Sexist Themes in Harry Potter?

[Jade]

On our way to Maine last week me and my parents began talking about this.
Look at Hermione, she's the brightest witch of her year and you would expect great things from her, but instead she marries Ron and has kids.
Lilly Evans: Another promising witch, but instead of putting her abilities to use she settles down and has kids.
Tonks: An Aurar, who gets marries, has kids, and then gets killed off.
Fleur Delacour: The only woman in the Tri-Wizard Tournament, eventually gets married and has kids.
Anyone see a pattern here?

Ok, I was just putting this idea out there! 'Harry Potter' is a brilliant series (even if the epilogue wasn't very satisfying). Even though most women do get married, some do not. I just think that one or two female main characters shouldn't have settled down, so that younger kids won't grow up thinking that they will definitely get married, and they don't have a choice.

[Emisanerdfighter]

Is there something wrong with settling down and having kids? I mean, Hermione went on to do a lot WHILE having kids. All of those women juggled their families while having successful careers and making a difference in the wizarding world. I think that's as far from sexist as you can get.

[Abby]

i'm not sure if you were aware of this, but most people get married and have kids at some point (though, in today's society, whether they STAY married is another topic altogether). and even though those female characters ended up being wives and moms, most off them still did some butt-kicking on the side. they still fought battles. they still did their part to save harry and ultimately kill off voldemort.

and you gotta remember that there is definitely a few sub-plots involving romance... also these people were living in difficult times. People needed to come together. They needed someone to trust. And, arguably, there is usually much trust and commitment put into a marriage.

[Abby]

oh hai. i just realized that there was twlve page's worth of ocmments on this.

[Leonard Koch]

On a quick side note, Lilly Evans only got to be 21 years old, so I think it does say something that she made the decision to have kids at the very tender age of 19.

[Leonard Koch]

The difference in that is, that when you make the decision to have a child at the age of 19 opposed to let's say 30, that you will be a parent for all of your working life (This isn't exactly true in the context of the Harry Potter Universe, seen as people usually grow to be well over a hundred years old and still seem to work in their late years, but since we are talking about how the books are perceived as an example for life by the children who read them, this can be neglected I think.).
When you are new in a job, or at least in a job that requires a lot of cognitive work opposed to physical work, you will have to work quite hard and a lot in the early years of your employment to become a valuable employee to your company. If you don't put in that effort there is little chance that you will become a respected or even outstanding persona in your field of choice.
With a child on your hands you at least diminish the time and strength you have for that and thereby make a choice against your career. It's probably not a decision to have no career, but in the end you do put extra weight on your shoulders regarding your career (this of cause neglects the value of experience one obtains through father-/motherhood, but I don't think that in most fields this makes enough of a difference to outweigh the above said.).

[Leonard Koch]

Well the Britain that is depicted in the Harry Potter novels is capitalistic, so there is not really a point in discussing the advantages or disadvantages of that system in this context.

[Leonard Koch]

Again, you are not really addressing my point. I wasn't talking about the importance of reproduction or professional forthcoming, but about how making the decision to have a child implies a lesser intent to be an outstanding worker in your profession, due to the drawback caused by the time and effort it takes to raise a child.

[Übereil]

I think the problem isn't that in (say) Lily Evans case it is like this. The problem is that it is like this in most cases. That promotes the idea that women are supposed to give up their career and become stay at home mothers. Which is part of the whole "men does the work, women takes care of the home" gender stereotypes.

And gender roles prevents pepole from being who they really are and to make the most of themselves.

[Lindsay]

My mother knew she wanted kids and got married when she was 19. She had 3 kids, didn't work until I (the youngest) was 2, and she was going to college at the same time. Even now, with 3 kids, my mom works hard at what she does, and devotes a lot of time to it, while still being a kick-ass mother. She is very well-respected and a great employee, according to her boss.

[Anneliese]

I agree about Teddy.

[Mr Linkster]

Thats not sexist, thats just nature for people to fall in love and get married.

What was Herminone going to say?
"I love you Ron but i want to be successful so i won't marry you"

There's nothing wrong with women getting married and having children and I don't think J.K should just throw a single women in there just to satisfy p.c thugs (Not to say Jade is one but i have found some people seem to want to burn the book just because women get married in it)

[BrokenQuills]

"I love you Ron but i want to be successful so i won't marry you" mad me laugh :D epic.