/Mrs. Weasley: I just don’t know how Bill will ever marry now! Will that stupid French girl even like him anymore now that he’s no longer beautiful
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I’m under the impression JKR inserted Tonks into the story because people were complaining about the small number of interesting female characters in the series. Then she didn’t know what to do with her. It turns out Tonks’s only purpose was to demonstrate that love affects one’s Patronus, thereby setting us up for Snape’s symbolic silver doe. And to produce a baby Marauder and die, setting Harry up with a symbolic orphan
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Tonks, Bellatrix, and Umbridge showed up all at once in Book Five. Before that there was just Hermione as a major female character. Molly, Minerva, and Petunia are classic female cliches (Earth Mother, Spinster Schoolmarm, Evil Stepmother), and decidedly second tier, if not third.
Of course there are only five major characters in the series altogether. Upping the percentage of females would have required Albina Dumbledore or Severina Snape. Which would you prefer? Wise Old Grandmother or Wicked Witch? Or both?
Well, considering that Dumbledore is still widely considered to be Harry’s wise old mentor by fans at large, despite all that this community has said about him, I think that I would pick Albina if I had to choose between her and Severina. She would break stereotypes not only by being the mentor of a male protagonist (since protagonists in general rarely have female mentors), but also by being the archenemy of Voldemort, the Only One He Ever Feared. She would still be the extremely powerful and respected figure in the wizarding world. Severina, by contrast, would only receive her due until after she was dead, until after Harry had spent seven books despising her. So, I think that Albina would be a more positive example of female representation. Of course, if Dumbledore were female, I’m doubtful that her romance with Gellert would have been only revealed in a post-series interview.
She would break stereotypes not only by being the mentor of a male protagonist (since protagonists in general rarely have female mentors)
The Irish legend Finn MacCool (Fionn mac Cumhaill) and Firestar, in the Warriors books, are exceptions to this. Their mentors are Liath Luachra and Bluestar, respectively. The Warriors books have about as many female mentors as male ones, and cats of both sexes mentor other cats of both sexes.
also by being the archenemy of Voldemort, the Only One He Ever Feared.
Bluestar is archenemy of Tigerstar, her former deputy who tried to murder her to take over ThunderClan.
Of course, if Dumbledore were female, I’m doubtful that her romance with Gellert would have been only revealed in a post-series interview.It could still work that way if Gellert became Gellerta. Of course, that raises the other stereotypical problem: A woman's lover leaves her, and she is so devastated that her grief derails her formerly brilliant future, causing her to become a virtual nun and schoolteacher for the rest of her
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Of course there are only five major characters in the series altogether. Upping the percentage of females would have required Albina Dumbledore or Severina Snape. Which would you prefer? Wise Old Grandmother or Wicked Witch? Or both?
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The Irish legend Finn MacCool (Fionn mac Cumhaill) and Firestar, in the Warriors books, are exceptions to this. Their mentors are Liath Luachra and Bluestar, respectively. The Warriors books have about as many female mentors as male ones, and cats of both sexes mentor other cats of both sexes.
also by being the archenemy of Voldemort, the Only One He Ever Feared.
Bluestar is archenemy of Tigerstar, her former deputy who tried to murder her to take over ThunderClan.
Of course, if Dumbledore were female, I’m doubtful that her romance with Gellert would have been only revealed in a post-series interview.It could still work that way if Gellert became Gellerta. Of course, that raises the other stereotypical problem: A woman's lover leaves her, and she is so devastated that her grief derails her formerly brilliant future, causing her to become a virtual nun and schoolteacher for the rest of her ( ... )
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