So, last Saturday, I was sitting in the break room at work, reading that book I had about fantasy cinema music. Speaking of which, it's a fascinating book and I'd love to buy a copy so that I could mark it up an annotate it, I might have to look into that at some point. Anyway, I was reading through that at Jacob, one of the guys I work with, was sitting on the other couch, so we got to talking and he asked why I was reading it. So I started telling him what I was working on over the summer and he asked why I was so interested in Harry Potter.
Long story short, it lead to me defending my hatred of Snape again Jacob and some other guy telling me that he had a reason for his behavior. I've already ranted about Snape multiple times so I won't bore you with that, but by the end of the conversation, they both said that they would never again try to debate about the Potterverse with me.
I would just like to point out that I have never had a debate about Harry Potter that didn't end in the other party conceding that I was more knowledgeable in the subject. I mean, it's useless knowledge but I'm still lowkey proud of it.
Showing posts with label harry potter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label harry potter. Show all posts
Monday, June 13, 2016
Thursday, May 26, 2016
How nerdy am I?
So, you know the Potter project I'm working on this summer? Well, I'm doing some really broad research, just trying to see what kinds of papers have been written about the Potterverse. I don't want to put hours of time and effort into this paper just to find out that it's already been written. Thankfully, I haven't found anything close to what I'm doing yet, though I'm sure that at least someone has written about it.
Anyway, I was doing my research and I found an article from a book that was analyzing the score of the films. The entire book had articles like that, analyzing fantasy cinema and scores. So I requested the book through the school library just because it sounded like a really fun read.
That's how nerdy I am.
Anyway, I was doing my research and I found an article from a book that was analyzing the score of the films. The entire book had articles like that, analyzing fantasy cinema and scores. So I requested the book through the school library just because it sounded like a really fun read.
That's how nerdy I am.
Thursday, May 19, 2016
Summer Projects
I don't know if I've mentioned this or not, but this summer I'm pursuing a few personal academic projects. One of these is a research project looking at the portrayal of mental illnesses in the Harry Potter series.
Basically, I'm arguing that a stigma exists around mental illnesses in the Potterverse, and characters who display mental illness symptoms are seen as weak. I'm focusing on Harry and how he displays a lot of symptoms of depression, including self-harm tendencies and suicidal thoughts.
My argument will mainly focus on books 4-7, but books 1-3 may set up why Harry develops these problems. Anyway, my first step is to read through the series and mark it up. I have colored tabs denoting the different aspects of mental illnesses, like depression, suicide, child abuse, etc.
Anyway, the whole point of this post is to say that I've finished the Sorcerer's Stone. I've tabbed and annotated it and taken notes about specific points. I'm relieved that I've finally made progress on it, so now it's just to get through the rest of the books, hopefully by the end of the summer.
Basically, I'm arguing that a stigma exists around mental illnesses in the Potterverse, and characters who display mental illness symptoms are seen as weak. I'm focusing on Harry and how he displays a lot of symptoms of depression, including self-harm tendencies and suicidal thoughts.
My argument will mainly focus on books 4-7, but books 1-3 may set up why Harry develops these problems. Anyway, my first step is to read through the series and mark it up. I have colored tabs denoting the different aspects of mental illnesses, like depression, suicide, child abuse, etc.
Anyway, the whole point of this post is to say that I've finished the Sorcerer's Stone. I've tabbed and annotated it and taken notes about specific points. I'm relieved that I've finally made progress on it, so now it's just to get through the rest of the books, hopefully by the end of the summer.
Wednesday, April 13, 2016
Time for me to be super arrogant.
because I'm going to brag for a moment because I'm proud of myself. Long story short, in my Potter class on Tuesday morning, we were discussing want loyalty and all the changing allegiance in the last book, and people were asking why Harry didn't get some one's wand every single time he disarmed someone.
I thought about this and proposed the idea of intent. As Bellatrix said, you have to mean the unforgivable curses, and I think the same rule applies to every spell. If you disarm with the intent of taking away some one's power, dominating them, and making them vulnerable, then the wand will change allegiance. If, however, you disarm them from an academic standpoint (Dumbledor's Army practiced expelliarmus) or from the desire to protect yourself (The trio stunning Snape in PoA), then I think the wand will likely not change allegiance.
So, take that idea and couple it with the notion of wands being a phallic symbol, a symbol of power, domination, and subjugation of someone because of you. So, making someone vulnerable, taking their wand, their phallic symbol, without their consent, do you see where I'm taking this? I think an interesting analysis can done looking at spells, intent, consent, and the sexual/sexual assault parallels that can be drawn form it.
Anyway, I was torn between writing about that or writing about my self-harm analysis for my second paper, so I emailed my teacher. She said, and I quote, "while I suspect you would write the best paper about mental illnesses, I KNOW you would write the best paper about wands and intent. If you're conflicted, I would go with the wands."
