Hermione Granger: Character Analysis

[Krums_Girl]

People have said that Harry and Ron saved Hermione from the troll in SS/PS because they liked her. I beg to differ. At that point, Harry and Ron despised Hermione, and it was really Ron's fault that Hermione was in the bathroom to begin with, so again, they were obligated.

And of course Harry didn't mind Hermione being with the Weasleys- it wasn't his house! He couldn't very well tell Mr. and Mrs. Weasley who they could and could not let into their house. All the times that Hermione helped Harry and Ron, IMO, aren't enough to show all the times that she hurt Harry and Ron. (Their fight in GoF, the deal with the Firebolt in PoA, DH,) and the fact that she's just not a very pleasant person.

[RavenStar83]

Originally Posted by Krums_Girl

People have said that Harry and Ron saved Hermione from the troll in SS/PS because they liked her.

Where has anyone said this?

And of course Harry didn't mind Hermione being with the Weasleys- it wasn't his house! He couldn't very well tell Mr. and Mrs. Weasley who they could and could not let into their house. All the times that Hermione helped Harry and Ron, IMO, aren't enough to show all the times that she hurt Harry and Ron. (Their fight in GoF, the deal with the Firebolt in PoA, DH,) and the fact that she's just not a very pleasant person.

A person doesn't have to say anything in order to hate something. The narration tells us Harry's insight and thoughts, unless its taken place in a different location away from Harry. And as far as the reading goes, he enjoys her company as much as he enjoys Ron's, unless he's mad at either one of them for a specific reason at the time. Again, put aside personal biases about real people and pay attention to what's in the text.

And what did she do in DH?

[FlashMemory]

Originally Posted by Krums_Girl

People have said that Harry and Ron saved Hermione from the troll in SS/PS because they liked her. I beg to differ. At that point, Harry and Ron despised Hermione, and it was really Ron's fault that Hermione was in the bathroom to begin with, so again, they were obligated.

And of course Harry didn't mind Hermione being with the Weasleys- it wasn't his house! He couldn't very well tell Mr. and Mrs. Weasley who they could and could not let into their house. All the times that Hermione helped Harry and Ron, IMO, aren't enough to show all the times that she hurt Harry and Ron. (Their fight in GoF, the deal with the Firebolt in PoA, DH,) and the fact that she's just not a very pleasant person.

Harry and Ron generally wear their hearts on their sleves, they don't have a problem with letting people know they hated them as such, imo had they hated Hermione that much they would not have tolerated her company pretty much constantly for seven years. I think Ron invited her to the Burrow on several occassions.

I agree that they occassionally squabbled but that's part of being friends, in fact I think the strength of the trio's friendship is shown through the amount of times they make up after an argument.

[Krums_Girl]

Originally Posted by FlashMemory

Harry and Ron generally wear their hearts on their sleves, they don't have a problem with letting people know they hated them as such, imo had they hated Hermione that much they would not have tolerated her company pretty much constantly for seven years. I think Ron invited her to the Burrow on several occassions.

I agree that they occassionally squabbled but that's part of being friends, in fact I think the strength of the trio's friendship is shown through the amount of times they make up after an argument.

Your opinions. I have not yet swayed you from thinking that Miss Hermione Granger is not a goddess, so I shall give up.

I still maintain my opinon that Hermione, although be loyal and smart and brave and all that, was not a good person. She was not pleasant at all, and had she been a real-life person, and not a fictional character that was a large point in the plot, she wouldn't have had any true friends.

[MistressofRaven]

Originally Posted by Krums_Girl

Your opinions. I have not yet swayed you from thinking that Miss Hermione Granger is not a goddess, so I shall give up.

I still maintain my opinon that Hermione, although be loyal and smart and brave and all that, was not a good person. She was not pleasant at all, and had she been a real-life person, and not a fictional character that was a large point in the plot, she wouldn't have had any true friends.

Not a good person? If she's not a good person then who is? I've known many girls like Hermione Granger and they have friends. Just because you'd never be friends with her does not mean everyone feels the same.

[Hes]

Right people.

