Gender Stereotypes in J. K. Rowling's "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" (eBook)

Studienarbeit aus dem Jahr 2020 im Fachbereich Anglistik - Literatur, , Sprache: Deutsch, Abstract: The portrayal of women in the Harry Potter series could be considered a highly controversial topic, especially among feminist advocates. Firstly, J. K. Rowling herself has faced discrimination based on the fact that she is a woman, which is why she ultimately was pressured into releasing the Harry Potter series under a pen name. This was done in order to get the support of a publishing company after getting rejected a total of twelve times. Despite this, many argue that she has portrayed some of the most significant characters within the Harry Potter series in stereotypical to even harmful ways.

As there are some, who, especially due to Rowling’s public actions, believe women are not portrayed in a favorable or feminist way in the Harry Potter series, it is the aim of this paper to take a closer look at the seventh, and arguably most important, part of the series to determine whether or not specific characters are portrayed in a stereotypical and sexist ways. I will briefly take on the notion of sex and gender, explained by Connel, West and Zimmerman, as well as gender stereotypes and the way gender is portrayed in children’s literature, introduced by Wilma J. Pyle. Furthermore, I will take a look at the seventh book in the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and briefly put its content into context.

Lastly, I will take on specific female characters and explain, how i. e. through specific language and behavior patterns, they are portrayed in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallow. In a separate chapter, I will take a closer look at the female protagonist Hermione Granger to discuss, whether she is presented in a stereotypical, sexist way or not and how the way she is portrayed is recognizable in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.