Session Information
HPEF - Prophecy 2007 Conference
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Conjuring Her Self: Hermione's Self-Determination in Harry Potter
Track : August 3, 2007
Program Code: 150
Date: Friday, August 3, 2007
Time: 11:00 AM to 11:50 AM  EST
Location: Lower Concourse Grand Ballroom West
SPEAKER :   Click the plus sign to see more detailed information about each speaker.
Description
In classic children's literature, a female protagonist, though the center of the story, does not exhibit agency; rather, power is acted upon her by a male hero. Feminist children's literature, however, empowers the protagonist to be her own hero. Though Harry Potter may not present itself as feminist literature, I contend that Hermione Granger is the books' only girl feminist. She separates herself from other models of girlhood, such as the silent, passive, and superficial girl stereotypes, to formulate her own authentic character. These stereotypes reveal the extent to which the magical world reflects the actual state of society: the wizarding community is not a utopia of gender equality but a reflection of our non-fictitious world. Through Hermione's manipulation of common narrative tropes and subversion of expectations of femininity, Hermione creates her own construction of girlhood. As a result, she emerges as the most self-actualized character in the series.