Conclusion & Class
With less than 45 minutes to go, I finally submitted my Ginny paper for the Terminus compendium. I more or less edited things and wrote a real introduction and conclusion. I am teh lazy. I'm pretty sure my word count is over the limit, so I may get it back to edit it down. I'm kind of counting on that... god I suck.
But hey, academia= procrastination. This has been confirmed not only by the guy I know in Fordham's English PhD program, but also my former professors who put off everything. And I, Professor Hermione, have not even written my syllabus yet, and the semester starts Sept. 3rd!! Eh... that's what next week is for. I already ordered the main books I'm using, though I have to change one book. I'm now doing Scott Westerfeld's Uglies and Pretties. I'd really love to do Specials, but since the course is meant to focus on writing more than reading, and since I'll be assigning articles pretty much every week, that would be going overboard. I'm tentatively calling the class "The Language of Dystopia." It sounds really lofty and academic, which you know I love. I'm all about good titles.
I may post my syllabus on here when I get around to writing it. And, of course, if you know of any good articles about dystopy, those two books, or writing properly please PLEASE let me know! I'm looking through anthologies I have now and in the school library, but anyone who wants to make my life easier will be loved & appreciated.
Oh, and that reminds me...
apythia &
tjwritter, if either or both of you want to (and can take the time off) you're welcome to be a guest speaker! You could lecture or do activities on writing as long or as short as you like any time between Sept. 3rd and Dec. 12(??). You know you want to talk to a room of 20 or less 18 yr-olds!!!
Anyway, the original reason for this post was to share my conclusion paragraph, which I am so proud of. I think my frustration at JKR is kinda obvi, but you know how it goes...
At the time of this writing, I find myself unwilling to address The Epilogue. Rowling silences Ginny, in her role as Harry's wife and mother to his children, so effectively and completely that addressing this insulting end to Ginny's story becomes infuriating. The Harry Potter series has been set up as a heteronormative tale from the beginning, but the extent to which Rowling focuses on and reinforces this aspect in the end necessitates my disinclination to write about The Epilogue. What merits the most attention is the manner in which Rowling develops, and often hinders, Ginny's character to reach this point. Rather than create a heroine and love interest who is Harry's equal in all respects, the author produced a strong character and forced her to conform to her own preconceived gender roles. It is not that Rowling has not made strong female characters throughout her series (we need only look at Hermione for proof), it is that, when it comes to the protagonist's love object, she subjugates Ginny's strength and agency to help Harry fulfill a traditional hero/husband role. Whether she is in need of rescue and owes Harry her life; whether she is invisible until Harry is sexually maturing; whether she is eroticized forbidden fruit; or whether she is the supportive girlfriend and Beautiful Soul, Ginny occupies various narrative tropes solely to become Harry's love object rather than develop as a character in her own right. As Tom Riddle tried to sacrifice Ginny on the altar of Salazar Slytherin to restore himself to life, so does Rowling sacrifice her on the altar of regressive gender roles to provide Harry, first and foremost, a traditionalized happy ending.
Haha, I love the first 3 sentences the most ever! If you'd like to see the full and complete copy of this paper, let me know. I've forced a couple of you to read all or most of it at Terminus before my presentation, so you may be sick of it.
But hey, academia= procrastination. This has been confirmed not only by the guy I know in Fordham's English PhD program, but also my former professors who put off everything. And I, Professor Hermione, have not even written my syllabus yet, and the semester starts Sept. 3rd!! Eh... that's what next week is for. I already ordered the main books I'm using, though I have to change one book. I'm now doing Scott Westerfeld's Uglies and Pretties. I'd really love to do Specials, but since the course is meant to focus on writing more than reading, and since I'll be assigning articles pretty much every week, that would be going overboard. I'm tentatively calling the class "The Language of Dystopia." It sounds really lofty and academic, which you know I love. I'm all about good titles.
I may post my syllabus on here when I get around to writing it. And, of course, if you know of any good articles about dystopy, those two books, or writing properly please PLEASE let me know! I'm looking through anthologies I have now and in the school library, but anyone who wants to make my life easier will be loved & appreciated.
Oh, and that reminds me...
apythia &
tjwritter, if either or both of you want to (and can take the time off) you're welcome to be a guest speaker! You could lecture or do activities on writing as long or as short as you like any time between Sept. 3rd and Dec. 12(??). You know you want to talk to a room of 20 or less 18 yr-olds!!!
Anyway, the original reason for this post was to share my conclusion paragraph, which I am so proud of. I think my frustration at JKR is kinda obvi, but you know how it goes...
At the time of this writing, I find myself unwilling to address The Epilogue. Rowling silences Ginny, in her role as Harry's wife and mother to his children, so effectively and completely that addressing this insulting end to Ginny's story becomes infuriating. The Harry Potter series has been set up as a heteronormative tale from the beginning, but the extent to which Rowling focuses on and reinforces this aspect in the end necessitates my disinclination to write about The Epilogue. What merits the most attention is the manner in which Rowling develops, and often hinders, Ginny's character to reach this point. Rather than create a heroine and love interest who is Harry's equal in all respects, the author produced a strong character and forced her to conform to her own preconceived gender roles. It is not that Rowling has not made strong female characters throughout her series (we need only look at Hermione for proof), it is that, when it comes to the protagonist's love object, she subjugates Ginny's strength and agency to help Harry fulfill a traditional hero/husband role. Whether she is in need of rescue and owes Harry her life; whether she is invisible until Harry is sexually maturing; whether she is eroticized forbidden fruit; or whether she is the supportive girlfriend and Beautiful Soul, Ginny occupies various narrative tropes solely to become Harry's love object rather than develop as a character in her own right. As Tom Riddle tried to sacrifice Ginny on the altar of Salazar Slytherin to restore himself to life, so does Rowling sacrifice her on the altar of regressive gender roles to provide Harry, first and foremost, a traditionalized happy ending.
Haha, I love the first 3 sentences the most ever! If you'd like to see the full and complete copy of this paper, let me know. I've forced a couple of you to read all or most of it at Terminus before my presentation, so you may be sick of it.