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Symbolism and interpretation
Symbolism and interpretation
Symbolism and interpretation
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For young gals everywhere, literary heroines have become symbols of inspiration, opportunity, and courage in a time where, in spite of how far society has progressed, girls are still undervalued. The characters who exhibit traits of capable leaders are those who these young women admire. It is characters like Hermione Granger from Harry Potter who influence girls is the zenith of exemplary characters in the literary universe. Hermione Jean Granger was born September 19, 1979, to non-magical parents, both of whom were “quite proud” of their magical daughter, although “a bit bemused” by her oddities (Rowling, “2004 Accio Quote”). She is elated upon her acceptance to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and memorizes “all of [their] …show more content…
In just her second year at Hogwarts, she brews a Polyjuice Potion, a concoction used to change the appearance of a witch or wizard. J.K. Rowling says “the fact that Hermione is able to make a competent Polyjuice Potion at the age of twelve is testimony to her outstanding magical ability, because it is a potion that many adult witches and wizards fear to attempt” (“Polyjuice Potion”). Granger, undoubtedly, cares deeply about academics. In “The Sorcerer’s Stone,” when the trio (Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger) is roaming the halls in search of Draco Malfoy to carry out a wizard’s duel, they come across a beastly three-headed dog. Although they manage to escape unscathed, Hermione tells the others, “I hope you’re pleased with yourselves. We could all have been killed—or worse, expelled” (Rowling, “Sorcerer’s Stone,” 162) In “Prisoner of Azkaban,” Professor Remus Lupin uses in one of his …show more content…
Throughout the series, Granger acts as a maternal figure to the trio and to those who do not have the power to defend themselves. Her empathy radiates like no other, touching every lost soul she encounters. In “The Prisoner of Azkaban,” Granger buys a feisty ginger cat that had been in the shop for ages; “no one wanted him,” Granger said (Rowling, 61). Later in the same novel, a classmate, Neville Longbottom, is having difficulty brewing a shrinking potion; despite their professor’s warning that Longbottom should complete his task alone, Hermione Granger helps him avoid failure and embarrassment (Rowling, “Prisoner of Azkaban,”
Women pageant queens think they are supposed to represent the ideal of female beauty. The tomboy is especially associated with childhood and is defined by the girlhood performance of masculinity. As Michele Abate noted, “The traits most Americans are likely to name as constitutive of this code of tomboy conduct include proclivity for outdoor play (especially athletics), a feisty independent spirit, and a tendency to don masculine clothing and adopt a boyish nickname” (Abate). What does it mean to be a boy in children’s literature and the kind of varieties of boys that are represented? J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series typically features a social, educational, and physical dangers of school life that provide opportunities for adventure, mischief, and exploration. This collection of experiences allows boys to enact traditional forms of boyhood while practicing many of adult men’s culture and the ability to plan out schemes. Not all boys in children’s literature fit these conventional models of the physically robust athlete, hearty survivalist, or mischievous bad boy. Children’s literature also includes boys such as Laure in Little Women, who are described as sensitive, saintly, sickly, or effeminate. The literary and popular texts help understand expectations of boyhood and the insight into contemporary constructions of
How Pharr off is Mary Pharr on the significance of the novel about Harry Potter? I believe very far off. I think the argument Pharr makes is not connected to the educational benefits of Harry Potter. Rather she argues the morality presented throughout Harry Potter by saying this is what all readers crave. “In Medias Res” by Mary Pharr is a response to critics’ critical analysis of the Harry Potter (HP) series’ ability to educate readers. After thinking and reading Mary Pharr’s text about the ‘educational value’ has concluded with few, if any educational benefits through Harry Potter. Though these lessons exist they are typically taught by parents not school, not quantitative skills or tools that are typically taught in schools,
However, she is still able to prove herself worthy of the title. As we follow along with her character in the movie, she is not only intelligent, but often times she takes on the role of a leader, as she guides Ron and Harry in the right direction. Also, she has an admirable character development. This can be seen throughout the series as she evolves into a brave, selfless and strong-willed woman. As previously mentioned, most of Hermione's characteristic traits go against the common beliefs that are tied to women as she proves to everyone that she is intelligent, loyal, courageous and is just as good as boys.
“We do!” said Hermione. She had sat up straight, her eyes bright. “We protest! And I’m hunted quite as much as any goblin or elf, Griphook! I’m a Mudblood!”
Over the past few years, there has been various books, films, and even songs about influential, heroic, women throughout the world. Some of the most recent heroic female figures include the fictional character “Hermione Granger” from the novel Harry Potter by J. K Rowling. Another strong female figure includes “Katniss Everdeen” from the novel The Hunger Games by Suzzane Collins. The two heroic women certainly share their differences. Hermoine was described as a bookworm who could be a tad bossy at times. Katniss was athletically inclined, however, lacked certain communication skills with people. Although Hermoine and Katniss have their distinct differences,
The representation of female characters in the work may initially come across as acting irrationally, but closer examination shows that in fact their motivations were guided by contemporary values and therefore are more reflective of more positively portrayed characters.
