Monday, June 10, 2013

J. K. Rowling on Female Characters

I just found this video - it's J. K. Rowling discussing female carecters in Harry Potter. It's terrific, and you should watch it. Here's the link:


I loved the video - I've read some criticism of Harry Potter, since a lot of the really powerful people in the series are male, but I've never thought any of it was well founded. In the video, Rowling explains why her female characters are the way they are, and shows how much thought went in to developing them. She talks about how she's always seen Mrs. Weasly as a really powerful female figure, not "just a housewife," and how much she drew on her own childhood for Hermione. It becomes clear how much thought she put in into her characters, and really, it flips everything around and it becomes clear that some of the most powerful figures in the series really are the women after all. 
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9 comments:

  1. Tara A. June 10, 2013 at 9:03 PM

    I really liked the video. There may be more male characters than female characters in Harry Potter, but I always found the female characters to be pretty powerful. Apart from Mrs. Weasly and Hermione, you can also look at Professor McGonagall, who's pretty powerful as well.

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    1. CassieJune 11, 2013 at 5:12 AM

      Yes! I love Professor McGonagall. I'm glad you liked the video.

      Delete
  2. GwendolenJune 11, 2013 at 4:38 AM

    Thank you so so much for posting this! I've never really thought so much about the strength of the female characters- which is how it should be. I never had the impression they were weak, or the 'token strong women', they were all just real women, and therefore strong. Just goes to show you wonderful the Harry Potter books are! :)

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    1. CassieJune 11, 2013 at 5:16 AM

      I agree - the women are all very well thought out, and very realistic. I've never thought of them as weak.

      Delete
  3. LydiaJune 11, 2013 at 5:31 PM

    I love J.K. Rowling's female characters! I agree with Gwendolen, they are all REAL women. They each have their own quirks and strengths. They're all "strong" but not in a stereotypical or deliberate way. They are their own people! Hermione, Tonks, Mrs. Weasley, Bellatrix . . . they're all incredibly well-written.

    I shall enjoy listening to this. Thank you!

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    1. CassieJune 14, 2013 at 1:35 PM

      You're welcome!
      Yes, I agree - you start to realize how well the books are written as the story progresses.

      Delete
  4. ChloeJune 22, 2013 at 1:58 AM

    JK Rowling is the one of the smartest woman alive, I love her <3

    http://myperpetualperplexities.blogspot.co.nz/

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  5. The Magic ViolinistJune 30, 2013 at 11:30 AM

    This was EXCELLENT. J.K. Rowling has to be one of the biggest role models in my life as the most successful author of her time. The video was very inspirational and I hope my characters are a hundredth as good as hers are.

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