Feminist Icons of Literature: Hermione Granger

"Books! And cleverness! There are more important things! — Friendship! And Bravery!"

Brains, sense, loyalty and kindness. An aspirational, hard-working young woman who is confident in her abilities and never apologises for her success. A girl thrust into a completely new world at a young age who never falters, merely taking every new experience in her stride and going out of her way to learn everything she can to set herself apart. Hermione Granger was my all-time favourite character as a child and that hasn't really changed! Now, I admire her as more than a book nerd who's kind to her friends and good at magic, I see the kind of pioneering feminist she was, defying expectations at all ages.

Hermione, born and raised by muggles, enters a world completely new to her at the age of 11. This would be difficult for someone of any age, where everything you thought you knew about the world isn't the truth and there are hundreds of new customs and rules and societal structures to familiarise yourself with, but classic Hermione adjusts amazingly well, throwing herself into books to learn all she can. What is so amazing about Hermione is she embraces the intelligent part of herself from an early age, never denying or hiding her brains but being secure and confident in who she is. This inspired me as a child to not ever be embarrassed about working hard at school or loving books and it's important that we have these kind of role models in children's literature. The characters of books and film are the role models outside of family and friends who influence us most and it's so necessary to have someone like Hermione leading the way and proving to young girls that it's okay to work hard in school and to aim for a successful, academic career.

Additionally to this, Hermione is undoubtedly a feminist icon as she fights for what she believes in: the rights of house elves. They had been enslaved by the wizarding world and Hermione recognised them as deserving of respect and fair treatment. The Society for the Promotion of Elvish Welfare initially faced mocking from even her best friends but as a cause close to her heart, Hermione persevered and continued to fight for the house elves. This is an important message for young girls because it teaches us that when you find something you're passionate about in your life, you must fight for it because if it's not you, there's no one else who will take up the baton!

Finally, Hermione is an all round badass, amazing woman who is consistently loyal to her friends and the causes she believes in, standing by Harry until the very end despite the difficulties and the threats to their lives that they face. She's the brightest witch of her age and never allows anyone to underestimate her or prevent her from aspiring to the best future possible. And for that reason, Hermione is one of my feminist icons of literature.