So yeah, I came up with a cool theory and my teacher said I would write the best paper about it and I am happy.
I thought about this and proposed the idea of intent. As Bellatrix said, you have to mean the unforgivable curses, and I think the same rule applies to every spell. If you disarm with the intent of taking away some one's power, dominating them, and making them vulnerable, then the wand will change allegiance. If, however, you disarm them from an academic standpoint (Dumbledor's Army practiced expelliarmus) or from the desire to protect yourself (The trio stunning Snape in PoA), then I think the wand will likely not change allegiance.
So, take that idea and couple it with the notion of wands being a phallic symbol, a symbol of power, domination, and subjugation of someone because of you. So, making someone vulnerable, taking their wand, their phallic symbol, without their consent, do you see where I'm taking this? I think an interesting analysis can done looking at spells, intent, consent, and the sexual/sexual assault parallels that can be drawn form it.
Anyway, I was torn between writing about that or writing about my self-harm analysis for my second paper, so I emailed my teacher. She said, and I quote, "while I suspect you would write the best paper about mental illnesses, I KNOW you would write the best paper about wands and intent. If you're conflicted, I would go with the wands."
So yeah, I came up with a cool theory and my teacher said I would write the best paper about it and I am happy.
Friday, April 1, 2016
Harry and Ginny: The Nopest of Parings
I do not like the Harry/Ginny paring.
Not a bit.
Simply, I think it's too convenient. It's his best friend's sister, which is a terribly overdone trope, but I can let that slide. Or rather, I could, if there was any chemistry between them at all. I mean, the books show them together a lot, but before Half-Blood Prince, there's nothing but Ginny's twelve year-old obsession with him. It just comes out of nowhere. Now, book Ginny is a total bamf, but that doesn't mean she and Harry make a good couple.
And for the love of fuck, do not even get me started on the films. FUUUUUUUUCK. She literally feeds him a pie shit thing, the fuck? And then she bends down to tie his shoe?? What the actual fuck. Like, was that suggestive, since she was then at the perfect height to suck his dick? I don't get it. And then there's the kiss in the Room of Requirement and Harry's god awful horse lips.
Nope.
I'm out.
Not a bit.
Simply, I think it's too convenient. It's his best friend's sister, which is a terribly overdone trope, but I can let that slide. Or rather, I could, if there was any chemistry between them at all. I mean, the books show them together a lot, but before Half-Blood Prince, there's nothing but Ginny's twelve year-old obsession with him. It just comes out of nowhere. Now, book Ginny is a total bamf, but that doesn't mean she and Harry make a good couple.
And for the love of fuck, do not even get me started on the films. FUUUUUUUUCK. She literally feeds him a pie shit thing, the fuck? And then she bends down to tie his shoe?? What the actual fuck. Like, was that suggestive, since she was then at the perfect height to suck his dick? I don't get it. And then there's the kiss in the Room of Requirement and Harry's god awful horse lips.
Nope.
I'm out.
Tuesday, March 1, 2016
"Deep down, you know you deserve it, don't you?": A Brief Alanysis of Self-Harm Issues in "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix"
(Wow, two posts in one day. Clearly I'm really procrastinating)
It's been a while since I've read OotP (Order of the Phoenix) and as such, I've noticed a lot of new things as I've read it this time around. One of the new insights I've gained concern "Emo Harry" as he's commonly referred to in this book.
The main point is that Harry, especially in the beginning of this book, is severely depressed. First of all, he went through an incredibly traumatic experience, seeing Voldemort rise, and he is then almost completely cut off from his support group. Ron and Hermione do write to him, but there letters are very shallow and carry no information. The exclusion from the only society that made him feel safe and then he is shunted into a place were he is emotionally and verbally abused.
Another thing laying the foundation was the Dememtor attacks. We know that those creatures are a parallel for depression and we also know that they affect Harry on a more extreme level than most other people. So you have those aspects when he is attacked, and you also have the fact that he has no chocolate afterword aka he's not given proper treatment for a person coming out of a heavy depressive episode
Then, we see all the signs of depression. Harry goes through moments of anxious activity, pacing and constantly writing letters and hoping for information; he also has spells of heavy lethargy, lying on his bed all day, unable to even get up to turn the light on as the day becomes the evening. Then we have his moods. When he first arrives in Grimmaud and during his stay there, we often see him swing from unenthused indifference to extreme aggression within a paragraph or two. However, all this is simply laying the groundwork for the self-harm to come later.
When Umbridge gives Harry detention, she makes him carve words into his skin as he writes lines. Allow me to repeat myself. Umbridge causes Harry to cut into his own skin. That is more or less the definition of self-harm. Of course, there are other methods of self-mutilation, but cutting one's skin is the most common method. So we have Harry sitting there repeatedly slicing into his own skin. Yes, he is in detention and being forced to do it, but this is a parallel, not a part of the plot...if that makes sense.
