**which turned into the final, fully developed project because of my passion for the cause of feminism**

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Introduction

      My next experiment idea is a letter to Hermione to her daughter, Rose, about what it means to be a woman. Similarly to the idea that we are all in a new world, I got this idea from the fact that as women, we need to keep advocating for a new world, one in which we truly gain our equality and independence all around. Hermione was my childhood hero (and hero to this day) because she defied boundaries like no other. She was the daughter of two muggles (humans), which was looked down upon to others at Hogwarts. 

      Being a woman is such an important part of my identity. In this letter, I will use Hermione as the “writer” and write from her perspective. I want to include descriptive writing and many literary devices that exposes the true value and worth of women. I want to include societal pressures in a very “angry” way, and work to defy those boundaries. I will also add a little bit of “magic” in, with the fan fiction genre. The purpose of this letter is to write this to Hermione’s daughter, in case she dies while serving her wizarding duties. That way, her daughter would still have a piece of her mother, no matter what. Hermione saw all of the pain that Harry went through, losing his parents to the darkness of the wizarding world, and Hermione wanted to make sure that her daughter would never fully lose her. The letters are how she could be sure that her legacy and stories would be carried on. Additionally, they will serve the purpose of Hermione teaching her daughter how to be a strong woman, and the lessons she learned throughout her life about standing up for yourself and others.

      My intended audience for this piece is all women and girls across the world- to be a light and stroke of inspiration for them to defy the traditions. I feel that this piece will be very bold, and some may even disagree with the purpose of it. However, I know it is very important to write about- the fact that women are far from equal even in our country (and all over the world) needs to be addressed. I am using Hermione as my character because she has been one of my role models and pushed me to strive to be a powerful woman. Now, more than ever, it is our time (as women). It is important to write this piece now and fits in with the culture by defying traditional norms. I am very hopeful for this piece and believe it is a great spin on my original artifact, by trying to create a new world for us, while using Hermione, one of the main characters in the Harry Potter Series that I wrote about. It also will cover the topic that the power of women- the fight for equality- can be magical. The aura of pride for being a woman can be infectious and truly a source of magic in my life. Additionally, it fits in very well with the timing of international women’s day that passed on March 8th: a day that I took to reflect upon the great women in my life who have inspired me to stand up for what I believe in.

 

Genre Research/Analysis:

 

      The genre that this experiment will focus on is fan-fiction and descriptive writing. Descriptive writing usually is one of two main genres: a personal essay or a formal description. In my experiment, I plan to combine both genres to form a collection of letters from Hermione to her daughter. The personal essay piece usually relates to “an experience in terms of the writer’s own feelings and responses” (Salter). In this case, I find a lot of traits of myself in the character of Hermione. Being a strong, empowering feminist is an important part of who I am, along with always trying to be the best version of myself. I even share a lot of faults with Hermione: always wanting to be the best and brightest in the room and being loyal to a fault. Through these letters, I hope to use the personal narrative genre to discover myself through examining the character of Hermione. The second type of descriptive writing includes formal descriptions. This type of writing is based specifically on fact- to allow the reader to see a full picture. Both types of these descriptive writing will be important in allowing the readers to understand the point of view and perspective of Hermione.

      Fan-fiction is another type of genre that I will explore through these letters. Fan-fiction allows writers to explore and create new fictional pieces based on ones that already exist (Beck). Clearly, the stories of Hermione in the Harry Potter series not only exist, but thrive in the world of literature. I plan to create new stories about Hermione, and tell parts of her story that were skipped between her time at Hogwarts and when she became a mother. I will create new stories about the journeys that Hermione went through- the danger, excitement and everything in between. The purpose of Hermione writing these stories to her daughter is for her to have a collection of her mother’s stories in case she died throughout this danger. Writing this type of fan-fiction will be a new type of writing for me to explore. The possibilities are endless, and I am excited to see what is in store for our hero, Hermione.

 

References

Beck, Julie. “What Fan Fiction Teaches That the Classroom Doesn't.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 1 Oct. 2019, www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2019/10/how-fanfiction-improves-writing/599197/ 

Salter, Matt. “Descriptive Essay Examples.” Example Articles & Resources, examples.yourdictionary.com/descriptive-essay-examples.html. 

