Analysis of Hermione Granger character in JK Rowling’s

Harry Potter

By: Dyah Kartika

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Problem

J.K rowling's world-wide famous novel, Harry Potter, is a seven series book

presents a fiction story about a wizards and witches' life in somewhere placed in

England. Even though the main character here is Harry Potter, just like the title of the

books, but somehow the existence of his two other friends, Ron Weasley and

Hermione Granger are unbelievably as prominent as Harry Potter it self. It’s because

of the way the writer creates such a memorable characteristic of them. Each and

every of them has unique and such charismatic characteristic.

Hermione Jane Granger is one of the most popular characters from the

Harry Potter series. She is especially popular with young female fans that see this

character as a role model. In recent literature novel, strong female role models are

very rare. They usually are created as weak fallen in love girls with heart broken who

try to take a revenge, or just try to change their looks to attract their boys then they

can live happily ever after, and that is the end of the story. However, JK Rowling

offered something different with marvelous style of her writing. She presented girls of

this generation with a strong female role model in Hermione Jane Granger.

Hermione's brave choices, her ability to stand up for what is morally right and

her intelligence make her one character that our generation of young women these

days can be proud to look up to. Although Entertainment Weekly chose Harry Potter

as the second best fictional character of the last 20 years (the top honor went to

Homer Simpson), somehow, the writer definitely believes that it is Hermione who is

the main brain of the Harry Potter series who makes the entire plan and guides Harry

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to all of his adventures. And that’s why this paper was made, to analyze Hermione’s

strong character into a deeper aspect of Harry Potter book series.

CHAPTER II

RESEARCH METHOD

2.1 Research Design

The writer here used qualitative research method to analyze the

characteristic of Hermione Granger in Harry Potter novel series. The novel itself is

treated as primary data, which means that the writer used the statements and events

in the novel that related to the characteristics, which are observed.

Qualitative research is a kind of research resulting inventions that

cannot reach out by using statistical procedures or with other

quantification way. Qualitative research is different from quantitative

research; it does not use statistical procedures as in quantitative

research. This research uses descriptive because in this research the

writer did not use the data in the form of numbers but in the form of

words and sentences by classifying and quoting sentences in the novel.

2.2 Sources of the Data

The main source of this study is the whole series of Harry Potter.

The books were chosen as the source of the data because they described

personality of main subject of this paper, Hermione Granger. The secondary

data, which the writer used, includes dictionaries, collecting data from internet, and

references from other reader’s opinion.

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CHAPTER III

RESULT OF STUDY

3.1 Character analysis of Hermione Granger

Hermione Jane Granger is a character who is known as a high intelligence

person who will stand for what is right for society and has such a high quality of

friendship. She is able to learn everything quickly, and she is a kind of person who

believes in the power of books above all. She has a high desire to help the one who

has been enslaved. All of those personalities are because she has a real heart of

friendship that makes her never stop caring them.

3.1.1 High-Intelligence

When we heard name ‘Hermione Granger’, all of our assumption at first will

refer to her outstanding intelligence. Hermione granger is known as a smart student

in Hogwarts. At first everyone keeps making of fun of her since they think Hermione

is too excessive and looks like a conceited student who needs all attention. But after

all she definitely proved her self as the real smart student who never failed her

studies and always knows everything that everyone does not even care about. Harry

in the sixth book (Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince) describes Hermione to

Professor Slughorn as the best student in his year, a compliment that everyone will

agree with. It is not just among students, Lupin, one of the professors in Hogwarts

even admitted her as the smartest witch of her age.

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Lupin stopped dead. Then, with an obvious effort, he turned to Hermione and said,

“How long have you known?”

“Ages,” Hermione whispered. “Since I did Professor Snape’s essay.”

“He’ll be delighted,” said Lupin coolly. “He assigned that essay hoping someone

would realize what my symptoms meant. . . . Did you check the lunar chart and realize that I

was always ill at the full moon? Or did you realize that the boggart changed into the moon

when it saw me?”

“Both,” Hermione said quietly.

