Hermione Granger’s Impact
Now that I look back, Hermione Granger was the first feminist character that I was ever exposed to. She was an integral part of my childhood and played an immense role in the person that I am today. I remember the first time I read the Harry Potter series, there was a feeling of immense satisfaction, in having FINALLY found a female character who was only herself, and nothing less.
My childhood had been filled with less-than-ideal female characters in books and movies, who lacked even the most basic common sense, and left me wanting to bang my head against a wall. So, it was like a light was being shone when I discovered the icon that was Hermione Granger. This was a female character who worked hard and wasn’t afraid to stand up for what she felt she deserved. There was no reason for her to wait in an ivory tower to be rescued because she was confident in her abilities to save herself. She never hesitated to ask for help either. She was smart, strong, independent, daring, clever, and immensely talented. In short, she was everything I hoped to be when I grew up.
She showed me that it was okay to be bossy and to be a nerd. That there was no reason to apologize for having my own opinions and sharing them with others. And of course, she taught me that knowledge was power, pushing me to work even harder; to never give up.
This was a female character who never took no for an answer when she knew she was right and wasn’t afraid to challenge authority. (Though she didn’t do it needlessly.) And her character never shied away from being flawed or made excuses for it either. Instead, she embraced herself as she was, and taught me how to do the same.
When I say that Hermione Granger was one of the most influential people in my life, it’s not an overstatement. She opened my eyes to all of my potential, and the possibility of being more than I could ever imagine.
So, in the fourth grade when I was informed that Hermione was only Ron and Harry’s sidekick by a smug classmate, I may or may not have reacted in a less-than-desirable way. Long story short, that particular argument devolved into another argument about how girls weren’t as strong as boys. (I’m rolling my eyes right now. I mean honestly…) Then, that argument somehow ended in an arm-wrestling competition. (Can you feel me face-palming?) Needless to say, my elementary school self wasn’t about to back down. This of course resulted in an arm-wrestling match that had by then attracted the notice of other people.
Just for future reference, I used to be a stubborn child, so much so that common sense was often disregarded. This became one of those cases. During this idiotic arm-wrestling match (yet again, what were we thinking??), my wrist began to twist. However, being the tenacious child that I was (I learned that from Hermione Granger), I persisted. In the end, I won, with quite a bit of effort put into the whole endeavor.
I also came out of the ordeal with a sprained wrist, but that unfortunate occurrence was promptly ignored, in favor of the triumphant righteousness that surged through my veins, in having defended my feminist ideals.
(Sounds dramatic, but that’s honestly how I felt at that moment. … I was a melodramatic kid.)
Anyway, the point of this story isn’t that you should get into arm-wrestling matches with people about issues that you disagree about. Although, I did get a lot of satisfaction from that particular episode of stubbornness. The point is that I found that confidence to stand up for myself as a little kid, all because of one inspiring, complex female character. (If you got the reference, you should feel very proud of yourself.)
This post was written by Sreya Kalapala and edited by Shreya Arukil