 

Sketch (as a full project):

 

      For this project as a whole, I envision a collection of letters from Hermione to her daughter. These letters will be many different types: anecdotal accounts of what she did and how she helped and contributed to the world after her time at Hogwarts, how she battled the misogyny in society and overcame certain stigmas associated with being a female, and so much more about how she was successful in her life. 

      The first letter I envision is an overview about all of the things women were expected to traditionally do or act like, and heavily mock these expectations. Hermione will go on to talk about what being a woman means to her. This letter will include lots of emotionally-charged language and opinions, since Hermione was so opinionated and stubborn herself. Throughout the letters, I will be sure to maintain Hermione’s personality in my letters- stubborn, brave, strong, caring and passionate. The purpose of these letters is to show the magic that comes within being brave and standing up for yourself. Hermione overcame so much adversity in her life, and I want to depict this from a broader view in the first introduction letter. I will also use specific formatting to emphasize certain phrases and words that are important to the overall message, as one does when writing letters to others.

      The next letters will include the fanfiction genre because they will be full of fictional stories and anecdotes that I created about Hermione’s life after what was shown in the Harry Potter series. Hermione was studying spells at Hogwarts, so I imagine her work being very dangerous and mystical. One of the journeys I plan to write about is when her and her co-worker, Ella, journey out undercover to find out who was responsible for the killing of several wizards from the same area. By going undercover, Ella and Hermione go against what their other co-worker, Benny, ordered. They defy him and end up successfully finding the killer. These letters will contain messages similar to this one- that women are just as powerful, just as successful, and just as strong. Along the way, Hermione will discover that magic is not always the magic that she performs with her wand. Sometimes, it is about inspiring others and leading the way for positive change.

      Other letters will include details about being at work, and hearing a knock on her office door. A group of young girls will walk in and ask her for an interview. My goal is to describe the awestruck that the girls feel for Hermione. They look at her like she is a goddess, a representation of them. The purpose will be that Hermione had no idea she was inspiring others, but realizes she cannot stop advocating for herself. Because when she does this, she is advocating for a sea of other women simultaneously.

      The purpose of these letters is to show this to her daughter, so she has a full accord of her mother. With that, these letters will be personal and very emotional at times. Although these letters will be aimed at Hermione’s daughter when she was younger (as a teenager), the intended audience, as mentioned earlier, is women of all ages, with all backgrounds and experiences. The goal is to show and inspire other women that no matter the goal- it is achievable! 

 

Sample:

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May 6th, 2007

My dearest Rose,

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      One day, when you are ready, you will be reading this- a woman yourself. I want you to never forget how special it is and the true meaning of being a woman. 

      To be a woman means to be gentle, to be soft, to never forget your manners. Learn how to cook, clean, and be a giver. Give, give, give. Never take time for yourself- that time should be dedicated only to the children society tells you you must have and the man whose last name you will take. Right? Wrong. 

      Absolutely wrong. Despicable, disgusting, and deafening are a few words that come to mind after hearing that. That is just all wrong. The truth: to be a woman means to be smart. All types of smart. To hold your head high and honor those who came before us- who struggled even more than we do everyday to prove ourselves. To be a woman means to be bold, to never shy away from shouting what needs to be said- or what doesn’t and just shouting it because you want to, because you can. To be a woman means to be run fast. To run away from your troubles and run into a world of new opportunity and possibility. It means to stand up and fight. Fight for or against. To be a woman- it means to love. But not the traditional, historical way to love- the real type of love that so many women were cheated out on because of the societal rules that were made by none other than a man himself. To be a woman. I am proud to be a woman. I love being a woman.

