The Leading Lady | Blog #2

The Leading Lady

Blog #2 | Character Development 

Without a doubt, J.K. Rowling has done a fantastic job at not only revealing the development of her characters within the series, but also doing so in a way that is symbolic with the themes and messages she is trying to deliver to the audience.

Of the characters within the series, Hermione once again stands out. What made her intriguing was how she has grown throughout the series in comparison to the other characters. We see many of the others acquiring new skill sets, overcoming feats, making new achievements, and moving from a “dazed and confused” mindset to one that is a bit more accomplished. What’s different about Hermione is that she had of all of this from the start. After all, she was the overachieving, know-it-all, perfectionist in the beginning.

Hermione’s growth gives a different perspective into how one develops. Her character shows that there are bigger things than your skill sets and talents, such as vulnerability, compassion, humility, and self-confidence. In fact, we notice that she may have been using her knowledge and achievements as means of self-defense against her own feelings of inferiority due to being Muggle-born. She felt as if she had something to prove for herself and other Muggle-borns, so she had to be better than everyone else in order to prove her worth. Over time, she learned that it’s not about being better than everyone else, but being your best self. Not only does she work on being her own best self, but helps her friends and peers move towards their best selves as well. Homegirl started to do lots of work for lots of other people. She quickly moved from selfish to selfless, using her knowledge towards the aid of others rather than gains for herself.

It seems that the first couple of books were where she really began to acquire social skills and become comfortable with herself. In Book One, she was the perfectionist who never broke the rules, but then lied to her superiors in order to take blame for the troll incident. From there, she built her relationships with Harry and Ron and began to understand loyalty and likeability. In Book Two, we start to see her be ridiculed for being Muggle-born, taunted as a “Mudblood.” She stays strong and keeps her head up, seeming to be empathetic of Malfoy’s unfortunate upbringing, understanding that it’s not a problem within her, but within him.

Hermione really starts to shine in Book Three, when she finally punches Malfoy; but more importantly, when she is not only granted a Time Turner, but then uses it to save Sirius from the Dementor’s Kiss and Buckbeak from execution. Moving into Book Four, she created S.P.E.W., launching an entire campaign for the fair treatment of house elves. She also shows a moment of strong loyalty when she proves to be the only character who completely believes Harry didn’t cheat to get into the Triwizard Tournament. In Book Five, she was the backbone behind Dumbledore’s Army, using her knowledge and skills to train her peers for their own defenses against the dark arts. In doing so, she furthered her relationships with her peers and developed a leadership role than was less dictating and more democratic. Let’s also not forget how she both saved and kicked some serious ass in the battles at the Department of Mysteries and (in Book 6) the Astronomy Tower.

Hermione transformed from a self-absorbed know-it-all to a team-playing leader. She grew to truly accept herself, and, furthermore, others. She realized that it’s more than having great talents, but also how you execute those talents and who you share them with. She proved that a large part of becoming a successful witch or wizard included social skills and self-confidence as well. She then channeled her talents into the greater good and aid of others to help them find their own best. Her character showed that there are vulnerabilities within both the top and bottom performers and those in-between. Hermione learned that success isn’t necessarily defined by your grades or skillsets, but also the quality of the relationships and experiences in your life. She showed people to let loose and to live and love a little. Work it girl.