, but few and far between.
Too much focus was thrust on the pissiness of teens confined to a
tent in the wilderness of Britain and the forced relationships
that droned on and on...and on, instead of actual plot
development or the progression of war.
It’s particularly horrifying to me because she is such a huge
role model for girls and young women everywhere. To show them
that true love is the relationship that makes you feel bad and
that the boy who really loves you is the one who doesn’t respect
you, belittles you, makes fun of things you care about and uses
you is a disgrace and a disservice to them.
They should be taught instead that the person who really loves
you treats you well, believes in you when you don’t believe in
yourself, lifts you up when others put you down, and can’t stand
for anyone speaking bad about you, even if that person is you.
They should be shown that true love is the relationship of
equals. Of partners who care more for the other’s well-being than
for their own.
It is a relationship of honesty and trust, not the one riddled
with jealousy and posturing. True love makes you feel good about
yourself, gives you confidence, it would never degrade you, stop
you from growing or leave you when you needed it most.
Real, soul-deep love is shown, not said. It is through their
actions that a person ‘speaks’ their love. They are there for
each other, reliable. They are strong when the other
can’t be, they calm each other down, direct each other to the
right path and support each other no matter how many wobbles and
pratfalls one or the other make.
To imply that someone as intelligent and independent as Hermione
would stoop to the level of the slacker, non-driven Ronald
Weasley is simply unbelievable.
Or maybe this is a testament to just how insecure Hermione is...
that her opinion of herself is so low, that she thinks she
deserves to be treated the way Ron treats her. That she would
believe that he really loves her when all he does is put her down.
The only way he can muster the brainpower to treat her well is
because of book! Not because it’s his natural inclination to care
for her, worry after her, provide comfort for her, compliment
her. No! A book told him that girls like that...
| Conclusion |
It’s the idea that a brilliant, beautiful young woman who is
strong and resilient could not recognize what amazing qualities
she possesses and subject herself to an abusive relationship is
deeply upsetting to the both of us and not a very good moral to
teach anyone of any age group.
All you see of Hermione in this book is her tears over Ron or
some such thing. Gone is the powerful, efficient leader. We don’t
get to see the powerhouse Hermione was until the end of Book 5.
All that’s left is an emotional, irritable, sobbing mess.
That is not forward momentum, folks. Characters, as well as real-
life people (though it’s harder to notice in real time), move
constantly forward. They are irresistibly drawn to become more
mature, more aware, more knowledgeable. Not get stuck in reverse!
So the complete degradation of Hermione’s character has to be a
deliberate choice. Now, who’s choice it was is the question...Did
Hermione lose herself in the telling? Or did Rowling knowingly
sacrifice her?
It seems to us to be the latter. Hermione was sacrificed to
appease anvil-slinging fans. And notice, that in Books 6 & 7,
Hermione’s role is severely limited.
She distances herself from the boys in Book 6. And towards the
end of Book 6 and throughout Book 7, Ginny is made to take the
focus. This even cuts into Harry and Hermione not behaving
towards each other the way they always have.
Ginny comes out of nowhere to take precedence over the true main
female character, Hermione. Hermione is shoved aside and
ridiculed by both Weasley’s in Book 6. And again in Book 7,
neither Harry nor Hermione take care of each other the way they
have done in every book besides these last two.
In Book 5, they clung to each other after evading Centaurs. Harry
threw himself over Hermione to protect her from arrows and,
earlier, from Grawp. In Book 4, Hermione walks Harry through
every step of the Triwizard Tournament, it can even be argued
that she’s the true Champion.
In Book 3, he frets to see her so worn and saves her from
Dementors. She saves Sirius with him and turns in his Firebolt,
sacrificing the one thing that kept her sane...his friendship. In
Book 2, though she is unconscious, her information gives Harry
what he needs to save the day.
And, finally, in Book 1, they teach each other what friendship
means.
In Book 6, Harry lets Hermione get mauled by MacLaggen and
Hermione lets Harry get drugged chocolates. In Book 7, Hermione
doesn’t comfort Harry the way she naturally does previously, she
just lets him brood and talks about him behind his back, and
Harry thrusts some blankets at her after she chooses to risk her
life by staying by his side.
But none of this is suspect...it’s all great storytelling?
Don’t think so. But then again I must be delusional.
strong and resilient could not recognize what amazing qualities
she possesses and subject herself to an abusive relationship is
deeply upsetting to the both of us and not a very good moral to
teach anyone of any age group.
All you see of Hermione in this book is her tears over Ron or
some such thing. Gone is the powerful, efficient leader. We don’t
get to see the powerhouse Hermione was until the end of Book 5.
All that’s left is an emotional, irritable, sobbing mess.
That is not forward momentum, folks. Characters, as well as real-
life people (though it’s harder to notice in real time), move
constantly forward. They are irresistibly drawn to become more
mature, more aware, more knowledgeable. Not get stuck in reverse!
So the complete degradation of Hermione’s character has to be a
deliberate choice. Now, who’s choice it was is the question...Did
Hermione lose herself in the telling? Or did Rowling knowingly
sacrifice her?
It seems to us to be the latter. Hermione was sacrificed to
appease anvil-slinging fans. And notice, that in Books 6 & 7,
Hermione’s role is severely limited.
She distances herself from the boys in Book 6. And towards the
end of Book 6 and throughout Book 7, Ginny is made to take the
focus. This even cuts into Harry and Hermione not behaving
towards each other the way they always have.
Ginny comes out of nowhere to take precedence over the true main
female character, Hermione. Hermione is shoved aside and
ridiculed by both Weasley’s in Book 6. And again in Book 7,
neither Harry nor Hermione take care of each other the way they
have done in every book besides these last two.
In Book 5, they clung to each other after evading Centaurs. Harry
threw himself over Hermione to protect her from arrows and,
earlier, from Grawp. In Book 4, Hermione walks Harry through
every step of the Triwizard Tournament, it can even be argued
that she’s the true Champion.
In Book 3, he frets to see her so worn and saves her from
Dementors. She saves Sirius with him and turns in his Firebolt,
sacrificing the one thing that kept her sane...his friendship. In
Book 2, though she is unconscious, her information gives Harry
what he needs to save the day.
And, finally, in Book 1, they teach each other what friendship
means.
In Book 6, Harry lets Hermione get mauled by MacLaggen and
Hermione lets Harry get drugged chocolates. In Book 7, Hermione
doesn’t comfort Harry the way she naturally does previously, she
just lets him brood and talks about him behind his back, and
Harry thrusts some blankets at her after she chooses to risk her
life by staying by his side.
But none of this is suspect...it’s all great storytelling?
Don’t think so. But then again I must be delusional.
| Teil Drei |
| The Ultimate Harry Potter Analysis Source |
| Choosing what is Right over what is Easy |
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