Selection from Rough Cut;
The casting of grown-up Hermione has
caused quite the controversy over social media between fans of the series. Fans
had a lot to say over Twitter, citing passages from the books as proof of
Hermione’s skin color. One passage from Harry
Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban was cited more than anything else:
“Hermione’s white face was sticking out from behind a tree.” Others were
worried about the contradictions a Black Hermione would produce because she
supposedly wasn’t meant to be black. For example, an article from The Guardian analyzes how a Black
Hermione could change the reasoning behind some of her actions. Hermione was
one of the only people in the books that disapproved the slavery of the house
elves; however, the elves loved being enslaved. The article argues that “Hermione
is treated as being silly, or misguided, for wanting to free them-and if she’s
black, that means that the whole scenario reads a as a queasy parody of black
liberation struggles” (The Guardian). Other fans of the casting are praising
this new quality to Hermione. James Poniewozik (@poniewozik on Twitter) tweeted
“Irony of the Hermione casting furor is that prejudice and ideas of “purity”
are essential to the character’s story.” On the same not, both J.K. Rowling and
Emma Watson tweeted their excitement and approval over the casting. J.K.
Rowling tweeting, “Canon: brown eyes, frizzy hair and very clever. White skin
was never specified. Rowling loves black Hermione.” This caused many fans to be
more accepting of the change to the series. In addition, Watson tweeted, “Can’t
wait to see Noma Dumezweni as Hermione on stage this year,” followed by a
string of hearts. Bottom line: even if the character was white in the books,
who cares? The impact of casting a black actress in a previously white role is
bigger than just a story. This can affect how we consume all of TV and film.
Re-edited version:
The casting of grown-up Hermione has caused quite the controversy over social media between fans of the series. Fans had a lot to say over Twitter, citing passages from the books as proof of Hermione’s skin color. One passage from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban was cited more than anything else: “Hermione’s white face was sticking out from behind a tree.” Others were worried about the contradictions a Black Hermione would produce because she supposedly wasn’t meant to be black. For example, an article from The Guardian analyzes how a Black Hermione could change the reasoning behind some of her actions. Hermione was one of the only people in the books that disapproved the slavery of the house elves; however, the elves loved being enslaved. The article argues that “Hermione is treated as being silly, or misguided, for wanting to free them-and if she’s black, that means that the whole scenario reads a as a queasy parody of black liberation struggles” (The Guardian). Other fans of the casting are praising this new quality to Hermione. James Poniewozik (@poniewozik on Twitter) tweeted “Irony of the Hermione casting furor is that prejudice and ideas of “purity” are essential to the character’s story.” On the same not, both J.K. Rowling and Emma Watson tweeted their excitement and approval over the casting. J.K. Rowling tweeting, “Canon: brown eyes, frizzy hair and very clever. White skin was never specified. Rowling loves black Hermione.” This caused many fans to be more accepting of the change to the series. In addition, Watson tweeted, “Can’t wait to see Noma Dumezweni as Hermione on stage this year,” followed by a string of hearts. Although fans do appreciate the support of those so influential in the creation of the series, their blessing shouldn't be the thing that makes this casting okay or appropriate. This casting is appropriate because she is a qualified actress and will portray a different side to this character that has never been seen before. And while it is obvious that fans are on both sides of the controversy, it doesn't really matter what the books say. Books deviate from the story line all the time when making film or stage adaptations. No movie or stage version has ever been exactly like the written version, so why are some changes okay, but not this one? Bottom line: even if the character was white in the books, who cares? The impact of casting a black actress, especially in a previously iconic white role, is bigger than just a story. These types of castings can affect how we consume all of TV and film, which is a step in the right direction towards equal opportunity for all actors and actresses.
For this editing round, the content changed. One of my previous peer reviews mentioned that it wasn't clear what my position was. The essay covered both sides of the controversy, but didn't make it clear which side I was on. So I added a couple of sentences near the end to really show that I was supportive of this casting and why.
The form changed because I made it double spaced this time. It makes it more professional and makes the essay look a little longer. I really like how this looks and I think that it will make the audience take me more seriously.
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