Hermione Granger: Character Analysis

[Rell]

Actually, Hermione had a great deal of trouble making friends in the wizarding world - she had no friends until Halloween because of her poor social skills. I assume that she had those same social skills at her muggle school.

But even if she did have friends, it would be very hard to keep in touch. She couldn't write about anything she was learning about, or even where exactly she was at school.

[magicalmysteryg]

Originally Posted by Rell

Actually, Hermione had a great deal of trouble making friends in the wizarding world - she had no friends until Halloween because of her poor social skills. I assume that she had those same social skills at her muggle school.

But even if she did have friends, it would be very hard to keep in touch. She couldn't write about anything she was learning about, or even where exactly she was at school.

That's true. I was just pointing out that she didn't have any close friends in the muggle world either. Since she started school in september, it took her two months to make real friends, which isn't bad at all in my opionion. In eleven years in the muggle world, she had never made good friends.

[Sheree]

While it is true that Hermione has poorer social skills than some of the other characters, I'm willing to bet that part of the reason she didn't have friends (that we know of) in her old school was because she was "different," much like Harry was "different." If she had strange things happening to her all the time like Harry did, then the other kids were probably a bit afraid of her anyway, or perhaps their parents were. Combined with her "know-it-all" attitude, she would have been kind of hard to make friends with.
But her social skills have developed since then. While I'm not always happy with the way she has acted towards Luna, she is known for being compassionate and understanding. She alone seemed to notice Neville's reaction to Moody's showing of the Cruciatus Curse and she has always tried to be open towards Harry's feelings. She also seems to be in-touch with what the other girls are saying, as she rarely seems surprised by the rumors flying around in the same way Harry is. Her social skills have improved tremendously since being at Hogwarts.

[meesha1971]

Originally Posted by Sheree

While it is true that Hermione has poorer social skills than some of the other characters, I'm willing to bet that part of the reason she didn't have friends (that we know of) in her old school was because she was "different," much like Harry was "different." If she had strange things happening to her all the time like Harry did, then the other kids were probably a bit afraid of her anyway, or perhaps their parents were. Combined with her "know-it-all" attitude, she would have been kind of hard to make friends with.
But her social skills have developed since then. While I'm not always happy with the way she has acted towards Luna, she is known for being compassionate and understanding. She alone seemed to notice Neville's reaction to Moody's showing of the Cruciatus Curse and she has always tried to be open towards Harry's feelings. She also seems to be in-touch with what the other girls are saying, as she rarely seems surprised by the rumors flying around in the same way Harry is. Her social skills have improved tremendously since being at Hogwarts.

The fact that she was a witch might have been a factor, but I think Hermione's poor social skills has more to do with her not having any friends. She had a tendency to be abrasive and came across as a bossy know-it-all to everyone.

I agree that Hermione's social skills have improved a great deal - largely due to her friendship with Ron and Harry. However, she still has a tendency to be abrasive and bossy. Nowhere near as much as she did in first year, but it still happens from time to time.

Hermione does know a lot of the gossip, but I think that is because she is often overlooked. She goes to the bathroom to use it - not to fix her hair or gossip with the other girls. They probably forget she's there or just don't notice her. I think that goes more towards showing that Hermione is a good listener. She is nice to other students - like Neville and Ginny - but Ron and Harry are her only close friends.

[mysterious]

Originally Posted by meesha1971

I agree that Hermione's social skills have improved a great deal

But she still doesn't have a great pool of friends, which again shows that she has refined her approach towards people but is still a conservative girl.

[meesha1971]

Originally Posted by mysterious

But she still doesn't have a great pool of friends, which again shows that she has refined her approach towards people but is still a conservative girl.

I agree. That's why I said that, while she is nice to some - like Neville and Ginny - her only close friends are Ron and Harry.

[anabel]

Originally Posted by Rell

But even if she did have friends, it would be very hard to keep in touch. She couldn't write about anything she was learning about, or even where exactly she was at school.

Exactly! She probably just told them she was going away to boarding school, perhaps on a scholarship, but there wasn't anything else she could share with them. But as we saw in PS, Hermione arrived at Hogwarts with very poor social skills and a somewhat abrasive personality, which thankfully she was able to modify as her friendship with Ron and Harry developed. She still has trouble understanding other people's point of view when it differs a lot from hers, eg that Hogwarts, a History will never be popular bedtime reading for the other kids, but she improved a lot!