One of the strongest pieces of evidence that this is supposed to relate to self-harm are Umbridge's remarks to Harry and his reaction to the punishment. After his first session, she says, "Deep down, you know you deserve this, don't you, Mr. Potter". Or it's incredibly close to that. I don't have the book on hand, but I'm willing to bet that, if anything, I'm less than two words off on that quote.
Anyway, that's something that can be seen as very indicative of self-harm. People who harm often feel, on some level, that the reason they hurt themselves is because they have done something in their life to deserve this punishment. We also see Harry continue to go back and subject himself to this pain, again like people who harm.
The other big thing that proves this parallel is his reaction to the punishment. His first instinct is to hide what is really going on from Ron and Hermione. The reason for this, he says, is because he is ashamed and he does not want to see the worry and concern in them. Again, relative to people who harm. They often hide their addiction because they are ashamed of what they are doing to themselves and they do not want the people they care about to know of this perceived "weakness".
The final proof I have his Harry's continued denial of his problem. When Ron calls him out and asks what's wrong with his hand, Harry continues to claim "Nothing - It's a scratch", which are quite literally words that I have heard from people who self-harm. The continued shame and denial of his problem, even when his best friend is confronting him face to face is incredibly similar to 'interventions' those who self harm. It's also important to note that once he does tell Ron and eventually Hermione, he feels incredibly relieved and they not only do not abandon him, but they help him to find remedies for his injuries.
Depression is a big theme in the Potter series and especially in this book, and it is my belief that Rowling is using this to make a comment on the stigmas we, as a society, still hold in regards to mental illness and self-mutilation.
It's been a while since I've read OotP (Order of the Phoenix) and as such, I've noticed a lot of new things as I've read it this time around. One of the new insights I've gained concern "Emo Harry" as he's commonly referred to in this book.
The main point is that Harry, especially in the beginning of this book, is severely depressed. First of all, he went through an incredibly traumatic experience, seeing Voldemort rise, and he is then almost completely cut off from his support group. Ron and Hermione do write to him, but there letters are very shallow and carry no information. The exclusion from the only society that made him feel safe and then he is shunted into a place were he is emotionally and verbally abused.
Another thing laying the foundation was the Dememtor attacks. We know that those creatures are a parallel for depression and we also know that they affect Harry on a more extreme level than most other people. So you have those aspects when he is attacked, and you also have the fact that he has no chocolate afterword aka he's not given proper treatment for a person coming out of a heavy depressive episode
Then, we see all the signs of depression. Harry goes through moments of anxious activity, pacing and constantly writing letters and hoping for information; he also has spells of heavy lethargy, lying on his bed all day, unable to even get up to turn the light on as the day becomes the evening. Then we have his moods. When he first arrives in Grimmaud and during his stay there, we often see him swing from unenthused indifference to extreme aggression within a paragraph or two. However, all this is simply laying the groundwork for the self-harm to come later.
When Umbridge gives Harry detention, she makes him carve words into his skin as he writes lines. Allow me to repeat myself. Umbridge causes Harry to cut into his own skin. That is more or less the definition of self-harm. Of course, there are other methods of self-mutilation, but cutting one's skin is the most common method. So we have Harry sitting there repeatedly slicing into his own skin. Yes, he is in detention and being forced to do it, but this is a parallel, not a part of the plot...if that makes sense.
One of the strongest pieces of evidence that this is supposed to relate to self-harm are Umbridge's remarks to Harry and his reaction to the punishment. After his first session, she says, "Deep down, you know you deserve this, don't you, Mr. Potter". Or it's incredibly close to that. I don't have the book on hand, but I'm willing to bet that, if anything, I'm less than two words off on that quote.
Anyway, that's something that can be seen as very indicative of self-harm. People who harm often feel, on some level, that the reason they hurt themselves is because they have done something in their life to deserve this punishment. We also see Harry continue to go back and subject himself to this pain, again like people who harm.
The other big thing that proves this parallel is his reaction to the punishment. His first instinct is to hide what is really going on from Ron and Hermione. The reason for this, he says, is because he is ashamed and he does not want to see the worry and concern in them. Again, relative to people who harm. They often hide their addiction because they are ashamed of what they are doing to themselves and they do not want the people they care about to know of this perceived "weakness".
The final proof I have his Harry's continued denial of his problem. When Ron calls him out and asks what's wrong with his hand, Harry continues to claim "Nothing - It's a scratch", which are quite literally words that I have heard from people who self-harm. The continued shame and denial of his problem, even when his best friend is confronting him face to face is incredibly similar to 'interventions' those who self harm. It's also important to note that once he does tell Ron and eventually Hermione, he feels incredibly relieved and they not only do not abandon him, but they help him to find remedies for his injuries.
