The
Hogwarts houses have specific common themes.
The Gryffindors are brave, the Slytherins are evil and cunning, the
Hufflepuffs are kind and accepting, and the Ravenclaws are intelligent. Of course, though, no student fits into these
categories perfectly. Everyone is their
own person with complex personality traits.
One of these prominent characters is Hermione Granger.
At first glance, Hermione
absolutely seems to be a Ravenclaw. She
is extremely intelligent. During her
first interaction with Harry and Ron, she tells them she has “learned all the
course books by heart, of course” (105) and that she also did a lot of optional
background reading about the school and wizarding world. She is displayed as a know-it-all throughout
the whole novel. With a passionate love
for school, she even claims that being expelled would be worse than death. With all things considered, Hermione seems
like a cookie-cutter Ravenclaw. However,
she gets sorted into Gryffindor.
In this novel’s sorting hat song,
Gryffindors are defined as “brave at heart” and possessing “daring, nerve, and
chivalry” (118). While Hermione may be
intelligent, she also encompasses these Gryffindor traits very well. In my opinion, the first time we see true Gryffindor
in her is after the troll incident on Halloween. When the professors discover Harry, Ron, and
Hermione with the dead troll, they are all quickly going to get punished. However, Hermione lies to Professor
McGonagall by taking the blame and leaving Ron and Harry to look like
heroes. Hermione realizes that they
saved her life, and she is willing to take punishment and shame in order for
thank them. Not only does this scene
secure their series-long friendship, but it also shows why Hermione was sorted
into Griffindor instead of Ravenclaw.
Hermione goes on to perform many
more “brave” and “daring” actions throughout the novel. She sets fire to Snape when she thinks he is
cursing Harry during the Quidditch game.
This is another defiant act to authority, which strongly goes against
her teacher’s pet persona. She also
uses her intelligence in acts of bravery, such as helping Ron and Harry out of
the Devil’s Snare.
Hermione was correctly sorted into
Gryffindor. Although she is intelligent,
her bravery always outruns her wisdom.
She proves this when she tells Harry “Books! And
cleverness! There are more important things – friendship and bravery” (287).
As noted in your post (and discussed during class), no character is a quintessential representation of any of the houses. Indeed, the house descriptions are broad enough that most students can lay claim to at least one of the Sorting Hat’s criteria. This generality leads to arguments that some sorted students might be better off in a different house. After all, there is no dramatic difference between the “cunning folk” of Slytherin and “those of wit” (94) in Ravenclaw. The same could be said of Gryffindor’s “brave of heart” (93) and Hufflepuff’s “unafraid of toil” (94). Thus, as Rowling (the Sorting Hat) and readers will naturally view certain qualities of characters as more prominent or important, legitimate sorting debates are bound to take place. The Sorting Hat periodically has a difficult time with differentiating between houses as it considers Harry for Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin: “Very difficult…plenty of courage…not a bad mind…talent…and a nice thirst to prove yourself” (97).
ReplyDeleteThe situation somewhat parallels the decisions of many college students. For instance, although I am a physics and mathematics major, I might feel just as comfortable studying engineering, computer science, statistics, or economics. Just as one early decision shaped Harry’s entire career at Hogwarts, my degree choice (albeit at an age somewhat higher than 11) set out my next 4-8 years of education. Truly, Ravenclaw’s book smarts, Gryffindor’s courage, and Slytherin’s ambition (as the house is not really “evil”) all would have adequately accommodated Hermione. Without doubt, she has studied these outcomes as she notes, “I hope I’m in Gryffindor…but I suppose Ravenclaw wouldn’t be too bad” (84). This hope, similar to Harry’s dialogue with the Sorting Hat, is the likely culprit of her house placement. Only later, through various conflicts and resolutions, do readers observe Hermione’s bravery, initially hidden by Rowling.
Our class also discussed how the houses fail to take into consideration the many unique qualities that might bring a group of young adolescents together. After considering this discussion, it was clear that there is no true house for Hermione and the other students at Hogwarts.
ReplyDeleteIn the novel, Gryffindors are described as "brave at heart" and that "their daring, nerve, and chivalry" set them apart (118). Hermione definitely possesses the brave character to be in Gryffindor, but there are definitely better ways to sort the houses. However, Hufflepuffs are described as "just and loyal" (118), which are characteristics that Hermione undoubtedly possesses as well. Harry describes himself "really lucky" to have Hermione as a friend (181). This is a true testament to Hermione's loyalty as well. Although Hermione has Hufflepuff qualities, she also exhibits qualities that could qualify her to be a Ravenclaw or a Slytherin.
This proves that the houses are less meaningful than they could be if they were sorted by a better method, such as interest or a concrete skill rather than a trait that can be possessed simultaneously along with others. Therefore, I believe that Hermione would fit with any of the four houses, and that there is no true house for any of them.