A Review of "Hermione Granger Saves the World"

The first Harry Potter book was published over twenty years ago and has since blossomed into a cultural and historic phenomenon, so much so that it can be difficult to even comprehend the massive impact the series created. Not only did it make reading an enjoyable, exciting activity for kids all over the world, it became a series that nearly every child had read. In fact, Pottermore, the ultimate source for all things Harry Potter, reports that on average, 1 in 15 people own a Harry Potter book! Though the last Harry Potter movie premiered in 2011, the franchise is still very much alive and relevant. The series not only has its own Broadway show (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child), but also its own amusement park as well as a never-ending stream of merchandise. In 2018, over 10 million people visited The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios, proving that the nearly decade-old film phenomenon still lives on. The series has even become popular among scholars who have offered up critiques of the story's themes, motifs, and characters. Such an analysis comes in the form of a collection of essays titled Hermione Granger Saves the World: Essays on the Feminist Heroine of Hogwarts. The collection is comprised of eleven essays that each analyze Hermione with respect to her image as a feminist icon. This review critiques the first essay in the collection: "The Flimic Heroine" by Julie Alexander.

Some may have a difficult time reconciling the feminism of Harry Potter with the fact that the series features a white male lead. In the first essay of Hermione Granger Saves the World, Julie Alexander seems to subscribe to this school of thought. Throughout her essay, Alexander tries to force Hermione into the lead role, repeatedly providing evidence for why she is actually the leader of the main trio, despite Harry being the "Chosen One." To Alexander, if Hermione is the lead, then Harry Potter can truly be a feminist series. However, what Alexander seems to be missing is that Hermione does not have to be the central character in order for the story to be feminist. Alexander herself points to an interview with author J.K. Rowling where she explained that the main character of the series is a boy because that is how the idea came to her. Had she tried to force herself to make Harry's character a girl, the story would not have been as organic. Yes, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is wonderfully feminist because Hermione is so crucial in the quest to save not only the two main boys but also a fantastical creature named Buckbeak and Harry's godfather, Sirius Black. However, the story does not lose its feminism when Hermione falls to what Alexander refers to as "the sidelines." When Hermione is not physically involved in the main action, she is often in the library, looking for answers to the group's latest problems. When Harry is front-and-center (because he is, after-all, the main character), Hermione is providing emotional and intellectual support for him. Even if Hermione is not the central character, she is still necessary to the story, and her intelligence, kindness, and friendship make her a wonderful feminist icon.

Alexander also rightly argues that Hermione serves as a "protector" of Harry and Ron, particularly in The Deathly Hallows, but interestingly, she suggests that "the protector" is a traditionally masculine role. What Alexander wants the reader to believe is that when Hermione takes on this traditionally masculine role of protector, she is emphasizing that a woman can occupy any role or sphere. While I would normally agree that it is an incredibly feminist act for a woman to take on a role that is typically "masculine," the image of the protector as male does not comply with the Harry Potter universe's concept of protector. The very story of Harry's life rests on the concept of "the protector" being feminine; while James Potter dies fighting Voldemort, Lily Potter is the one who sacrifices her life physically protecting Harry. A young Ginny is the one who stands up to Lucius Malfoy in Diagon Alley, telling him to leave Harry alone despite the presence of her brother, Ron, and other male figures. Molly Weasley and Professor McGonagall are the ones who use their vast knowledge of protection spells to secure Hogwarts before the final battle with Voldemort. It is even Molly, rather than one of the six remaining Weasley men, who protects Ginny from Bellatrix during the battle. Meanwhile, Ron's attempt at protecting Hermione from Draco's insults results in him vomiting slugs. Hermione's role as "protector" is not uniquely feminist or feminine, but that does not detract from her being a feminist icon. Rather, Hermione's participation in this rich history of female protectors further enhances the image of Hermione as a feminist warrior.

