Hermione
Watching Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, the latest Harry Potter movie just out, made me think about awkward teenage interaction between the sexes. As Potter devotees know, each book (and movie) is another sequential year in the life of Hogwarts, and in particular the lives of friends Harry, Ron, and Hermione. They are now old enough to be noticing the opposite sex, which brings tensions of its own.
Of particular interest to me was Ron’s struggle to get up the nerve to ask someone for a date. How can a guy talk to a gal about something personal, he wonders, when they all go around in packs? Of course, his best female friend, Hermione, is an unnoticed exception to that “rule.” Although Hermione interracts with other females quite naturally, she seems to prefer the company of her best friends Harry and Ron, both males. I’m attracted to the Hermione character and of all the characters in the movie/book, my wife most strongly identifies with her. She’s independent and smart. What a great combination of talent for any gender.
I really like Hermione, too. I was disappointed with how she was portrayed in GoF, though, as she appeared to be constantly on the verge of tears — very emotional.
Yeah, that’s true. I forgave her, though, because the author was trying to show that she had feelings for Ron, and the uncertainty of knowing what Ron’s feelings were for her put her into that understandable conflicted state. Intellectuals have feelings, too, and even they go through puberty. Anger can create tears, too. (Why can’t that dimwitted guy express his true emotions?) Maybe the key words in the last sentence of your comment are “on the verge of.”
Hermione’s very insightful comment at the end of GoF, “Everything is going to change now,” might not only have to do with the rising danger in their world, but also with leaving childhood behind for the uncharted territory of unpredictable hormones.
I hadn’t thought of the ‘everything is going to change now’ comment in that light! Interesting.
I was really referring to the movie rather than the book in my comment. I’ve always liked Hermione a lot in the books. I agree that intellectuals can be emotional too, and that there is nothing wrong with that…it’s just that she was the only one who was very emotional (in the movie), and she appeared that way in just about every scene she was in.