Author: Ashley Stagnari

Professor Kamin

Fundamentals of Communication and Media Studies 1000, R04

12 April 2021

“Eddy is white, and we know he is because nobody says so.” - Toni Morrison, Playing in the Dark

Character Transformation: From Paper to Imagination

Abstract

In the realms of film and literature exist fan communities actively working to shape new narratives. Transformative fan activism seeks to enrich entertainment with inclusive and potent stories. In the case of character reimagination, global fanbases utilize social media platforms and online blog sites to promote social inclusivity. Fan groups behind the Harry Potter Franchise engage with the series’ texts and cinematic adaptations while addressing forms of white bias in fiction. Through the lens of Stuart Hall’s encoding and decoding model of communication and bell hook’s oppositional position, Harry Potter transformative fan activism ascends to new heights: promoting fan imagination by way of decoding messages in favor of racial inclusivity. Adjusting fictionalized icons to amplify minority voices in the wizarding world legitimizes fandom as a catalyst for social change.

When an individual reads a book or watches a film, they commonly adhere to a particular character. Why is this? Perhaps it is because this person relates to the figure’s similar background, interests, culture, or race. Perhaps it is because the individual does not see any of these commonalities and hopes to construct the details on their own. For this reason, a character is beyond an imaginary figure on a page or projector. Rather, a character is an extension of one’s identity, who builds a world of their own through the creative contexts fans design.

Transformative fan activism, which argues for the reimagination of characters in pursuit of social inclusivity, demonstrates the power of fandom (Jenkins and Shresthova, 0.4). This style of activism provides a gateway into bell hook’s oppositional position and Stuart Hall’s encoding and decoding model of communication. In the case of the Harry Potter franchise, fan communities work to transfigure the beloved character, Hermione Granger, into an identity-inclusive icon. This reimagination takes place within the realm of the first Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, and film of the same name. The new label “Black Hermione Granger,” popular in online fan forums, performs two great feats. The first is an extension of the wizarding world of J.K. Rowling. The second is the amplification of minority groups in fiction and by extension, modern society. Combining these feats addresses white bias in entertainment. Ultimately, the work of transformative fan activism and the birth of “Black Hermione Granger” subverts the wizarding world’s white individualism; in turn, fan imagination catalyzes character interpretation beyond the language of a page or script.

While considering the reimagination of iconic characters, observing the role of fandom in reconstructing a predominantly-white environment is pivotal. Rebecca Wanzo in “African American acafandom and other strangers: New genealogies of fan studies,” claims racially-diverse fans uncover hidden lives of characters. Specifically, Wanzo writes how fans “call attention to how fandom can be part of an effort to show that subjected populations are normative and that their experiences, desires, and lives should be considered part of the American imaginary” (Wanzo, 2.1). Thus, transformative fan activism enriches film and literature with potent stories worthy of public attention. Moreover, activism of this nature normalizes diversity as a strength in entertainment. Stuart Hall in “Encoding, Decoding,” further demonstrates the influence of fandom. The Harry Potter fan community actively dissects Potter media messages to reduce white bias. These actions reflect Hall’s claim that an audience analyzes messages encoded by production leaders; in turn, institutionalized ideologies relinquish their power, liberating interpretations for all fan communities (Halls, 514). Consequently, the Harry Potter fandom embodies bell hook’s oppositional position in “The Oppositional Position”, in which an anti-racist perspective dissects media messages in pursuit of alternative interpretations (hooks, 97).

In order to observe the messages of fan communities, it is necessary to return to where the cinematic adventure of Rowling’s books first took root. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, released in 2001 (Warner Brothers, et al.), began the eight-part, fantasy film series. Director Chris Columbus and Producer David Heyman worked alongside Rowling to create a successful first installment. The story closely aligns with Rowling’s original book of the same title, following Harry Potter and his exploration of the wizarding world alongside his fellow wizards and witches, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger (IMDb). Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone strays from typical gender stereotypes and instead embraces strong female leads while championing a bildungsroman story of an abused, magically-gifted boy, Potter himself. The first film had no problem compensating for the extensive budget of $125 million USD while grossing over $1.002 billion USD in theaters across the world (Mendelson). The film also claims high ratings from prestigious cinematic agencies, including an 81% Rotten Tomatoes critic score. Most importantly, the movie continues to generate a following from fan communities.