In her quest to force Hermione into the role of "the true protagonist," Alexander seems determined to force Harry out of this role, turning him into someone who is decidedly not a feminist. While Harry does have his moments that bring his "feminism" into question (such as continuously using the word "shrill" to describe women throughout the series), his reverence of Ginny's strength and Hermione's intelligence express that he in no way harbors a hatred of powerful women. Despite his fame and skill for fighting the Dark Arts, Harry never believes himself to be superior to Hermione, Ginny, or any of his female counterparts. However, Alexander goes as far as to say that, in The Deathly Hallows, Harry "commands Hermione to give him her wand" in exchange for his wand that she accidentally damaged as they were escaping Voldemort. Hermione and Harry are both understandably upset to find the wand damaged, knowing it was a crucial tool in the battle against Voldemort. Though Harry is frustrated, he quickly contains his anger and tells Hermione to go inside the tent to keep warm, saying, "Leave me your [wand]." Because Harry is the one keeping watch, he is the one in need of the wand at the moment. His request for her to leave the wand is not a command borne out of the belief that he is superior to Hermione but a way of separating himself from her before his emotions overcome him. Where Alexander sees Harry's confiscation of Hermione's wand as him stripping her of her power, it is actually Harry placing the burden of the situation back onto himself, giving Hermione a well-earned break. It is a reminder that Harry is the true main character and that, despite the help of his two best friends, he bears the responsibility of defeating Voldemort. Furthermore, Hermione does not lend Harry her wand because she is obeying a command but because she feels remorse over accidentally destroying his wand. To suggest that Hermione lends her wand to Harry because he has "commanded" it strips Hermione of the iconic feminist image that Alexander is trying to reinforce.

The focus Alexander chooses to place on the filmic version of Hermione is an important one. As Alexander points out, of the other essays in the collection, "none deal specifically and exclusively with movie Hermione." While book fans often cling to the hope that the film will be impeccably true to the series, only improving aspects where the story falls short, the reality is that directors and screenwriters do take artistic liberties. Such was the case with how the movies adapted Hermione for the screen. As Quinn Curio points out in her video essay, "Explaining What Went Weird with Ron Weasley," Steve Kloves, the screenwriter for all but one of the Harry Potter films, has a particular affinity for Hermione. This favoritism often leads to Hermione sapping the good lines or plot points while characters like Ron end up becoming mere comic relief. Kloves wanted to force Hermione into the role of lead character, and while she still does not attain that title, Alexander intelligently realized what was happening. In the books, the three main characters each have their own talents and flaws which ultimately balance them out, making them equal. Harry is not the main character because he is the most intelligent, the most skilled in magic, or the strongest of the three but because, as the "Chosen One," he has the most interesting story. However, when Kloves adds to Hermione's strength, giving her lines or scenes that were originally Ron's, he puts her out of balance with the other characters, making her virtually flawless. Alexander's analysis of the filmic Hermione is important because it draws attention to Kloves' depiction of Hermione. While it would be difficult to argue that book Hermione is the flawless main character when she irrationally refuses to apologize to Ron when her cat kills his rat, Scabbers, it is easy to side with her in the movie where this conflict is downplayed. In the book version of The Deathly Hallows, when Hermione damages Harry's wand, Harry says, "Well, I'll just borrow yours for now, then. While I keep watch." This reaction is starkly different from movie Harry's response that Alexander critiques as a "command." In fact, Harry's harsher phrasing, "Leave me yours," makes the reader feel more sympathetic to Hermione, almost as if Kloves intended to make his favorite character more likable than the main character.

While Alexander's attempts to force Hermione into the role of "protagonist" are somewhat unsuccessful, her general idea of Hermione's status as a feminist icon is completely valid. The support Hermione offers Harry throughout the series, whether emotional, physical, or intellectual, makes her crucial to the plot of the story. Furthermore, her role as "protector" solidifies her status as a feminist icon, placing her amongst wonderfully powerful women such as Lily Potter and Minerva McGonagall. Alexander's trained focus on the filmic Hermione as opposed to book Hermione offers a unique perspective of the heroine that many do not consider. The films' depiction of a stronger, more likable, sympathetic Hermione makes it easier for her to take the place of "protagonist." However, when Ron's character is made less likable and more disagreeable, it throws off the balance of the three characters, throwing Harry into even starker contrast, despite Hermione's sudden likability. While Alexander has tremendous and valid points throughout her essay, it is still difficult to consider Hermione, even the filmic version, the main protagonist.