When I was growing up, I loved to read. In fact, it got to the point that my parents would start to ground me from reading when I was trouble, and in my mind, that was the absolute worst possible thing they could do to me. Books were a safe home to me, and as a shy child, the adventures and moments my favorite characters went through shaped my outlook on life.
Harry Potter was one of those books that has stuck with me since that time.
I started reading Harry Potter in the 4th grade while in India one break, mainly because I didn’t want to spend any more time with my family. Within three days I had finished all the ones (that were out at that point) and couldn’t stop thinking about the wizarding world. Specifically, I couldn’t stop thinking about how awesome Hermione Jean Granger was.
Hermione was incredible. She had grown so much in her time at Hogwarts. I loved that she was smart and was willing to prove herself to a world that thought her lesser because of her background. I loved that she was caring enough to help a boy she had just met find his lost toad. I loved that she was so eager to find out everything she could and even surpassed those who had grown up knowing magic her whole life. Hermione Granger was someone that was brave and strong, and someone who made a mark on my life. Hermione Granger could do no wrong in my mind. She was everything I wanted to be when I grew up.
Then I really started to look into her character, and saw so much more. J.K. Rowling had taken the time to painstakingly flesh out character in ways that made her human. While it was easy to think Hermione was perfect, there were always little faults that I had not noticed until I was much older. She had so much pride that she nearly died several times, she was always a little awkward around people, and despite being so logical, and she could lash out in times of emotional turmoil. It was obvious Hermione Granger was not flawless.
But the most important thing I realized when I started looking deeper at her character was that Hermione Granger didn’t stop being a hero when I noticed her insecurities and faults.
So why did I look down on myself constantly for my flaws? Why couldn’t I see that I was capable of growth and learning just like Hermione?
Looking past Hermione’s flaws was a great disservice to myself and the work J.K. Rowling had done. One of the best things about her character is that J.K. Rowling didn’t just write a strong woman character. She wrote a character that was complicated, one that could strike down an army and still feel lost and alone. Hermione Granger was human just like me.
"I'm not as good as you," said Harry, very embarrassed, as she let go of him.
"Me!" said Hermione. "Books! And cleverness! There are more important things – friendship and bravery…”
Even Hermione Granger realized that she was not perfect. But did that stop her from being Hermione? No. And we shouldn’t let our self-doubt stop us from being who we are, or who we were meant to be.
Start treating yourself life your favorite book (or tv) character. Give yourself a chance to be better, and believe that you can. Look into your backstory and start sympathizing with the things you have had to go through. Cheer yourself on when you are about to do something tough. You are the main character of your story. It’s time that we start treating ourselves like the heroes we are.