[Sheree]

Originally Posted by meesha1971

The fact that she was a witch might have been a factor, but I think Hermione's poor social skills has more to do with her not having any friends. She had a tendency to be abrasive and came across as a bossy know-it-all to everyone.

I agree that Hermione's social skills have improved a great deal - largely due to her friendship with Ron and Harry. However, she still has a tendency to be abrasive and bossy. Nowhere near as much as she did in first year, but it still happens from time to time.

Hermione does know a lot of the gossip, but I think that is because she is often overlooked. She goes to the bathroom to use it - not to fix her hair or gossip with the other girls. They probably forget she's there or just don't notice her. I think that goes more towards showing that Hermione is a good listener. She is nice to other students - like Neville and Ginny - but Ron and Harry are her only close friends.

I don't know, though, that I would describe her so much as "abrasive" as I would "difficult," but then, she wouldn't be the only one, would she?
Ron himself appeared early in the books as being incredibly self-conscious, and in ways, that self-consciousness has increased (and decreased) in the following books. He also has an absolutely terrible habit of completely ignoring his "friends" when he feels they've wronged him (whether or not they have). Eddie MacMillan is described as being pompous, and you kind of get the feeling that he has moments of extreme self-importance. And there are other characters who have unfavorable characteristics to their personalities.
So what makes Hermione's flaws so different? She's a bit bossy, yes, but she generally has good intentions, and she is often proven right. She comes across as a know-it-all, but it is no secret that she works hard for it - she's not some genius who rubs it in everyone's faces. She loves knowledge - she thirsts for it - and she loves to share what she knows, even if sometimes it comes across as though she is rubbing it in people's faces.
And I still think she is very likely one of the most compassionate, caring characters in the book. Think of when Ron - and largely Harry, it seems - were ignoring her in 3rd year. Hermione could have spent her extra time studying for school, as she seems to love doing. Instead, she was doing research for Hagrid so that she could help save Buckbeak. That's faithfulness and compassion, if you ask me.
And when she found out that it was a basilisk in the chamber? She could have ran to Harry or to Dumbledore as fast as possible to let them in on it, but she did take the time to warn at least one other student of the danger of rounding corners during that time.
I'm not really sure that it's her lack of social skills so much as it is the fact that she's intimidating. Harry is too, actually. He is more popular than she is, but even Ron seems more popular than Harry, and he is certainly not as talented or as capable as either H or H.
After six years of going to school with Hermione, the other girls would, doubtless, have noticed her better traits, too. Ginny did, and I honestly think that Ginny and Hermione are better friends than we know. After all, we know that Ginny and Hermione have talked about boys in the past (Hermione was perfectly aware of the fact that Ginny had "given up" on Harry, after all), and the two do seem to get along quite well during the summers. I'm sure that Ginny has other female friends at Hogwarts, but I doubt that their friendship simply "ends" the moment the two girls reach the school.

[meesha1971]

Originally Posted by Sheree

I don't know, though, that I would describe her so much as "abrasive" as I would "difficult," but then, she wouldn't be the only one, would she?
Ron himself appeared early in the books as being incredibly self-conscious, and in ways, that self-consciousness has increased (and decreased) in the following books. He also has an absolutely terrible habit of completely ignoring his "friends" when he feels they've wronged him (whether or not they have).

Actually, Ron is the one who is open and friendly from the beginning. He and Harry bonded instantly and had a lot of fun on that first train ride. Ron is insecure, but why should that be held against him? He's the youngest of six boys who have already done everything. His insecurity is understandable.

And Ron never ignored either Harry or Hermione unless he was truly hurt by their behavior - and when he was wrong, he was the first to admit it. And even so, he still demonstrates that he cares about them in spite of his anger.