Due to traditional stereotypes of women, literature around the world is heavily male-dominant, with few female characters outside of cliché tropes. Whenever a female character is introduced, however, the assumption is that she will be a strong lead that challenges the patriarchal values. The authors of The Thousand and One Nights and Medea use their female centered stories to prove their contrasting beliefs on the role of women not only in literature, but also in society. A story with a female main character can be seen as empowering, but this is not always the case, as seen when comparing and contrasting Medea and The Thousand and One Nights.
conceptualizations of gender in literature are situated in a culture and historical context ; the
In a society where the focus on equality amongst different races, religions and sexes continues to grow, it is no surprise that literature has begun to follow suit. Publishers have seen a rise in strong, capable female protagonists who overcome a variety of struggles to save themselves or others and both teens and adults alike rush to get their hands on this material. With such popular literary works to choose from, it seems strange that many schools continue to rely on somewhat archaic material that mistreats and degrades so many women. In John Steinbeck 's Of Mice and Men, for example, the only female character the reader interacts with is treated like a lower-class prostitute who is ultimately killed off due to her seductive behavior. Though Steinbeck 's treatment of women comes mainly from classic gender roles, his portrayal of female characters in Of Mice and Men is
Many critics believe Hermione Granger from the Harry Potter book series by J.K. Rowling is simply a helper on the adventure, while others see her as a heroine all on her own. However, there is a lot of evidence showing she is a hero such as, without her, Harry and Ron would not have gotten as far in their quest if she was not there with them. She is the brains and the observer of the group. They needed her to bounce ideas off of and for her to look around for clues. For example, that time with the three headed dog Hermione was the one who saw the caged door and thought the dog must be guarding something. One thing that influences readers to lean towards the side that she is not a hero only a helper is gender roles. The girl is usually there to give some ideas and be saved while the men of the team are usually the heros. Hermione does in fact possess many heroic traits
girl’s adventure story and boy’s adventure story. Boys normally have more fun, get to go on actual adventures and engage in fights with the bad guys, while the girls are either stuck at home or tag along as support. The article is broken up into several parts, where it looks at gender in terms of numbers, characteristics, behaviours and appearance and depicts the roles of the female characters, as well as the stereotypical image and traits of the male characters. I plan to use this article to help analyze the female characters in Harry Potter and better understand their roles as weak and feminine characters through their actions and appearances. However, this will not be one of my main sources because it focuses on several texts, rather than just the Harry Potter series.
“Girls wear jeans and cut their hair short and wear shirts and boots because it is okay to be a boy; for a girl it is like promotion. But for a boy to look like a girl is degrading, according to you, because secretly you believe that being a girl is degrading” (McEwan 55-56). Throughout the history of literature women have been viewed as inferior to men, but as time has progressed the idealistic views of how women perceive themselves has changed. In earlier literature women took the role of being the “housewife” or the household caretaker for the family while the men provided for the family. Women were hardly mentioned in the workforce and always held a spot under their husband’s wing. Women were viewed as a calm and caring character in many stories, poems, and novels in the early time period of literature. During the early time period of literature, women who opposed the common role were often times put to shame or viewed as rebels. As literature progresses through the decades and centuries, very little, but noticeable change begins to appear in perspective to the common role of women. Women were more often seen as a main character in a story setting as the literary period advanced. Around the nineteenth century women were beginning to break away from the social norms of society. Society had created a subservient role for women, which did not allow women to stand up for what they believe in. As the role of women in literature evolves, so does their views on the workforce environment and their own independence. Throughout the history of the world, British, and American literature, women have evolved to become more independent, self-reliant, and have learned to emphasize their self-worth.
Throughout literature, authors employ a variety of strategies to highlight the central message being conveyed to the audience. Analyzing pieces of literature through the gender critics lens accentuates what the author believes to be masculine or feminine and that society and culture determines the gender responsibility of an individual. In the classic fairytale Little Red Riding Hood, the gender strategies appear through the typical fragile women of the mother and the grandmother, the heartless and clever male wolf, and the naïve and vulnerable girl as little red riding hood.
Stamper, Julie S. Female Characters as Role Models in Young Adult Literature. University of Tennessee.
J.K. Rowling is a very prominent and noteworthy woman. She has influenced people’s lives all around the world, by writing the Harry Potter series of seven books. Rowling has given millions of dollars to charities and she has helped people all over the world enjoy reading. With her major philanthropic efforts of giving to charity or her brilliantly crafted novels, J.K. Rowling is the Dumbledore of the muggle world.