Note this:

People are allowed to dislike Hermione for various personal reasons. If you do, make it clear in your post that it's your opinion. For instance by using IMO. But if you dislike her, give thought through reasons. Not something like, OMG I dislike her because of her huge teeth, I hate her because she marries Ron. She's a b.itch!

Those examples are character bashing, which will get you and anyone who responds in trouble.

If someone dislikes Hermione, it's their right. Free speech eh?

Responding rudely to someone who might dislike Hermione is something we do not like. So if you disagree, do so politely (lay off those relax smileys) or just ignore a post. It's not that hard. Some posts have been deleted.

[birdi86]

I still maintain my opinon that Hermione, although be loyal and smart and brave and all that, was not a good person.

Things like loyalty and bravery are generally how you define a good person, not how charming they are.

Hermione could frequently be abrasive, unpleasant, ruthless and given how much she harped on others for their behavior - hypocritical.

Also, while many people notice that Harry and Ron weren't always perfect at reading people, few people notice that Hermione was actually worse than they were at the start (the boys, after all, managed to have friends) and wasn't perfect at it later on. I think one way in which Luna was a foil for Hermione was showing what Hermione's life would have been like if she hadn't made friends with Harry and Ron. She would have been just the outcast Luna was, offending people with her sometimes arrogant behavior and weirding them out with her radical beliefs.

But her heart was generally in the right place and she did want what was best for others.

[RavenStar83]

I'm sorry! I felt there were certain things being assumed of other posters, and I got carried away with my replies as well. Apologies all around.

Originally Posted by birdi86

Things like loyalty and bravery are generally how you define a good person, not how charming they are.

Hermione could frequently be abrasive, unpleasant, ruthless and given how much she harped on others for their behavior - hypocritical.

Also, while many people notice that Harry and Ron weren't always perfect at reading people, few people notice that Hermione was actually worse than they were at the start (the boys, after all, managed to have friends) and wasn't perfect at it later on. I think one way in which Luna was a foil for Hermione was showing what Hermione's life would have been like if she hadn't made friends with Harry and Ron. She would have been just the outcast Luna was, offending people with her sometimes arrogant behavior and weirding them out with her radical beliefs.

But her heart was generally in the right place and she did want what was best for others.

I never really saw a direct contrast between Hermione and Luna (I don't know if I'd associate Luna with arrogance). I think Hermione did have a competitive streak whenever it would seem someone else had the upper hand than she did, either in grades or who was considered more well read than she was.

I thought her character developed and evolved nicely. She starts off as a huge nuisances. But when getting to know her better, ended up being someone that changed the lives of her two best friends as well as her own from then on. And she still retains some of the bad qualities that drove everyone nuts in the first place as well as developing really good ones.

[birdi86]

I don't think Luna is maliciously arrogant in the way Draco is, hers is more a child-like, solipstic arrogance that probably comes from poor social-skills and not knowing how to relate well to other people. When she's introduced in OOTP, she shows herself to be rather dismissive of other people's views and feelings. She tends to give her opinon on others without considering that they may not want to hear it or that she may be too harsh in stating it. She's not as open-minded about everything as fandom likes to imagine her to be. She's a much more nuanced character than people give her credit for and I like that about her.

I think Hermione did have a competitive streak whenever it would seem someone else had the upper hand than she did, either in grades or who was considered more well read than she was.

Definitely! The entire arc in HBP with Harry's Potions book proves that. Hermione was obsessed with that thing and it culminated in that infamous "don't act like you understand Quidditch" remark from Ginny who - like Harry and Ron - was just tired of listening to Hermione go on and on.

I think Hermione was insecure about her place in the Trio and her place in wizarding world overall and academics was her way of getting over that. If she knew enough, Ron and Harry would always keep her around because they would always need her and if she knew enough she'd prove to everyone that it didn't matter that she was a Muggle-born and that she was as good as anyone when it came to magic.

I wish JKR had found a way to do more with that in the latter book. I don't feel Hermione ever really addressed that aspect of her personality.

. She starts off as a huge nuisances. But when getting to know her better, ended up being someone that changed the lives of her two best friends as well as her own from then on.

Agreed. I always thought the strength of the series is how well-developed the characters are. Hermione included.