The Harry Potter franchise follows suit with Rowling’s original transcription in terms of character identity and life story. The harmony between the film’s representation and the books attunes to a common entertainment tactic: audience satisfaction. As the book series is a literary feat, living up to a legacy casts pressure on cinematic decisions. These decisions include character appearances, set designs, and casting (Otway). Adaptational uniformity of the female heroine, Hermione, played by Emma Watson, depicts the film’s frame of interpretation. The film satisfies the unspoken consensus around the character’s physical appearance: a white protagonist. While Rowling’s first installment embraces personal power and the importance of family, the narrative strays from racial representation. The decision to cast a white Granger furthers the concept of white bias in entertainment. However, discrediting the choice to cast Watson does not capture the point at hand. Subscribing to a specific interpretation (Granger as a white woman) offers a rich portrayal. Nevertheless, diverging from popular ideology (white bias) by offering an alternative form of representation provides an equally rich but possibly more powerful cinematic experience.

Harry Potter fan communities participate in transformative fan activism while considering alternative interpretations of Hermione Granger. Since the original text offers no major indication of skin color, fan communities have taken it upon themselves to critique the messages of film adaptations. The fandom does not reject the plot, but rejects the perception that white individualism is the sole message worthy of cinematic attention. In pursuit of racial representation, Harry Potter communities recognize Hollywood’s white bias and use the challenge to amplify their call to action: the acknowledgment of diversity. While analyzing the stories cinema relays, the fandom designs a stage to cast character malleability under the spotlight. Through the creation of fanart displaying “Black Hermione Granger” and the circulation of hashtags such as #blackhermionegranger, transformative fan activists serve as the catalyst for diversifying character identities. In turn, the voices of fan communities reveal potent societal messages potentially capable of revolutionizing the entertainment industry.

The creation of fanart subverts white bias in the wizarding world of Harry Potter through its conveyance of Hermione with varying skin tones. Since the initial release of the film Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, artists in Potter fan clubs actively circulate racialized images that prove the magical world is a platform for all cultures. Rather than the sole circulation of a white Hermione, fanart expands portrayals among various nationalities. The artwork appeals to an audience of racial minorities, amplifying their presence in entertainment’s creation of iconic figures. Dominant images on social platforms include Hermione with a brown or black skin color and wearing her Hogwarts garments. Such images also reveal a dark-skinned Hermione with natural, non-relaxed curls, embracing cultural expression. Moreover, the fanart creates space for individual reflection. As more images of Hermione as a woman of color saturate the internet, black women, both children and adults, can identify with the character in a personal way: a person on a screen who transfigures from a distant fiction to a member of one’s heritage (Bennett). Artists of the Harry Potter fan community, such as dellbelle39 and Natello on blogging space Tumblr and Batcii on online marketplace Society6, bring to life racially diverse interpretations of Hermione. These renditions illustrate a black Hermione among her books and quills, surrounded by fellow witches and wizards, and practicing spells. The artwork exemplifies the rejection of white individualism while embracing both Hermione’s identity as a woman of color and her role as a powerful wielder of magic. Furthermore, the oppositional position towards white bias reclaims the wizarding world as an identity-inclusive environment (Bennett).

The Harry Potter fan base also approaches the issue of white bias through the use of hashtags on platforms like Twitter. The rise of racially diverse Hermione expands beyond character identity and into the entirety of Hogwarts. Specifically, tweets surrounding Harry Potter cosplay now attach to trends such as #blackhermionegranger and #BlackHermione. Women of color who partake in cosplay of Hermione utilize these hashtags as symbols of racial proactivity. As a result, a new hashtag #BlackHogwarts is sweeping through social media platforms. In turn, the initial whiteness of the Harry Potter films diminishes with the subsequent appearance of empowerment messages, promoting the diversification of fictional figures. Hermione’s transformation inspires fans to create racial renditions of other characters, thus making the magical school of Hogwarts open to a spectrum of identities. While Hermione remains the intelligent, loyal, and caring witch readers came to love, her identity is one that unites various cultures. Overall, oppositional readings expose the vital fact that a fictional universe does not have to appeal to a predominantly white environment.

