Feeling guilty about being disinterested in or disliking Rowling's female characters

[torchedsong]

The title is self-explanatory. After rereading HP, I realized how let down I was about the dearth of interesting and/or likable female characters. As someone who has a long list of favorite female characters from various books, movies, TV shows, and video games, the women in the Harry Potter books leave me cold or bored

Comments

[chantaldormand]

I'll say this: never let anybody guilt trip you for not liking a character who happens to be woman/black/gay/etc. A character has to be able to stand on it's own, no matter if we are speaking about a Cosmic Pink Teapot or representative of minority. If character ends up being flat or Marry Sue or plainly uninteresting then it's fault of author and/or editor.

As for what is wrong with female characters in HPverse? Well the problem is two-folded.

We are exploring HPverse through Harry's eyes, but because JKR cannot comprehend being attracted to women, Harry ends up looking completely uninterested in them. Most girls end up being described by a trope Jo assigned them and Harry interacts with them only when plot calls for it. Men on the other hand get elaborate descriptions of their clothing or expressions.
It's no wonder that this fandom ended up being full of m/m ffs :P

The other level of the problem isn't exclusive to JKR, but rather common in story telling.
Age old problem of Marry Sue vs. Garry Stu.
A few months back I discussed this over drinks with one of my writer friends. We ended up creating this elaborated table comparing Marry Sues to Garry Stus. Our conclusion was something like this: Garry Stu is special because ofwhat they do, Marry Sue is special because of what they are. That is why it's easier to like/respect/admire a character like James Bond than let's say Bella Swan.
That being said Marry Sue is not always female and Gary Stu is not always male ;P

[torchedsong]

A character has to be able to stand on it's own, no matter if we are speaking about a Cosmic Pink Teapot or representative of minority.

I agree. Representation is important, but it's better when it's supported by well written characters.

We are exploring HPverse through Harry's eyes, but because JKR cannot comprehend being attracted to women, Harry ends up looking completely uninterested in them.

JKR being a heterosexual woman would influence the way she writes Harry and his perception of girls. This is probably the main reason why the romances involving Harry are so lackluster. Cho is pretty and athletic, and that's pretty much it. Ginny is pretty and athletic and ignites the chest monster within, so obviously she's Harry's soulmate (but only after she gets an upgrade; when she was a bashful background damsel, Harry hardly spared her a single thought beyond her being taken in COS).

Also, I think the prevalence of m/m slash goes back to the male characters having more potential again. The influential interactions in the series involves male characters. The major players on stage are male. Harry, the Marauders, Snape, Voldemort, Dumbledore, and even Draco... all of them have more presence in the overall story than the women. Maybe this is why Hermione is commonly shipped with many characters as well; she's the exceptional female player who's on somewhat of an equal playing field with the males.

And yes, there's a stronger focus on the appearance of male characters. Their faces, body language, eyes, and clothing are given more attention. On the other hand, The female characters seem to have one or two defining features, such as Hermione's bushy brown hair or Ginny's flaming red hair or Lily's ultra extraordinary green eyes, etc.

Our conclusion was something like this: Garry Stu is special because of what they do, Marry Sue is special because of what they are. That is why it's easier to like/respect/admire a character like James Bond than let's say Bella Swan.

That's a great way of summarizing it. It goes back to the way men and women are judged in reality as well. Men pursue, women are pursued. Men act, women are acted upon, etc. It's not something I agree with obviously, but the mentality can influence how male and female characters are treated in stories.

I tend to hesitate using the term "Mary Sue" because I know it can be thrown around without consideration. Sometimes a woman simply being competent and skilled in a story is enough for people to brand her as a Mary Sue. But that's not the requirement for a character being a Mary Sue. A Mary Sue, as you've said, is someone who is special on the merit of their existence alone. They're perfect with little to no flaws and are beloved by nearly everyone, even the bad guys. They are rarely called out for making any mistakes (if they make any in the first place).

Ginny and Lily seem like Mary Sues to me, especially Lily. She's extra beautiful, extra smart, extra popular, extra kind, and her presence alone is enough to make James into a better person. Plus, she's the center of the universe for one of the most spiteful and morally ambiguous characters in the series. Snape hates everyone - except for Lily. She's special enough to be worshiped by him for the rest of his life. And she's never criticized by Harry. James is (briefly) knocked down from his pedestal when Harry sees what a bully he was, but Lily remains an idealized figure in Harry's life. Petunia says some mean words about her, but no one likes or cares about Petunia. It's another way for Lily to look good in comparison. No one is ever portrayed as being better than her.

The more a character's perfect existence is shoved down my throat, the less I care about them. That's why I'd take irrevocably evil Bellatrix over lovely Lily; at least Bellatrix is fun in her messed up way.

I know the story is meant to be all about Harry, so it makes sense that other characters are going to come second, especially if they're not related to him. But it's frustrating nonetheless to have such an abysmal quality and quantity of women in Harry's world.