Lupin forced a laugh.

“You’re the cleverest witch of your age I’ve ever met, Hermione.” (Harry potter and

the prisoner of Azkaban, chap 17)

Hermione can be known as a smart student, but she will never claim her self

as one. She has a delicate personality that makes her always be humble. Especially

when it comes to intelligence, she will say (after done explaining something) that

everything she just said is actually from a history book or something, she said it as if

it’s a common thing to be known by everyone in the world.

Harry started explaining about hidden microphones and recording equipment. Ron

was fascinated, but Hermione interrupted them.

"Aren't you ever going to read Hogwarts’ History?"

"What's the point?" said Ron. "You know it by heart, we can just ask you." (Harry

Potter and the Goblet of Fire, chap 28)

She is a kind of person who is not proud easily with her own intelligence.

She will not hesitate to say that anyone can be better than her.

"Harry--you're a great wizard, you know."

"I'm not as good as you," said Harry, very embarrassed, as she let him go.

“Me!” said Hermione. “Books! And cleverness! There are more important things—

friendship and bravery and—oh Harry—be careful!” (Harry Potter and the sorcerer’s stone,

chap 16)

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Sometimes, she also fits the role of the Feminist Woman, who works for

herself and is not afraid of using her intelligence to bypass men. Hermione Granger

not only receives “Outstanding” grades in her classes, but she is also a very strong

character who proves that girls can be just as good as the boys.

3.1.2 Stand for the Right

The other one of Hermione’s most interesting characteristics that would be

her specific characteristic for the rest of the books is her desire to stand for

underdog. She always helps the loving creatures that are not treated right, such as

house elves and buckbeak.

In the case of buckbeak, even though she is in a terrible mood because of

her fighting with Ron, she still tries to help Hagrid to rescue his pet, a hippogriffs

named buckbeak, from dead penalty. (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban)

When she knows the house elves (creature that works as maid for houses)

are treated like slave rather than maid, she tries to set them free. She works

vigorously for their benefit, after meeting the house elf Dobby, who saved Harry

Potter's life from Draco's father. As a way of helping them, she starts an organization

called S.P.E.W, which stands for Society for the Promotion of Elvish Welfare. (Harry

Potter and the Goblet of Fire)

After big battle of Hogwarts vs Voldemort, Hermione marries Ron and joins

the Ministry of Magic's Department for Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures,

where she continues her crusade for elf rights. (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows)

She understands how wrong it is to enslave the house elves against their will

and how it's wrong to prosecute Buckbeak for doing what hippogriffs do. She

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understands that it's right to help them that’s why she works very hard to make a

defense for Buckbeak, and starts S.P.E.W. to end the oppression of house elves.

When the Minister asks her if she has any intent on following a career in law

enforcement she says she wants to do some good in the world. Her desire to do right

and wrong is similar to Harry's heroics, but different at the way of the visualization.

Since Hermione's actions are of a moral nature and Harry's heroics are his bravery

and chivalry.

3.1.3 Real Friendship

Out of the most memorable characteristic of Hermione, there is one thing we

always admire about her, it is her priceless real friendship with her two best friends,

Harry Potter and Ron Weasley. She seems to be a real friend for Harry Potter and

Ron Weasley. She always thinks of them first over her own self. She will sacrifice

everything just to help them solve their problem as long as they stand for the right.

In the first book, when Neville Longbottom stop the three of them from going

outside which will break the rules of Hogwarts, Hermione, in apologitic way, cursed

him to keep Harry in his way. (Harry Potter and the Sorcere’s Stone)

For the first time we can see Hermione breaks the rule in the second book.

