Hermione Granger as Young Girl Sleuth in the Harry Potter.pdf

Roger Williams University DOCS@RWU Feinstein College of Arts Sciences Faculty Papers Feinstein College of Arts and Sciences 1-1-2008 Hermione Granger as Young Girl Sleuth in the Harry Potter Series Glenna M. Andrade Roger Williams University, gandrade@ Follow this and additional works at : /fcas_fp Part of the English Language and Literature Commons Recommended Citation Andrade, Glenna M. 2008. Hermione Granger as Young Girl Sleuth in the Harry Potter Series. In Critical Readings of Nancy Dr ew and Other Girl Sleuths, edited by Michael Cornelius. McFarland. ISBN 978-0-7864-3995-9. This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Feinstein College of Arts and Sciences at D CS@RWU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Feinstein College of Arts Sciences Faculty Papers by an authorized administrator of D CS@RWU. For more information, please contact mwu@. Abstract: Hermione Granger as Girl Sleuth in the Harry Potter Series Reappearing in the long tradition of girl sleuths such as Carolyn Keene’s Nancy Drew, Hermione Granger interrupts the centrality of the male-fantasy-adventure in the Harry Potter series. Throughout the novels, Hermione asserts her own subjecthood and participates in a shared agency to change from a scared girl into a woman battling for justice. Clearly, the Harry Potter series can affect readers differently. Some may perceive the comparisons to the Nancy Drew role of Era Three when Hermione uses her wits to detect clues, solve mysteries, and uncover suspects and their motives. Although others may stereotype Hermione as the conventional female helpmate, still others may find that her take-charge personality affirms that her role is equal to Harry’s. Unlike Nancy Drew, however, Hermione engages in social activism, thus subverting the wizarding world’s dominant values and matching feminism’s more humanistic aims. In the end, Hermione’s adventures can offer young girl rea