How J.K. Rowling and Harry Potter influence feminism in media today
J.K. Rowling. That is all you need before you have an image of Harry Potter and the worldwide phenomenon. When Rowling released her first book Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, she broke records in many aspects, yet was still in a constant struggle for something other than trying to make a living. She was battling for her rights as a woman in the writing business and for women everywhere around the world.
Before the world knew of Harry Potter and J.K Rowling, Joanne Rowling was simply trying to make a living by writing stories. Most readers do not even know her real name or the fact that she does not have a middle name. Authors have abbreviated their names since the earliest of records for both ease of memorization and with hope of receiving unbiased reviews by the public; of the many authors, C.S. Lewis, Homer, and Mark Twain are the most common. In Rowling’s case, it was the publisher who insisted on the use of a pen name in order to appeal to a larger audience.
Another thing to note is the absence of an about the author column on the back page of all Harry Potter book covers. Whether this was intentional for the sake of eliminating discrimination or in order to have a full picture of the story, I cannot quite be sure. To me it seems like a sneaky way to grab the attention of young male readers rather than to simply see J.K Rowling’s depiction of the story and into her vision of the wizarding world. Again, the publisher’s decision to not include any notion of the author shows how far companies will go in order to advertize to males. Despite the popular phrase, almost everyone judges a book by its cover. In advertising, the book jacket is a vital part in attracting readers and gaining a fan base. As a book intended for children, the images displayed on the book jacket are cartoon-like and yet display dark and manly color schemes. In doing so, a ‘male gaze’ point of view disguises the author’s identity.A larger audience in this case meaning both boys and girls because, according to her publisher, boys are less likely to read novels by female authors. It is often hard pressed to get into the writing business, especially as a female, but settling for a pen name in order to ‘get in’ can be considered unproductive in strict feminist views. Whether or not this strategy worked better than not having the pen name, no one will ever know however it does give insight into our society. Are we encouraging this behavior of discriminating authors based on their gender or is this an idea formed naturally an early age? This male perspective on everything, or the male gaze, becomes inherent as we grow and mature. Does the same thing apply but to girls wanting to read Harry Potter? Females are often portrayed as the fragile and pure members of society, and going as far as to say females are not encouraged to read fantasy novels such as Harry Potter is a disgrace. When authors such as Joanne Rowling publish under a pen name (J.K Rowling), we as a society are settling and making these posed situations true.
Rowling also used the subject of her writing to fight women’s rights. Harry Potter as a whole is a gateway to new realms of feminism and outlooks of the roles of women. While discussing the topic of feminism, my friends and I concluded that we as females want to be recognized as strong and able, yet we do not want to lose the chivalry shown by men.
Rowling effectively used female supporting characters to carry the story and display this modern view on feminism. The most obvious of female characters is Hermione Granger. From the start she is a book worm, a nerd, a geek, an outsider. As a reader you are put into the situation of wanting to root for the outcasts and are given a sense of the humiliation they go through. Throughout the course of all seven books, Rowling builds Hermione in all aspects. Her smarts are appreciated and life saving in many situations while she also matures in her looks while maintaining her geeky ways. Hermione along with her fellow female characters set a new standard for females in the media and act as role models for readers of all genders and ages.
Crafting a combination of modern and traditional female roles, Rowling places feminism into the media in ways that bring out the best aspects of it. Reducing her name into a pen name is degrading in a way, however, J.K Rowling did gain a seat for “women at the proverbial table,” inspiring young authors that anyone with a goal in mind can achieve that which they set out to do (Zeisler, 2008, p 21).
References:
“Harry Potter Book Cover Art.” World Wide Art. n.d. Web 12 Sept. 2011. http://www.world-wide-art.com/Mary_GrandPre/Harry_Potter_Harry_Potter_Limited_Edition_Deluxe_Book_Cover_Art_Set/vaid28718.html
“Hermione Jean Granger.” Fanpop. n.d. Web 20 Sept. 2011. http://www.fanpop.com/spots/harry-potter/articles/55603/title/hermione-jean-granger
Zeisler, A. (2008). Feminism and Pop Culture. Berkeley, CA: Seal Press.
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