That is something Hermione has never been able to do - not even with Ron and Harry. She has her own insecurities and, because of them, has a deep seeded need to be right. She has yet to admit when she has been wrong - and she has been wrong. The closest she came was apologizing for Scabbers, but in the end she still went on about how she was right that Crookshanks didn't eat Scabbers and ignored the fact that Ron was right about Crookshanks being after Scabbers all along - which she completely ignored from the first time he expressed concern. It takes two people to have an argument and in every argument that has been shown within the trio, both parties played a part, both were wrong about some of it, and both were right about some it. In the end, those arguments were valuable learning lessons for all of them. It will be interesting to see if Hermione will ever reach the point where she can admit when she is wrong.

Eddie MacMillan is described as being pompous, and you kind of get the feeling that he has moments of extreme self-importance. And there are other characters who have unfavorable characteristics to their personalities.

Do you mean Ernie MacMillan? I agree, he can be pompous and has moments of self importance. However, we are also shown that he has friends early on. His behavior didn't alienate everyone.

However, we are discussing Hermione - not the other characters. And, Hermione is the only character who was shown on page to have no friends when she arrived at Hogwarts and not being able to make friends - initially - because of her poor social skills. Jo said it herself - she insisted that the troll incident be left in PS/SS because she felt something that huge was necessary to get Ron and Harry to give Hermione a chance because she was so swotty and annoying.

So what makes Hermione's flaws so different? She's a bit bossy, yes, but she generally has good intentions, and she is often proven right. She comes across as a know-it-all, but it is no secret that she works hard for it - she's not some genius who rubs it in everyone's faces. She loves knowledge - she thirsts for it - and she loves to share what she knows, even if sometimes it comes across as though she is rubbing it in people's faces.

In general, the difference is in how Hermione comes across to other people. She lacked the ability to share her knowledge without sounding like she was rubbing it in people's faces. The initial impression she gave was that she was showing off - that she thought she was better than they were. That was not her intention, she simply did not know a better way to go about it. What she saw as helping came across to others as being a bossy know-it-all. She has improved, but as I said above, she still needs to work on admitting when she is wrong. And she still has a tendency to come across as a bossy know-it-all. Harry and Ron have accepted that aspect of her personality and understand that she doesn't actually mean it that way. Those who don't know her so well don't really understand that.

And I still think she is very likely one of the most compassionate, caring characters in the book. Think of when Ron - and largely Harry, it seems - were ignoring her in 3rd year. Hermione could have spent her extra time studying for school, as she seems to love doing. Instead, she was doing research for Hagrid so that she could help save Buckbeak. That's faithfulness and compassion, if you ask me.

Hermione is certainly caring and compassionate. However, that does not always come through in her behavior. And I wouldn't say that she is the most caring and compassionate character in the series. She did not show much compassion towards Luna initially. She has not shown any compassion towards the house-elves - her heart is in the right place, but she completely ignores what the house-elves want simply because she doesn't agree with it or understand it. She didn't show much compassion towards Harry when he was so upset over the Sectumsempra incident in HBP - instead choosing to say "I told you so" and rub it in that she was right. Hermione has difficulty accepting other opinions beyond her own - part of her need to be right all the time. She's getting better about that and I think the events of HBP helped her mature a lot in that regard.

And when she found out that it was a basilisk in the chamber? She could have ran to Harry or to Dumbledore as fast as possible to let them in on it, but she did take the time to warn at least one other student of the danger of rounding corners during that time.

Actually, that was one of Hermione's mistakes. Rushing off to the library without telling Harry or Ron why - or anyone else for that matter - was foolish - compounded by her choice to do so while the castle was basically empty. She left herself easy prey. Warning Penelope was good - but it would have been better if she had shared her epiphany before running off on her own to check it out.

I'm not really sure that it's her lack of social skills so much as it is the fact that she's intimidating. Harry is too, actually. He is more popular than she is, but even Ron seems more popular than Harry, and he is certainly not as talented or as capable as either H or H.

I would have to disagree. The trio are pretty much equals in terms of intelligence and ability. Hermione works harder than Harry or Ron and that is reflected in her grades, but both Harry and Ron are very capable - and in some cases more capable.

Hermione is intimidating, but it's not because of what she can do. She's intimidating because of how she presents herself - again coming back to poor social skills.