      When I was a student, I started as a shy girl. Someone who was not necessarily the most confident in my appearance or background, but could always rely on my intellect. Some of the other strongest wizards in my class included your Uncle Harry, your father, Neville, and Draco Malfoy. Being one of the only girls among these other boys was never easy. When I would stand up for myself, I would be called bloody names. When they stood up for themselves it was an example of them being “tough”. When I impressed a room with my knowledge, I was showing off, but when they did the same it was just impressive. These are the unspoken injustices that we, as women, have to face everyday. And how exactly do we deal with this? We climb. We educate. We grow. We rise. We find the magic within the fight for ourselves and fellow women.

 

To be continued...

With all my love,

Mummy

 

July 9th, 2007

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Daughter,

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      Today was quite a day. Auntie Ella and I, feeling constantly suppressed, deflated and defeated by the males at work, decided that enough is enough. We walked out of our home for six years, the National Office of Official Spells, and did not even look back. This, my daughter, is what it means to be strong. To forego what you know, what you are used to, and prioritize your freedom, your strength, and your value over all. 

      It was a normal day- we gathered in the conference room in the morning to get our weekly assignments, and Auntie Ella and I were on calculations, as usual. We looked at each other with such disdain, again and again we have expressed that we want to be on the front lines catching those that use evil spells for harm. And everyday, they use the excuse that our brains are too valuable to be used for front-line work. Today, enough was enough.

I took Ella’s hand and we walked into Benny’s office; he is in charge of the position assignments. While we stormed in, he put his hand up as a symbol for us to not speak. The hand of a man in my face? In MY face? Absolutely not. I shot up my wand in less than a second and waved it with such force that there was a breeze that hit my face. Instantly, his hand was frozen in the air. Ella gave me a miniature high-five, and we started our speech.

 

 “Listen to us now. If you think we are going to let you use the excuse that we are mountains and mountains more intelligent than any of the men here stop us from saving society from the crooks and thieves, you have seriously mistaken us for others. We know this is more than what you say it is. We ARE women. We ARE strong, brave, fearless, intelligent. Those characteristics are NOT and will NEVER be mutually exclusive. Both are perfectly normal and perfectly acceptable. Let it be known that we are not your co-workers any longer. And we WILL show you all that we are capable of solving these mysteries WHILE using our fantastic brains, and you will regret your decisions until the day you are no longer alive.”

 

      I then waved my wand to unfreeze his hand, and laughed at the shock on his face. I checked to ensure that I had not frozen his face with my wand too, and I didn’t. His face was frozen from the disbelief. Auntie Ella and I walked out of his office and the building with our heads held high, proud of the path we had started to pave for all of the women that will come after us. It was time for our next journey.

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To be continued…

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All my love,

Mummy

 

Reflection:

      This piece was very special for me to write. I feel that the fight as a woman is a tough one. I relate a lot to the character Hermione, and while writing the outline of the project, I was able to learn more about myself during this process. One choice in particular that I made was the wording of the second paragraph. I felt that this introduction was very bold. I used these specific examples as traditional expectations for women in order to mock them and argue that those ideals have nothing to do with the true value of being a woman. I loved how that part into the next paragraph turned out. I really loved my “counterargument” back. Another part of the piece that I liked was some of the England terms that I included since Hermione is British. Using terms such as “bloody”, “mummy”, and the name “Ella” (a British name), made the letter feel more like it truly was written by Hermione. 

      This experiment was very meaningful not only to me as a woman, but to me as a writer as well. Writing about injustices and inequalities in our society is of pivotal importance to me. This piece allowed me to do some introspection and realize that being a strong woman is one of the most critical parts of my identity. So now is the time to speak up, to stand up and fight, and to stop taking the spoonfuls of misogyny.

      It was a challenge to find the right words and to find a balance between honesty and the correct tone for the intended audience. Additionally, it was hard to fit all of the “introduction” of the letters series into a singular letter. Finding a stopping point for me is always a challenge- when to end my thoughts and move onto the next. This project will help me to stay concise per letter, attempting to find the right stopping points for each letter’s purpose. I was happy with this first letter, but I still have a few more letters to write in order for the full goal to be reached. I think it is important to show others and not just tell them. With that being said, these next letters will allow me to demonstrate specific examples of how Hermione faces injustice and finds magic within her fight.

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Image from:

http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/File:Hermione_Granger_sig.png