Depression is a big theme in the Potter series and especially in this book, and it is my belief that Rowling is using this to make a comment on the stigmas we, as a society, still hold in regards to mental illness and self-mutilation.
Tuesday, February 23, 2016
So, I gave my English teacher a new Harry Potter theory.
As we all know, I am full-frontal Harry Potter trash. And, we all may all know that I have been hardcore stressing out about this paper I'm writing for the Harry Potter class I'm taking this semester.
Anyway, here's the big news:
I had a theory. I emailed my teacher about said theory. She replied and told me that she had never heard this theory.
I repeat:
I PRESENTED A TOPIC TO A HARRY POTTER SCHOLAR THAT SHE HAD NOT PREVIOUSLY HEARD
I am actually so fucking happy about this right now. Also, I just learned that I have to write two papers for this class instead of just the one. So, I can look at my topic exploring the Hogwarts houses and also give her this amazing new topic.
I'm very happy right now.
Anyway, here's the big news:
I had a theory. I emailed my teacher about said theory. She replied and told me that she had never heard this theory.
I repeat:
I PRESENTED A TOPIC TO A HARRY POTTER SCHOLAR THAT SHE HAD NOT PREVIOUSLY HEARD
I am actually so fucking happy about this right now. Also, I just learned that I have to write two papers for this class instead of just the one. So, I can look at my topic exploring the Hogwarts houses and also give her this amazing new topic.
I'm very happy right now.
Tuesday, February 9, 2016
Fight Me
Okay. When it comes to Harry Potter, I get hella defensive. Like, if some bitch tries to act like she knows more than me, I'm willing to smack a bitch down both verbally and physically, if need be.
Which ties nicely into my story. So, there's this girl in my Potter class that is absolutely pissing me the fuck off. I can't tell if she's read the books before or not, but I don't think so. She asks the dumbest questions, but that's not why I'm pissed.
So, here's what happened. In short, I made a comment about how a scene with the Veela promoted a heteronormative culture because only men were affected by these creatures. This girl got so defensive and interrupted me and said "Well, we were only seeing the people Harry was around, so maybe we just didn't see it." Which would have been fine, but I went on to talk about how we never see any women affected by these creatures and
This bitch
Scoffed at me.
I just kind of looked at her for a moment.
Then, and this is the good part, a few moments later she said two of the dumbest things. A) She forgot who Dean Thomas was and called him the "Black minor character". Bitch! He's a secondary character. Minor my ass. B) She didn't know how the Riddles were killed or who killed them. So the whole class, including Dr. Beth, said that Tom killed them with magic...cause he's a fucking wizard. And she, get this, she said that she didn't think that's what happened.
I actually laughed. I know I'm being petty about this, but this motherfucker is trying to step to me while being so unbelievably thick, I just can't deal.
Which ties nicely into my story. So, there's this girl in my Potter class that is absolutely pissing me the fuck off. I can't tell if she's read the books before or not, but I don't think so. She asks the dumbest questions, but that's not why I'm pissed.
So, here's what happened. In short, I made a comment about how a scene with the Veela promoted a heteronormative culture because only men were affected by these creatures. This girl got so defensive and interrupted me and said "Well, we were only seeing the people Harry was around, so maybe we just didn't see it." Which would have been fine, but I went on to talk about how we never see any women affected by these creatures and
This bitch
Scoffed at me.
I just kind of looked at her for a moment.
Then, and this is the good part, a few moments later she said two of the dumbest things. A) She forgot who Dean Thomas was and called him the "Black minor character". Bitch! He's a secondary character. Minor my ass. B) She didn't know how the Riddles were killed or who killed them. So the whole class, including Dr. Beth, said that Tom killed them with magic...cause he's a fucking wizard. And she, get this, she said that she didn't think that's what happened.
I actually laughed. I know I'm being petty about this, but this motherfucker is trying to step to me while being so unbelievably thick, I just can't deal.
Tuesday, February 2, 2016
Harry Potter and The Poorly Argumented Article
As you might know, I'm taking a Harry Potter class this semester. Over the weekend, we had to read a paper titled "Harry Potter and The Magical World of Patriarchy". Basically, Christine Schoefer, the author, promotes the idea that the Potter series is anti-woman. I'm not going to go into a tom of detail about her arguments, but I'll attach the article. It's a bit over two pages long, so definitely give it a read if you have just a few moments.
I was really curious to know whether or not her point of view changed, so I did a search (Google, of course) and I actually found her blog. I wrote her an e-mail asking her what evidence she had to back her claim and if her opinion ever changed. I'm really excited to see if she e-mails me back and what she says. If she does, I'll totally post her reply.
Addemdum: I realized I cannot upload a file, so I'm going to cite and past the article below.
