Hermione Granger, Feminism In The Harry Potter Saga

Although the roles of hero and villain in the Harry Potter saga fall on two men: Harry and Voldemort respectively, JK Rowling wanted to make sure to leave women in a good place, to show that, although Harry is the protagonist and the thread The conductor of history is not always in the hands of men or boys.

So we have heroines like:

• Minerva McGonagall : a teacher who is characterized by her bravery and intelligence.
• Luna Lovegood : eccentric and quirky, but also bold.
• Molly Weasley : the perfect embodiment of maternal values, fighter and brave, capable of facing anyone in order to defend her own.
• Nymphadora Tonks – Member of the Order of the Phoenix with a “very unladylike” profession – she works as auror (highly skilled magicians who fight the dark arts) for the Ministry of Magic.

• Lily Evans – Harry’s mother who managed to save him from death at the hands of Voldemort.
• Ginny Weasley : shows great intelligence and a great ability for sports, going on to develop a successful career in the world of Quidditch.

Rowling not only introduces us to heroines, but  also to terrible villains like  Bellatrix Lestrange, the crazy and eternal lover of the “dark lord”, capable of sowing chaos and terror, of unscrupulously murdering anyone who interferes in his dark plans.

Although if there is someone more hated than Voldemort himself, it is Dolores Umbridge, a true tyrant in the service of the Ministry of Magic. Umbridge is the embodiment of abuse of power, dictatorship, ambition and unjustified evil.

Each and every one of these characters deserves their special mention, but  the female character that shines above all is Hermione Granger, a character who has become a new icon of feminism, just like Emma Watson, the actress who gives life to her in the films. We have seen it grow, evolve and become a fundamental pillar without which, surely, Harry and Ron would have died in the first book.

Hermione, JK Rowling and their origin

It is easy to find parallels between the characters in the saga and the author, Harry and Rowling share birthdays and Hermione’s patronus is an otter, Rowling’s favorite animal. The patronus is an enchantment that is cast by pronouncing Expecto Patronum , it serves to drive away dementors, but also as a messenger.

Dementors are creatures that suck the soul, who overshadow everything around them, near them the saddest memories will come to our memory, flooding us with negative thoughts and making us vulnerable.

Rowling was inspired by the depression she suffered to describe them and decided to create a powerful spell that would serve to drive them away ; To cast this spell, the wizard or witch must focus all their energy on positive memories, in moments capable of overcoming the sadness evoked by dementors.

If the spell is cast correctly, a strong light comes out of the wizard’s wand that will take the shape of an animal. Each patronus has its meaning, thus, Rowling decided to grant Hermione an otter as a link between the two. In turn, Ron’s patronus is a Jack Russell terrier, a breed of dog known for its tendency to chase and hunt otters.

The otter is associated with feminine energy, emotions and empathy. Hermione is one of the most empathetic characters in the entire Harry Potter universe . He is the character who cares most about the situation of the house elves, creatures that are enslaved by humans and can only be freed if their master gives them an article of clothing.

Not even the wisest characters are capable of empathizing with these creatures; even at Hogwarts, there are house elves who work in the kitchen. Hermione founds her own association to get them out of slavery and sews clothes for them to free them. In this way, we see how Harry’s friend cares about all the creatures of the magical world, about injustices and inequalities.

She herself has lived in her own skin the problem of inequality, of prejudices. She is the daughter of Muggles (non-magical people) and, as a consequence, has suffered the ridicule and insults of some fellow Hogwarts for considering her a “Mudblood”.

His role within the saga

Hermione is present in all the important events of the saga: her role is fundamental. Already in the first book, we noticed that he has great intelligence, that thanks to his desire for knowledge he is able to find solutions to any adversity that may arise. Their ability to see clearly even in the darkest of settings will allow them to solve any enigma, any problem.

In the last book, when Harry, Ron and Hermione have to flee, she makes the worst of sacrifices,  showing her ideals and great courage to be very clear. The war is about to break out, their homes are no longer safe places, Hermione fears that the Death Eaters could harm her family, so she erases the memory of her parents, making them believe that they never had a daughter, without knowing if any day he will be able to return and break the spell.

Likewise, Harry and Ron would have been unable to survive in their escape without Hermione’s help, since it is she who foresees that difficult times are approaching and decides to equip herself with a tent and countless objects that may be of help.

However, Hermione is not perfect either and, although she does not attach too much importance to her physical appearance, she is somewhat insecure and performs a spell that decreases the size of her teeth that were too large and teased.

She is also jealous when Ron begins a relationship with Lavender and becomes irrational, but Rowling wanted Hermione to be a reflection, an example for girls ; Most of us feel insecure at some point, but eventually we find our way.

For this reason, he introduced into the character a small love plot and certain insecurities that make it more realistic, more imperfect. Hermione will also learn to accept herself, to be true to her ideals no matter what others may think.

A more equal future

19 years later, Hermione is the only one of the central trio to have completed her studies and has become Minister for Magic, a position equivalent to that of the Prime Minister in the Muggle world . She is married to Ron and they have two children: Rose and Hugo Granger-Weasley; We do not see this compound surname in the children of other characters such as Harry or Draco Malfoy.

We don’t know why Granger goes first, maybe it’s just alphabetical; But what this seemingly insignificant fact shows is that any change, no matter how small, is important in building a better world.

Both surnames, joined by a hyphen, exemplify a relationship of equality in contrast to the British tradition in which a woman, upon marrying, changes her surname to that of her husband, having her children as the only surname that of the father.

During his stay at Hogwarts, he demonstrated great leadership skills. For example, he created Dumbledore’s Army so that students could learn to defend themselves against Umbridge’s refusal to teach defense spells.

His concern for equality and his sensitivity towards all living beings make us think that, being in command of the Ministry, different years await the Magic World, full of changes, but, above all, more egalitarian and fair for all.

Despite the “impurity” of her blood, she manages to show that, with effort, anything is possible, overcoming a starting point that in many ways harms her. Hermione becomes a good example for women, young women and girls who decide to read the saga; breaks with the stereotype of women linked to the sentimental and opens the way to equality.