After six years of going to school with Hermione, the other girls would, doubtless, have noticed her better traits, too. Ginny did, and I honestly think that Ginny and Hermione are better friends than we know. After all, we know that Ginny and Hermione have talked about boys in the past (Hermione was perfectly aware of the fact that Ginny had "given up" on Harry, after all), and the two do seem to get along quite well during the summers. I'm sure that Ginny has other female friends at Hogwarts, but I doubt that their friendship simply "ends" the moment the two girls reach the school.

Actually, I really don't see anything to reflect that Ginny and Hermione are very close. I see Hermione taking on a sort of "older sister" role with Ginny, but in some ways it's rather condescending. Ginny took Hermione's advice about Harry because Hermione had an advantage there - being friends with Harry and knowing more about him. Her only other option was Ron and she wasn't going to go to her brother for romantic advice.

However, we see in HBP that Ginny knows very little about Hermione. She had no idea that Ron and Hermione liked each other. She had no idea that Ron and Hermione were fighting - she appeared oblivious throughout that and not once did we see Ginny offering Hermione any comfort or even talking to her during that entire three month period. And Ginny is the one who told Hermione to lay off Harry when she was being insensitive and saying "I told you so". None of that is a poor reflection on Ginny - she simply did not know because Hermione is such a private and reserved person. But that precludes them being close friends. They could potentially become close friends eventually, but they are not close friends now. However, this is getting off topic and there is a thread to discuss whether or not Hermione and Ginny are friends.

None of the other girls are close friends with Hermione either - although Luna does at least try to comfort Hermione when she is upset in HBP. Overall, Hermione simply does not have anything in common with the other girls in general - she doesn't care about her hair or makeup, she doesn't join them in their gossip, she doesn't confide in them or share secrets.

Personally, I don't think Hermione is all that comfortable around girls because her personality is so different in that regard. She's more comfortable around Harry and Ron and she can relax and be herself. She was seeking to be friends with them from the beginning - not the other girls.

Of course, none of this makes Hermione a bad person. She just needed to improve her social skills - and there is still some room for improvement there. However, I think she matured a great deal in HBP and those events - while painful - were good for her in the sense that it will help her learn how to admit her mistakes and not judge others so harshly for making mistakes.

[Sheree]

You do make some very valid points, and I can definately see where you're coming from. However, I do have to disagree with some of them.
Honestly, I do think that Hermione lacks some important social skills, and I have no intention of denying that fact. She does come off as a bit of a know-it-all, but I honestly think that much of this is due to the jealousy that some of her peers feel towards her. She's seen as much of a teacher's pet, and there is often a comment about her hand flying into the air or her running off to the library or having her nose in a book or some such thing.
When I brought on the analyzations of the other characters, I was only comparing. Sorry if I went on too long about it, but I really do believe that it has to be done.
I won't say that Hermione doesn't have a need to prove herself - she certainly does. All I'm saying is that she's not the only one by far. Ron has the same desire. And no, he didn't only blow up at his friends just because they'd hurt him - he did it when he was out right jealous, too. There wasn't just the Crookshanks/Scabbers scene - how about the way he treated her when he was dating Lavender? I can't imagine Hermione treating him with the same disregard, nor can I imagine that she would ever simply use another boy to make Ron jealous in the same way that he was using Lavender. It simply isn't in her nature.
Also, Hermione does have a strong tendency to use her abilities to help others. Remember when we first meet her? She's helping Neville look for Trevor. And she seemed to have little qualm in admitting to Harry that she thought he was a "great wizard," while she was simply "all books and cleverness." She certainly made it sound as though she saw something more important than being 'right' in that instance.
As for her relationship with Ginny, I would have to explain our lack of evidence for it in the fact that until later on in the book, we don't actually see a whole lot of the two girls together, and it could be because a possible friendship between them wouldn't necessarily be central to the plot. We do know that they share a room when at the Weasleys (always conducive to late-night talks between two girls), and that they are often seen giggling together or talking at the table or something. Perhaps Harry doesn''t reflect much on the relationship, so we really just don't see that much of it?
I do freely admit that I am quite uncomfortable with the way Hermione acted towards Luna, though I will say that she was not the only way. Some of her comments did go way over the top, though, but at least she said them to Luna and not behind her back (not that that makes it any better). Truly, I do think she should have laid off of the Quibbler.

And yes, I did mean Ernie - my bad! I actually know someone named Eddie who reminds me of Ernie, and I guess I was thinking of him when I wrote it... Better not let him know, might give him an even bigger head!