Harry Potter and the magical world of patriarchy. By: Schoefer, Christine, New Moon Network, 10835970, Mar/Apr2000, Vol. 7, Issue 4
I was really curious to know whether or not her point of view changed, so I did a search (Google, of course) and I actually found her blog. I wrote her an e-mail asking her what evidence she had to back her claim and if her opinion ever changed. I'm really excited to see if she e-mails me back and what she says. If she does, I'll totally post her reply.
Addemdum: I realized I cannot upload a file, so I'm going to cite and past the article below.
Harry Potter and the magical world of patriarchy. By: Schoefer, Christine, New Moon Network, 10835970, Mar/Apr2000, Vol. 7, Issue 4
Believe me, I tried as hard as I could to ignore the sexism. I really wanted to love Harry Potter. But I couldn't.
FOUR FACTORS MADE ME GO OUT and buy the Harry Potter books: their impressive lead on the bestseller lists, parents' raves about Harry Potter's magical ability to lure kids into marathon reading sessions, my daughters' clamoring, and the mile-long waiting lists at the public library. Once I opened The Scorcher's Stone, I was hooked. Glittering mystery and nail-biting suspense, compelling language and colorful imagery, magical feats juxtaposed with real-life concerns all contributed to making this book a page-turner. Of course, Diagon Alley haunted me, the Sorting Hat dazzled me, Quidditch intrigued me. Believe me, I tried as hard as I could to ignore the sexism. I really wanted to love Harry Potter. But I couldn't. At the risk of being labeled a heavy-handed feminist with no sense of humor, I feel compelled to issue a warning: reading Harry Potter may be detrimental to your child's conception of women and girls.
Harry's fictional realm of magic and wizardry perfectly mirrors our patriarchal world in terms of power structures, relationship dynamics, and behavior cliches. From the beginning, it is boys and men, wizards and sorcerers who catch our attention by dominating the scenes and determining the action. Harry, of course, plays the lead. In his epic struggle with the forces of darkness--the evil wizard Voldemort and his male henchmen--Harry is supported by the venerable good wizard Dumbledore and a colorful cast of male characters. Girls, when not downright silly or dislikable, are helpers, enablers, and instruments. No girl is heroic the way Harry is, no female figure is permitted to play on the side of evil. But, you interject, what about Harry's good friend Hermione--isn't she a main character? After a long struggle for his acceptance, Hermione becomes Harry's sidekick. Their relationship reminds me of Dennis the Menace and Margaret's: Hermione is a smart goody-goody who annoys the boys by constantly reminding them of school rules. Early on, she is described as "a bossy know-it-all," hissing at the boys "like an angry goose" Halfway through the first book, when Harry rescues her with Ron's assistance (she freezes, "her mouth open with terror" before she "sinks to the floor in fright"), the hierarchy of power is established. Hermione repays the boys with her complicity--she lies to cover up for them.
True, Hermione is the smartest student at Hogwarts, but there is something pathetic about her. Maybe it's the way she works so hard to get Harry and Ron's approval and respect, in spite of the boys' constant teasing and rejection. Maybe it's the fact that she has no girlfriends, but then, there don't seem to be any girls at Hogwart's School of Magic worth her attention. (A good affirmative action program would do wonders for the school--and the book.) Maybe it's the fact that, again and again, her emotions interfere with her intelligence. When it comes to applying her knowledge, she loses her head. Although Hermione casts successful spells for the boys, she messes up her own and consequently hides in the bathroom with cat fur on her face. Maybe it's because in the end, her knowledge and her effort can never hold a candle to Harry's glorious, rule-defying courage.
Even though Hermione eventually earns the boys' begrudging respect and friendship, her thirst for knowledge remains a constant source of irritation for them. And who can blame them? Hermione, whose nose seems stuck in books, is no fun. She may not be hung up on her looks, but her relentless studying has the all characteristics of a disorder: it makes her ill-humored, threatens her health, and renders her oblivious to her surroundings.
Ron's younger sister, Ginny, who can't help blushing and stammering around Harry, fares even worse than Hermione. "Stupid little Ginny" unwittingly becomes the tool of evil, when she writes into a magical diary. For months and months, Voldemort's agent tells us, "the foolish little brat" confides "all her pitiful worries and woes--how her brothers tease her... how she didn't think famous good great Harry Potter would ever like her..." to these pages. We are told that "it's very boring, having to listen to the silly little troubles of an eleven-year old girl." (my italics).
The male characters join the all-important struggle between good and evil. Women as well as the girls seem so distracted by the small matters at hand and so caught up in their emotions that they lose sight of the bigger picture. Without exception, the girls shriek, scream, gasp, and giggle (in the presence of boys) in situations where boys retain their composure.