For helping Harry knows the truth about the heir of slytherin, she makes the polyjuice

potion, the most complicated potion that will make her in trouble if they are

discovered. However, she knows that it is the right thing to do so she will not go

back. Even when the whole school knows that Harry might be the heir to Slytherin,

Hermione chooses to support Harry and believes him. (Harry Potter and the Chamber

of Secret)

When Harry faces the dragon in the Triwizard Tournament Hermione is there

to cheer him on, even when all of his school mates including Ron Weasley are angry

at him. (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire)

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There are times in the seven book series when Harry Potter is down, far

down, especially in the later books as Harry faces deaths, and endures fear that no

one believes in him. Especially it happens after the series turns to a darker story

following the death of Cedric Diggory at the end of the fourth book, and particularly

following the death of Sirius Black in the Order of the Phoenix and the death of

Hogwarts’ Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore.

When Harry is overwhelmed by the pressure surrounding him, it is Hermione

who never gives up. It is Hermione who will think another way, and it is only

Hermione who tries her best in the worst situation instead of becoming panic in the

wrong time. Sure, they each make mistakes, but in the end, in the case of Hermione,

she will always stick with Harry and believe there will be another way even when she

knows they have lost their way.

Unlike Harry, who seems to have some kind of fear but somehow he decides

to be reckless when he has to do something risky, or Ron, who usually expect

something harmless for him and everyone around him and sometimes clueless

about how risky things that they have to deal with, Hermione, by her intelligence,

tries to understand each and every danger that faces her and her friends. It is her

who will curse any spell in the right time and the right place, it is her who will not fix

her mind when Harry and Ron fighting each other, she will never show whose side

she will stand for, and she will remain neutral while thinking a way to make them

calm down. It is because she has a high ability in taking a completely right decision

to put her mind and soul to what is right.

Hermione’s choices show her to be a brave character in the Harry Potter

series. In some harry Potter books she even almost lose her life just to cover Harry

from death, because she thinks that no one can fight Lord Voldemort face to face but

Harry itself. She believes it, so she stands for it.

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CHAPTER IV

CONCLUSION

4.1 Conclusion

After analyzing the character of Hermione Granger that refers to J.K

Rowling’s Harry Potter series, the writer concludes that:

1 She is sensible and strong, it is because being a muggle-born which means that

her parents are not wizards. However, she is not shy away easily and she proves

herself persistently even though it obviously pains her that muggle-born is seen

in such a bad way, but it also gives her as motivation to win the fight against

Voldemort and someone who fights against muggle-born like Malfoy and

Umbridge.

2 Hermione has always shown an extremely deep understanding of right and

wrong. That is why she over and over again defends and helps those who can't

defend or help themselves.

3 Hermione is probably the most essential character in the trio (Harry, Ron, and

Hermione). She is brilliant, she is capable and talented. Harry may have bravery

and natural ability, but Hermione not only has natural ability but enormous

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knowledge as well. Her cleverness and knowledge have saved the trio countless

amounts of times.

4 According to J.K. Rowling’s statement :

“I have often said that Hermione is a bit like me when I was younger. I think I was seen

by other people as a right little know-it-all, but I hope that it is clear that underneath

Hermione's swottiness there is a lot of insecurity and a great fear of failure”. – J.K.

Rowling

It means that beneath Hermione’s intelligence, she is not always cool, calm and

a kind of ‘all-under-control’ person. She is just like a normal person should be,

seek for perfectness because she has a fear of failure.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Rowling, J. (1998). Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. New York: Scholastic

Press, a division of Scholastic Inc.

Rowling, J. (1999). Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secret. New York: Scholastic

Press, a division of Scholastic Inc.

Rowling, J. (1999). Harry Potter and the Prisoner Azkaban. New York: Scholastic

Press, a division of Scholastic Inc.

Rowling, J. (2000). Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. New York: Scholastic Press,

a division of Scholastic Inc.

Rowling, J. (2003). Harry Potter and the Orde of the Phoenix. New York: Scholastic

Press, a division of Scholastic Inc.

Rowling, J. (2006). Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. New York: Scholastic

Press, a division of Scholastic Inc.

Rowling, J. (2008). Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. New York: Scholastic

Press, a division of Scholastic Inc.

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http://www.pfspublishing.com/bookclub/2010/10.html

http://www.jkrowling.com/textonly/en/extrastuff_view.cfm?id=8

http://www.helium.com

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