[guad]

Originally Posted by Sheree

As for her relationship with Ginny, I would have to explain our lack of evidence for it in the fact that until later on in the book, we don't actually see a whole lot of the two girls together, and it could be because a possible friendship between them wouldn't necessarily be central to the plot. We do know that they share a room when at the Weasleys (always conducive to late-night talks between two girls), and that they are often seen giggling together or talking at the table or something. Perhaps Harry doesn''t reflect much on the relationship, so we really just don't see that much of it?

I agree. We have a lot of hints in the books that indicate that Ginny and Hermione are quite close, only that it's not important to the story, which is after all about Harry. There is more emphasis on the Harry-Hermione friendship and the Harry-Ginny relation, than the Hermione -Ginny friendship, simply because the story doesn't need it.
The strongest indicator is when Ginny tells Harry that it was Hermione who has given her advice about how to act around Harry. It sounds like the typical girl friendship conversations about boys you have with a good friend.

Originally Posted by Sheree

I do freely admit that I am quite uncomfortable with the way Hermione acted towards Luna, though I will say that she was not the only way. Some of her comments did go way over the top, though, but at least she said them to Luna and not behind her back (not that that makes it any better). Truly, I do think she should have laid off of the Quibbler.

But she revised her position. She invited Luna to the meeting with Rita and Harry, in order to get the article published. This means that Hermione is quite able to see further than her initial opinions. And let's face it, the Quibbler is fun and often right, but not exactly the most accurate of magazines. We know that Hermione is a fact lover and logical, so it's normal she doesn't like the Quibbler.

Originally Posted by Sheree

I can't imagine Hermione treating him with the same disregard, nor can I imagine that she would ever simply use another boy to make Ron jealous in the same way that he was using Lavender. It simply isn't in her nature.

We have seen this. She does try to use Cormac to make Ron jealous, but at least she admits it openly and does not go further than a date. She does not fool him into a long relationship which might have hurt him (or not, we don't know).

[Hinoema]

Originally Posted by Sheree

I can't imagine Hermione treating him with the same disregard, nor can I imagine that she would ever simply use another boy to make Ron jealous in the same way that he was using Lavender. It simply isn't in her nature.

She only dated McLaggen to make Ron jealous, and almost decided to us Zacharias Smith for that purpose, much to Harry's dismay.

ETA: Good morning, Guad.

[Sheree]

Originally Posted by guad

But she revised her position. She invited Luna to the meeting with Rita and Harry, in order to get the article published. This means that Hermione is quite able to see further than her initial opinions. And let's face it, the Quibbler is fun and often right, but not exactly the most accurate of magazines. We know that Hermione is a fact lover and logical, so it's normal she doesn't like the Quibbler.

We have seen this. She does try to use Cormac to make Ron jealous, but at least she admits it openly and does not go further than a date. She does not fool him into a long relationship which might have hurt him (or not, we don't know).

I see your point, but I really don't think that Hermione's inviting Luna to the meeting was completely because Hermione's opinion about the girl had changed so drastically. Hermione understood that it would take a magazine like the Quibbler to publish Harry's story, and Luna's dad was the editor. I have a sneaking suspicion that is was more of a strategic display than a show of friendship on Hermione's part.
And yes, she did attempt to use Cormac for this purpose, but it was more of a one-time, acting-out kind of deal, rather than the long-term, drawn-out thing that Ron had with Lavender. The fact that Hermione made no attempt to continue to use Cormac says a lot for her, I think.
On a personal note...surely she can be forgiven for one little piece of jealous brashness? Who here hasn't been affected by the green-eyed monster at some point?

[Hinoema]

No one. We're just showing examples that yes, it is in her nature to act our of jealousy.

[SusanBones]

I got the impression that Hermione in the beginning of PS/SS was just very insecure. She was raised in a Muggle family and was used to that world. Finding out she was a witch must have really thrown her. She was a fish out of water when she got to Hogwarts. We see that Harry was very worried about not knowing anything and being really far behind when he got to Hogwarts. Someone like Hermione, who was very much tied to being the best at everything, was suddenly no longer the best, probably for the first time in her school life. But I always felt that once she started to get good grades and catch up and surpass the other students, the real Hermione came out. I think her social ineptness was temporary.