This description of guests in the Leaky Cauldron pub sums up the author's valuing of male and female: there are "funny little witches," "venerable looking wizards" who argue philosophy, "wild looking warlocks," "raucous dwarfs," and a "hag" ordering a plate of raw liver. Where would you like to fit in? rest my case.
But I remain perplexed that a woman, the mother of a daughter, could, at the turn of the 20th century, write a book so full of subtle and bold misogyny. And I am troubled by my daughters' willingness to ignore these stereotypes. Surely, it is girls' ability to mentally morph into boy's characters that enables them to enjoy the story. True, this practice conditions our mental dexterity, perhaps even our empathic ability. But boys, who are never expected to read "girls' books" (meaning books that feature a female protagonist) don't seem to require this kind of training.
I remember well my own realization, as a teenager, that the characters with whom I had identified were all male. Literary female role models were few and far between. I have no doubt that slipping into the role of the male hero, which required that I both abdicate and trivialize female life experience, interfered with my ability to shape a strong identity as a girl and a woman.
After wondering for a while how to cushion the impact of Harry Potter's messages for my daughters, who are happily devouring the books as I write, I decided to take the risk of spoiling their fun by telling them the story of this "book review." They listened intently but I could sense their resistance. Of course, they agreed with me that Harry (and even Ron) was much more exciting than Hermione, but it had not occurred to them that they could be bothered by that fact. Without my years of study and experience to school their critical perception, they simply took the book for what it was--an exciting story that existed without a larger social and cultural context. They slipped into the characters and situations they liked best, never stopping to consider how much smoother the fit might be if they got to love the female characters.
Certainly, my comments didn't stop them from reading the books, or mitigate their appreciation of them. "Sometimes," my 10-year-old explained to me, "I think about what you said. But mostly, I just enjoy the story." My 12-year-old nodded her agreement and wondered why a mother of a daughter would choose to write so positively about a Harry instead of a Peggy. But I'm left wondering.
On the one hand, I'm glad that their ability to appreciate stories is not so easily spoiled. For what would there be left to read if they avoided all literature with gendered stereotypes? But on the other hand, I do hope that I have planted a seed--a seed of awareness and critical ability that will blossom into a search for images (and realities) of strong, creative, and vital girls and women, and of boys and men who are not threatened by them.
Book guides for girls
Try one of these guides if you're looking for books featuring strong girls and women.
The Mother-Daughter Book Club: How Ten Busy Mothers and Daughters Came Together to Talk, Laugh, and Learn Through Their Love of Reading, by Shireen Dodson, HarperCollins, 1997
Once Upon A Heroine: 450 Books for Girls to Love, by Alison Cooper-Mullin and Jennifer Marmaduke Coye, Contemporary Books, 1998
Great Books for Girls: More Than 600 Books To Inspire Today's Girls and Tomorrow's Women, by Kathleen Odean, Ballantine, 1997
A few good books for girls
Climb or Die, by Edward Myers, Hyperion, 1994 (adventure, ages 10-13)
Rachel Chance, by Jean Thesman, Houghton, 1990 (adventure, ages 11-14)
The Shimmershine Queens, by Camille Yarbrough, Random House (contemporary, ages 9-12)
Toning the Sweep, by Angela Johnson, Orchard, 1993 (contemporary, ages 11-14).
Who Let Girls in the Boys' Locker Room? by Elaine Moore, Troll, 1994 (sports, ages 10-13)
Run For Your Life, by Marilyn Levy, Houghton, 1996 (sports, ages 13-14)
Number the Stars, by Lois Lowry, Houghton, 1989 (historical fiction, ages 9-12)
The Ballad of Lucy Whipple, by Karen Cushman, Houghton, 1996 (historical fiction, ages 8-11)
The Midwife's Apprentice, by Karen Cushman, Clarion, 1995 (historical fiction, ages 11-14)
Catherine, Called Birdy, by Karen Cushman, Clarion, 1994 (historical fiction, ages 8-11)
Ella Enchanted, by Gail Carson Levine, HarperCollins, 1997 (fantasy/science fiction, ages 8-11)
Dealing With Dragons, by Patricia C. Wrede, Harcourt Brace 1990 (fantasy/ science fiction, ages 8-11, the first in a series of four books called The Enchanted Forest Chronicles)
~~~~~~~~
By Christine Schoefer
Christine Schoefer is a Berkeley, California, writer with two daughters. She has written for Mothering, The Nation, The Los Angeles Times, and many other publications.
Thursday, January 21, 2016
An Interesting Obsevation On The Paenting Skills of Lucius Malfoy
So, in my Potter class today, Ashlyn brought up a super interesting point.
We were discussing the scene in CoS where Draco called Hermione a Mudblood. The class was talking about how it's a racial slur and how that's a big theme in the whole book. Okay, actually I have two things to talk about.
