|
| |
Personality
Hermione's position as one of the most intelligent students in her year, which
she works hard to maintain, has also led to frequent teasing, although Harry and
Ron do depend on her for academic help, and her knowledge and common sense prove
valuable in overcoming the trio's challenges.
Hermione is brave and loyal and has a fierce political conscience; Though in her
first year she was confused at crisis situations (when asked to light a fire
when trapped in the Devil's Snare, she said "But there's no wood!"), later she
became the one to solve those situations (manages to fool Umbridge into the
Forbidden Forest, marking the doors at the Department of Mystery).
Although compassionate, she can be a bit awkward when dealing with people,
despite her position as the "social soother" in the trio. A good example is her
ham-handed attempt to comfort Lavender Brown over the death of her rabbit.
Screenwriter Steve Kloves has said that Hermione often shows "a complete lack of
understanding of how she affects other people". According to Rowling, Hermione
is deeply insecure and sometimes feels utterly inadequate. To compensate, she
tries to be the best at everything at school, projecting a false confidence that
can irritate people. Hermione also tends to irritate people with her apparent
sense of moral superiority, which she has tried to force upon others in the
past.
Rowling admits that Hermione is in many ways based upon herself. Hermione's
Patronus is an otter, Rowling's favorite animal.
| |
|