[Chris]

I wonder how much her insecurities and relative lack of friends contributes to the really mean streak she can have when you get on her bad side. She does have a temper, and it's not a good idea to get on her bad side - just ask Umbridge, Ron (oppugno!), or Rita Skeeter.
She's a fascinating character, and it's been nice to see the know-it-all grow into a young woman with a kind heart and good friends. I agree that she's very close with Ginny - she was plotting with Ginny for years to get Ginny and Harry together.

[RWeasleysgirl]

I don’t think she and Ginny are very close, I imagine they have a someone big-sister/little-sister relationship. That isn’t really the same as being girlfriends because they’re not equals in each other’s eyes, I imagine that when Ginny spoke to Hermione about Harry she was seeking advice from someone older and with more life experience and who knew Harry better than most, yet Ginny seems to know nothing about Hermione’s feelings for Ron. It seems like it’s the sort of relationship like that, like your little sister might come to you for advice, but you might not feel comfortable confiding such things in her.

[wulfric_brian]

Does anyone else think that Hermione's tendancy to think of a brainwave and leave Harry and Ron in the dark about it could be her downfall.

I mean look at CoS, she thought it was a Basilk but didnt tell anyone of her suspicions untill she confirmed it. The same thing happened in OotP when she went to get Rita Skeeter, but this time it was Harry's disadvantage as Cho ended up getting all moody (Which I'm sure she wouldnt if she knew where Harry was going). Does anyone have exact quotes (I'm not at home)?

This concept of not telling anyone anything until you have absolute proof is the opposite of Ron and Harry who seem to go on suspicions only. But does anyone else think that this may play a part in DH.

[Yoana]

Hermione wasn't the only one who wasn't partiularly nice to Luna. Ginny called her "Loony" initially. Harry was extremely embarrassed to be found (by Cho) sitting in a compartment with Neville and "this Looney Lovegood". And Ron's attotude wasn't that flattering either. The difference is that Hermione had nothing against Luna personally, and she didn't try to avoid her because she was strange or unpopular (as Harry thinks when she sasy she believes his story in front of everyone - he's embarrassed by her) - Hermione just can't accept views so shockingly different from her own logical, academic way of thinking. I think Hermione is unable to let go off solid facts and her clash with Luna was predictable and perfectly natural.

However, her attitude does change. Towards the end of OotP, in a conversation on the train, I think Luna said something about going to hunt for [insert weird creature here] with her Dad. Then Hermione is shown to be having a short internal battle (obviously bursting to state yet again, in an imperious manner, that such things do not exist), and then, wonderfully, she smiles and lets it go. She even says "Great!". This is one of my most favourite Hermione moments. This really shows her in development, and simultaneously shows how she is able to sacrifice her beliefs, however fierce (because I don't soubt for a moment she didn't start wondering if those creatures actually exist), and overcome her need to be always right, for the sake of someone else - someone she considers closer now.

Harry's attitude towards Luna also changed in the course of the book, and we see it towards the end, whe she's the only one who's able to give him some solace, but the best scene is in HBP, in the train - a mirror scene to the one in the previous book, but here Harry is no longer embarrassed by Luna and Neville - he's proud of having them as friends. This is a great contrast and shows how much Harry has matured. I think the situation with Hermione letting go of her need to prove Luna's unfounded beliefs wrong is basically the same device - a contrast scene to others where Hermione "barked" and "snapped" at Luna, and shows her maturity and, in my opinion, her true colours. Hermione does know what is important and what is less so. To me, this is the greatest, most admirable and unique trait of her character, and one of the first things I noticed about the books. And it takes a great deal of maturity to be able to sort the important from the unimportant. Hermione is my most favourite character and has always been, from the beginning

[jam1]

Originally Posted by chparadise

I agree that she's very close with Ginny - she was plotting with Ginny for years to get Ginny and Harry together.

There's another thread for this but I think it's quite obvious that Ginny and Hermione aren't that close (see the WonWon/LavLav incident for an example).

Also, while Hermione was certainly happy that Ginny and Harry got together, there's absolutely no evidence that suggest they somehow "plotted" it together.