First. There was a guy in the classroom who was like, "Well, Hermione was touching a nerve and he just lashed out the only way he knew how.". Like okay, he lashed out. But he lashed out with a fucking racial slur That is not okay. No matter what someone says to 'hit a nerve' you can't throw a racial slur at someone. And I'm sick of people trying to excuse Draco so that they can justify liking him as a character. Like, I like the character of Draco Malfoy, but he's kinda a douche and calling Hermione a mudblood is really fucking shitty.
Also, Ashlyn brought up the fact that these kids are 12 fucking years old at this point. This kid is throwing sound racial slurs at 12. That's fucking ridiculous! What kind of fucking father is Lucius that Draco had learned these insult's before he's even hit puberty! When reading these books, I tend to forget just how young these characters are at the start of the series, and it makes it kind of worse.
So, that's my Harry Potter commentary for today.
We were discussing the scene in CoS where Draco called Hermione a Mudblood. The class was talking about how it's a racial slur and how that's a big theme in the whole book. Okay, actually I have two things to talk about.
First. There was a guy in the classroom who was like, "Well, Hermione was touching a nerve and he just lashed out the only way he knew how.". Like okay, he lashed out. But he lashed out with a fucking racial slur That is not okay. No matter what someone says to 'hit a nerve' you can't throw a racial slur at someone. And I'm sick of people trying to excuse Draco so that they can justify liking him as a character. Like, I like the character of Draco Malfoy, but he's kinda a douche and calling Hermione a mudblood is really fucking shitty.
Also, Ashlyn brought up the fact that these kids are 12 fucking years old at this point. This kid is throwing sound racial slurs at 12. That's fucking ridiculous! What kind of fucking father is Lucius that Draco had learned these insult's before he's even hit puberty! When reading these books, I tend to forget just how young these characters are at the start of the series, and it makes it kind of worse.
So, that's my Harry Potter commentary for today.
Tuesday, January 19, 2016
When Angry Girlfriends Attack
Ok, I didn't attack. And I wasn't angry, per se.
Here's the lowdown. Kenny and I were sitting in my car after work last night talking. Somehow, we got on the subject of Harry Potter. While we were talking, I realized that the battle of Hogwarts was almost twenty years in the past. He didn't understand that I was talking about the narrative timeline and he got confused because "that book only came out ten years ago". So I agreed and told him that we knew what year it was placed in in the book universe because we knew Harry's birth year. He said that we couldn't know it "for sure". so, I explained to him how Harry's birth year can be found because of the Deathday party that Nearly-Headless Nick has. If you're not familiar with that scene in the books,check out this and this.
Basically, the book tells us that it's Nick's 200-whatever deathday. I can't remember what the number is. But, Nick also mentions that he was killed in a certain year. So, add the two together and you get the current year (1992). We know that Harry is currently 12, so subtract and you get his birth year (1980). Also, Jo confirmed this.
So, I explained this to him and I got really animated because I love telling people about this Easter egg. I also ended the explanation with, "And that's what the fuck is up!". When I was done, he just kind of looked at me. Then he said, "But they're just books. Sometimes I think you need to be more grounded in reality."
I more or less kicked him out of my car two minutes after that.
Here's the thing. I wasn't mad, I was upset and hurt and kind of offended. Here's the thing, "They're just books" is the same thing that I've been hearing my whole life, and I never thought that Kenny would throw that in my face. I know I'm very intense when it comes to Harry Potter and I know that I can seem like I'm too obsessed with it, but genuinely I'm not.
Harry Potter has literally been something I've grown up with. Since first grade, I've been reading about and watching these characters. Personally, I'm proud of my extensive knowledge about it. I feel like it's something that is very much my own, no one else I know is into it at this level. It's something that I excel at and I never feel like I'm good enough at anything, so I kind of cling to this one facet of my life that I'm good at.
But that doesn't mean that I'm not grounded in reality. When he told me I needed to get more down to earth is the point where I did actually get kind of mad. I get up at 6 am everyday, work my ass off in all my classes, work my ass off at my job, work my ass off at home. and he say's I'm not grounded enough. And as someone who has to deal with anxiety and depression like I do, I need to be really connected to the world around me, because if I get too in my head, I start getting low.
The thing is, he knows what I deal with and he knows how hard I work in every single thing I do and he still felt it necessary to say those things to me. The worst part is, he sounded just like my mom, because she's said those exact words to me about Harry Potter.
The only other time Kenny ever sounded like my mom was after my haircut a few months ago. He told me it looked butch, which is the same adjective my mom uses when she's insulting me. And it really got to me when Kenny said that. It got to me so much that I genuinely really dislike my hair and I'm really insecure about it now. And I used to love it and think it was one of my best features. I know he didn't mean to hurt me and he's apologized and I totally forgive him, but I still have this massive insecurity about it that stems from what he told me.
