HMS_Yowling (![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} hms_yowling) wrote,@ 2003-09-13 13:24:00 |
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Marginalization of female characters in Potterverse?
rj_anderson's post about Snape's behavior toward Neville touched on a question I've been wondering about myself. As I was mulling a reply, I wandered off to re-read hackthis's "The Trouble with Harry Potter" at Dysfunctional. That story prompted more thoughts about the parallels between Harry and Neville.
We found out more about Lily in OotP, and I was grateful for the new info but rather suspected that JKR was making up for past omissions rather than having some sort of plan/point in mind. But in OotP, JKR did prove herself able to follow through on other plot threads from previous novels and so... I'm now wondering whether I'm now noticing another one.
While reading Zahra's story, I flashed on the scene in OotP in which Neville accepts the piece of paper from his mother (the scene I found the most emotionally effecting, btw. To the point of near-tears). We know that Neville's grandmother loves (worships?) her son Frank, but her attitude toward Alice is fairly dismissive. It's also worth noting that it's Alice who is reaching out to her son, clearly recognizing that he's important to her even if she's not clear on why. We don't get a similar picture of Frank.
In the first few HP novels, we learned little about Lily. Sure, we knew she was pretty (had green eyes); was good at charms; and her mother-love was capable of protecting her son. I think we can clearly draw an inference here -- that among the other similarities Neville and Harry share, their mothers loved them deeply.
But the fact that we as readers never got as clear a picture of Lily as we did of James, and the fact that Neville's grandmother is dismissive of Alice is another item of... weirdness? I'm now wondering if JKR is going to tie these threads into something in the future -- something about, perhaps, the role of females in wizarding society.
Hmmm...
(Oh, and re: the Snape behaving badly toward Neville -- I'm wondering if Neville's "protection" is truly what the overzealous Auror had in mind when s/he overdid it with the Obliviate spell. Could Neville have seen something or someone that he wasn't supposed? If so, what, or who? And if Neville did see something, how would Snape know? Is Snape afraid of the information coming out, and hates Neville as a result? Or does Snape know that memory charms can be overcome by extreme rage or fear or something and he's trying to provoke Neville to that point?
The latter seems unlikely, since if Snape has info. he wants known, he could go to Dumbledore and tell him. But if he tried and no one believe him? Or if it's something that Snape only suspects?
Frankly, I'd rather that than Snape hates Neville because Neville, should he regain his memory, is capable of revealing something damaging about Snape. I like my Snape redeemed, if you please.) Of course, I likerj_anderson's theory too.
rj_anderson's post about Snape's behavior toward Neville touched on a question I've been wondering about myself. As I was mulling a reply, I wandered off to re-read hackthis's "The Trouble with Harry Potter" at Dysfunctional. That story prompted more thoughts about the parallels between Harry and Neville. We found out more about Lily in OotP, and I was grateful for the new info but rather suspected that JKR was making up for past omissions rather than having some sort of plan/point in mind. But in OotP, JKR did prove herself able to follow through on other plot threads from previous novels and so... I'm now wondering whether I'm now noticing another one.
While reading Zahra's story, I flashed on the scene in OotP in which Neville accepts the piece of paper from his mother (the scene I found the most emotionally effecting, btw. To the point of near-tears). We know that Neville's grandmother loves (worships?) her son Frank, but her attitude toward Alice is fairly dismissive. It's also worth noting that it's Alice who is reaching out to her son, clearly recognizing that he's important to her even if she's not clear on why. We don't get a similar picture of Frank.
In the first few HP novels, we learned little about Lily. Sure, we knew she was pretty (had green eyes); was good at charms; and her mother-love was capable of protecting her son. I think we can clearly draw an inference here -- that among the other similarities Neville and Harry share, their mothers loved them deeply.
But the fact that we as readers never got as clear a picture of Lily as we did of James, and the fact that Neville's grandmother is dismissive of Alice is another item of... weirdness? I'm now wondering if JKR is going to tie these threads into something in the future -- something about, perhaps, the role of females in wizarding society.
Hmmm...
(Oh, and re: the Snape behaving badly toward Neville -- I'm wondering if Neville's "protection" is truly what the overzealous Auror had in mind when s/he overdid it with the Obliviate spell. Could Neville have seen something or someone that he wasn't supposed? If so, what, or who? And if Neville did see something, how would Snape know? Is Snape afraid of the information coming out, and hates Neville as a result? Or does Snape know that memory charms can be overcome by extreme rage or fear or something and he's trying to provoke Neville to that point?
The latter seems unlikely, since if Snape has info. he wants known, he could go to Dumbledore and tell him. But if he tried and no one believe him? Or if it's something that Snape only suspects?
Frankly, I'd rather that than Snape hates Neville because Neville, should he regain his memory, is capable of revealing something damaging about Snape. I like my Snape redeemed, if you please.) Of course, I like
rj_anderson's theory too.
