Arrows and Wands: Katniss Everdeen vs Hermione Granger
Katniss Everdeen and Hermione Granger are the two most iconic female characters in contemporary literature. Whilst both are perceived as equally talented and courageous, who is the strongest of them both?
Why I Like Katniss
Katniss is really unique, which is why she’s one of the most interesting characters that I’ve come across. She’s a tomboy: not the overconfident, brusque stereotypical tomboy but a slightly different one. Katniss is independent, unashamedly herself and extremely honest. She doesn’t have any friends, but she’s happy with that and moves through her life in her own little world.
Katniss Everdeen is a classic example of an underdog heroine. I love her because she’s so humble and never takes pride in herself. However, she knows what she’s good at and uses her strengths to help her in the Hunger Games.
One of the things that makes her a really interesting character is that she survived the Hunger Games killing as few people as possible. Everyone thought that the only way to stay alive was to eliminate everyone else, but Katniss strategised and found ways to outsmart her opponents, staying alive without unnecessary violence.
Katniss’s Flaw
Katniss’s main flaw is that she’s afraid to express her true emotions because she is scared that she will appear as weak or incapable.
Quotes that show this in the books:
“‘He made me look weak!’”
“Weakness, something I’ve been pushing away and denying for years.”
“The idea frightens me … but I can’t let my fear show. Absolutely, positively, I am live on every screen in Panem.”
Katniss thinks that by showing her fear, it will make her seem vulnerable and exposed. This is why she is such a stoic character and this prevents her from fully expressing herself and her emotions; Hermione Granger, on the other hand, isn’t afraid to show her feelings.
Katniss’s Weakness
Katniss lacks the ability to fully understand others and herself, which impacts her relationships with other people. She often isolates herself and denies help.
Katniss also has difficulties trusting other people, which is linked to her fear of being seen as weak; she’s overly independent and constantly tries to prove that she can do everything on her own.
Why I Like Hermione
Hermione is such a well-developed character, as she has the perfect balance of strengths and flaws. You could be just as easily wowed by her intellect as you could be annoyed by her controlling nature.
At the time that the Harry Potter books were published, she emerges as a unique female character in literature. At Hogwarts, her intelligence, logic and personality set her aside from the other girls. Hermione is one of the main female characters in Harry Potter, and I love how she is so central, as this allowed her to shine in so many moments! As readers, we understand her better, and this makes her a more relatable and engaging character.
One of the best things about her is how pursues her own interests without caring if others disapprove. For example, when she started her S.P.E.W. campaign, no one really paid attention, and Harry and Ron were reluctant to help even though they were her friends. Still, she continued because she believed in the cause. That’s what makes her so unique.
One of the things that amazes me most about Hermione is how selfless she is: she always thinks of other people before herself. For example, Hermione isn’t interested in Quidditch like Harry and Ron but is always at their games. Her loyalty to her friends never wavers, and being the oldest in the Golden Trio, she is like a big sister to Harry and Ron.
Hermione’s Flaw
Hermione’s fatal flaw is that she’s close-minded and lacks the ability to think flexibly and creatively. She generally keeps to her facts and rules, and doesn’t embrace new possibilities and ideas.
In the Order of the Phoenix, Hermione doesn’t get along well with Luna at first. She is rude and dismissive towards her, and isn’t appreciative of her open-mindedness and creativity. Rowling often called Luna her “anti-Hermione”.
Hermione even criticises and mocks Luna’s father’s magazine, the Quibbler, and doesn’t embrace its quirkiness.
Hermione’s close-mindedness can often lead to her being rude, critical and dismissive. However, it’s worth noting that later on in the series, she and Luna become friends, which shows that Hermione learned to accept Luna’s idiosyncrasies.
Hermione’s Weakness
Hermione relentlessly strives for perfection and doesn’t embrace failure, instead perceiving it as something that will stop her. She doesn’t appreciate her mistakes and always wants everything to be perfect, even including her overemphasis of rules and her aim to get full marks in all her tests.
This was revealed by J.K. Rowling – “there is a lot of insecurity and a great fear of failure” in Hermione’s character.
In the Prisoner of Azkaban, her Boggart takes the form of Professor McGonagall telling Hermione that she’s failed all her exams. Her fear of failure sometimes makes her vulnerable to bullying and being mocked, but it motivates her in combat.
Conclusion
We’ve seen both the characters’ strengths, flaws and weaknesses and I don’t think there is one who is stronger than the other. They are both equally strong and fierce characters in their own beautiful ways.
I think it’s really just a matter of who you prefer, who you might relate the most to and who is most similar to you. My personal favourite is Hermione Granger. What about you?