Sample Blog Post #3: The Strength of a Woman: Feminism in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Now, in no way do I condone violence, but trust me, he had it coming.

In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, our three main characters go through the changes that come with becoming teenagers while battling the idea of a looming magical war that could start at any minute by a maniacal evil dark lord.

BUT today we are talking about the role of the women in the series and especially in this book. Our main female character is the one and only Hermione Granger.

Emma Watson as Hermione Granger

      Hermione is the ultimate student. She's smart, she's witty and she's beautiful and she seems to be extremely magical in this particular book as she's taking almost every class in the school and somehow managing to complete all her assignments and still find time to hang out with Ron and Harry.
Let me start by saying something controversial: I am NOT a feminist. Yes, women can be women and not be feminists BUT I do believe in equitable treatment of men and women. Emma Watson is a self-proclaimed feminist  and her role as Hermione definitely highlights that in the following ways:

#1: She breaks all the stereotypes.

In book one, she's seen as a little nerdy and almost a prude, but as we get to know her character, she demonstrates that she is not a one-sided, static, generic representation of women. She is as smart as she is beautiful; she is as fun as she is serious and she doesn't allow her actions to be dictated by her male counterparts. In fact...

#2 She's the boss

Harry and Ron would be nothing without her. It is her intelligence and quick-wittedness that saves them 100 times over and they voluntarily run to her in times of need. It never comes across as her being overbearing, and in this text in particular, she guides them through the past (they went back in time) and ended up saving their lives. Hermione is NO damsel in distress here!

#3 No sappiness included

One of the biggest issues in Feminist criticisms is that of the "male gaze" and how women seem to always be seen as sexual objects and love interests in literature and film alike. Hermione is never portrayed as such. She is often described as "the cleverest witch in Harry's year" (Rowling 5) and her physical description is mostly about her "very bushy hair". Love interests rarely are discussed in Harry Potter in general, but Hermione only ever has romantic affiliations with Ron much later in the series. She is never downplayed or criticized as being too weak, too "feminine" or incapable of doing any of the feats she does, simply because she's a woman.

Clearly, Hermione is more than just clever, she's a beacon for supporters of feminism and a refreshing example of powerful fictional characters.