Background Noise: back to before, ragtime
Last website visited: subversive feminism in harry potter? um... what?
Mood: waking up
Right now i want... more mint tea
I wasn't actually going to mention the Harry Potter and Feminism Editorial posted over at mugglenet today. Because, quite frankly, i disagree with most of the points Trixstar (m/f/a?) makes. I don't believe Rowling's characterizations of women who are educated and independent while still having an emotional center is an exercise in subversive feminism; it is simply her view of reality, and a healthy one at that. And having a large number of people, women especially, line up to kow-tow to the idea that being independent is an abnormality - radical, even - is hideous to me.
I was going to give up on the whole discussion until i saw the following argument posted by a sixteen year old girl who stood up to defend Rowling:
Let me repeat that: "That would never happen on a child's playground or in the apple computer building." This young lady stood up to say that every person, male or female, is never always strong or independent, whether you are eleven at recess or an adult - working at Apple. She needed an example of a group of people who were highly educated, strong, determined, and independent and she picked Apple Campus.
She nailed it on the head: we, as human beings, are never always supposed to always be strong, or perfect, or feel any emotion that isn't positive. Even if we work at Apple.
Sometimes i forget what an honor and responsibility it is to work at a company as visible as Apple. I'm still smarting from the smack in the face i got when i realized the dissonance between my responsibilities and how i have behaved today.
Sometimes it takes an idealistic teenager to remind me what a self-indulgent moron i am.
Last website visited: subversive feminism in harry potter? um... what?
Mood: waking up
Right now i want... more mint tea
I wasn't actually going to mention the Harry Potter and Feminism Editorial posted over at mugglenet today. Because, quite frankly, i disagree with most of the points Trixstar (m/f/a?) makes. I don't believe Rowling's characterizations of women who are educated and independent while still having an emotional center is an exercise in subversive feminism; it is simply her view of reality, and a healthy one at that. And having a large number of people, women especially, line up to kow-tow to the idea that being independent is an abnormality - radical, even - is hideous to me.
I was going to give up on the whole discussion until i saw the following argument posted by a sixteen year old girl who stood up to defend Rowling:
Rowling is giving her readers a taste of a normal society. Honestly, wouldn’t it be a bit abnormal if all the girls are emotionally strong, determined and independent? That will never happen not on a child’s playground or in the apple computer building.
~DarkRose, 16.
Let me repeat that: "That would never happen on a child's playground or in the apple computer building." This young lady stood up to say that every person, male or female, is never always strong or independent, whether you are eleven at recess or an adult - working at Apple. She needed an example of a group of people who were highly educated, strong, determined, and independent and she picked Apple Campus.
She nailed it on the head: we, as human beings, are never always supposed to always be strong, or perfect, or feel any emotion that isn't positive. Even if we work at Apple.
Sometimes i forget what an honor and responsibility it is to work at a company as visible as Apple. I'm still smarting from the smack in the face i got when i realized the dissonance between my responsibilities and how i have behaved today.
Sometimes it takes an idealistic teenager to remind me what a self-indulgent moron i am.
posted by Jane at 4:49:00 PM
1 comments
Post a Comment
1 Comments:
Trixstar's article doesn't make much sense to me; it screams "I've been thinking about this wa-a-ay too much." Isn't the whole point of Harry Potter that it's about stereotypical people? The basic appeal is that even if you're a normal kid living a dull or hideous life, you too might actually be the chosen one and grow up to become a powerful wizard.
Rowling - like George Lucas - isn't an especially gifted writer, but both of them had some key insights into how to make compelling fiction. In Rowling's case, it's mainly her deft handling of dialogue and understanding of what childrens' concerns really are which makes the books effective (at least through the third book, after which the series goes off into la-la land).
But analyzing the series for feminist import seems to miss the point. It's a deeply traditional sort of story, about outsiders wanting to grow up to become insiders (as most kids do). The true outsiders of the series tend to be... the villains.