And now he's sounding like my mom again and I'm terrified. I'm terrified that he just thinks that I'm some immature kid who doesn't know how the real world works. I'm terrified that he's starting to get sick of me. More than anything, though, I'm terrified that every time I start to talk about Harry Potter or read it or watch it, that I'll remember what he said and I'll start to push it away and develop an aversion to it in the same way that I began to hate my hair. I know that wasn't his intention, and that's why I'm not mad, but the fact is that every time the subject of Harry Potter comes up between us, I'm going to change the subject as fast as possible because I don't want to annoy him.
I'm still actually really upset about all this. I'm trying not to let it affect me, but I feel like it is. Right after it happened last night, I actually had some reading I had to do for the Potter class and I almost couldn't bring myself to do it because I just felt sick looking at it. I know I'm probably being over dramatic and taking this too far, I get that. But I already have this really deep fear that everyone, even Kenny, finds me annoying and hearing him say things like that seems to only confirm my suspicions and it scares the shit out of me.
So, that was my Monday night.
Here's the lowdown. Kenny and I were sitting in my car after work last night talking. Somehow, we got on the subject of Harry Potter. While we were talking, I realized that the battle of Hogwarts was almost twenty years in the past. He didn't understand that I was talking about the narrative timeline and he got confused because "that book only came out ten years ago". So I agreed and told him that we knew what year it was placed in in the book universe because we knew Harry's birth year. He said that we couldn't know it "for sure". so, I explained to him how Harry's birth year can be found because of the Deathday party that Nearly-Headless Nick has. If you're not familiar with that scene in the books,check out this and this.
Basically, the book tells us that it's Nick's 200-whatever deathday. I can't remember what the number is. But, Nick also mentions that he was killed in a certain year. So, add the two together and you get the current year (1992). We know that Harry is currently 12, so subtract and you get his birth year (1980). Also, Jo confirmed this.
So, I explained this to him and I got really animated because I love telling people about this Easter egg. I also ended the explanation with, "And that's what the fuck is up!". When I was done, he just kind of looked at me. Then he said, "But they're just books. Sometimes I think you need to be more grounded in reality."
I more or less kicked him out of my car two minutes after that.
Here's the thing. I wasn't mad, I was upset and hurt and kind of offended. Here's the thing, "They're just books" is the same thing that I've been hearing my whole life, and I never thought that Kenny would throw that in my face. I know I'm very intense when it comes to Harry Potter and I know that I can seem like I'm too obsessed with it, but genuinely I'm not.
Harry Potter has literally been something I've grown up with. Since first grade, I've been reading about and watching these characters. Personally, I'm proud of my extensive knowledge about it. I feel like it's something that is very much my own, no one else I know is into it at this level. It's something that I excel at and I never feel like I'm good enough at anything, so I kind of cling to this one facet of my life that I'm good at.
But that doesn't mean that I'm not grounded in reality. When he told me I needed to get more down to earth is the point where I did actually get kind of mad. I get up at 6 am everyday, work my ass off in all my classes, work my ass off at my job, work my ass off at home. and he say's I'm not grounded enough. And as someone who has to deal with anxiety and depression like I do, I need to be really connected to the world around me, because if I get too in my head, I start getting low.
The thing is, he knows what I deal with and he knows how hard I work in every single thing I do and he still felt it necessary to say those things to me. The worst part is, he sounded just like my mom, because she's said those exact words to me about Harry Potter.
The only other time Kenny ever sounded like my mom was after my haircut a few months ago. He told me it looked butch, which is the same adjective my mom uses when she's insulting me. And it really got to me when Kenny said that. It got to me so much that I genuinely really dislike my hair and I'm really insecure about it now. And I used to love it and think it was one of my best features. I know he didn't mean to hurt me and he's apologized and I totally forgive him, but I still have this massive insecurity about it that stems from what he told me.
And now he's sounding like my mom again and I'm terrified. I'm terrified that he just thinks that I'm some immature kid who doesn't know how the real world works. I'm terrified that he's starting to get sick of me. More than anything, though, I'm terrified that every time I start to talk about Harry Potter or read it or watch it, that I'll remember what he said and I'll start to push it away and develop an aversion to it in the same way that I began to hate my hair. I know that wasn't his intention, and that's why I'm not mad, but the fact is that every time the subject of Harry Potter comes up between us, I'm going to change the subject as fast as possible because I don't want to annoy him.
I'm still actually really upset about all this. I'm trying not to let it affect me, but I feel like it is. Right after it happened last night, I actually had some reading I had to do for the Potter class and I almost couldn't bring myself to do it because I just felt sick looking at it. I know I'm probably being over dramatic and taking this too far, I get that. But I already have this really deep fear that everyone, even Kenny, finds me annoying and hearing him say things like that seems to only confirm my suspicions and it scares the shit out of me.
So, that was my Monday night.
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