The greatest manifestation of transformative fan activism is in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, the newest installment of the Harry Potter franchise. The two-part play is written by Jack Thorne and adapted from J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne, and John Tiffany’s original story. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child centers around the wizarding world 19 years after the formidable trio, Potter, Weasley, and Granger, fought in the Battle of Hogwarts (Wizarding World). In the summer of 2016 at the Palace Theater, London, Noma Dumezweni debuted the first black Hermione. This interpretation demonstrates the influence fanbases have in catalyzing the diversification of racial representation in popular entertainment. Casting directors of the play are now seen stepping out of the comfort zone of a page and opening the wizarding world up to new viewers. For this reason, the play has become a physical example of the fandom’s oppositional position. Ultimately, the presentation of a black Hermione sparks a larger conversation of race; both blind casting and active fan fiction forms remind us that when an author publishes a text, the story is malleable.

Moreover, the feedback from Harry Potter fan communities came to fruition, and rightly so, for their oppositional positions reveal messages beyond racial inclusivity. Specifically, the creation of a black Hermione mediates a conversation about the social condition of the black community. While the original books and films depict the adventures of a magically-gifted boy, a black protagonist reveals a socially-potent, bildungsroman story. The background of Hermione contains various references to prejudices and identity inequality. Rowling’s story shows students at Hogwarts mocking Hermione for her family being half-magical, half-human. As a result, she is cast as a minority, facing ridicule with terms like “mudblood,” a term depicting her half-magical bloodline. Thus, Hermione identifies as a victim of social persecution. One BuzzFeed writer and Harry Potter fan, Alanna Bennett, describes the character’s condition as “navigating a world that looked down on her for the situation of her very biology and culture” (Bennett). Accounting for the historical treatment of black individuals, the fanbase’s oppositional position breaks the silence of racial bigotry and casts the issue into the public light. Ultimately, Dumezweni’s portrayal of the wizarding icon underscores key racial messages of Harry Potter (Poniewozik).

The portrayal of a black Hermione Granger on theaters around the world furthers the amplification of oppositional positions regarding race. Dumezweni’s takeover of the role reveals there are no aesthetic rules for characters (Essien). Consequently, the fandom actively circulates images of Hermione as a proactive social rights leader. While the films largely leave themes of racial justice out of the main plotline, fanart shows a dark-skinned Hermione wearing “SPEW” pins. In the original book series, “SPEW” signifies “Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare” (Thompson). When Hermione learns of inadequate elfish labor standards at Hogwarts, she creates a social movement in search of social justice. The newest artwork by the fandom, including artists like peaceofseoul [sic], demonstrate a call to action. Such social motivators include the voicing of groups facing racial inequality (Fallon). In essence, fan communities and their anti-racist oppositional position stand against entertainment’s white hegemony. Whether or not Hermione is non-white, evidence abounds in both Rowling’s texts and fanfiction of her allyship with racially marginalized groups.

Lastly, fan social activism is eliciting responses from J.K. Rowling herself. Circulating fan art has Rowling joining the same path to remove white bias, stating, “Rowling loves black Hermione” (@jk_rowling). Here, both authors and play-writes contribute to a media movement working to integrate inclusivity in entertainment. Melissa M. Brough and Sangita Shresthova in “Fandom meets activism: Rethinking civic and political participation,” claim fandom is more than a passion for a fictionalized world. Specifically, the scholars write, “Fan activism can thus also be understood as fan-driven efforts to address civic or political issues through engagement with and strategic deployment of popular culture content” (Brough and Shresthova, 2.3). Overall, transformative fan activism has the potential to mobilize change beyond creative direction and into the roots of society’s most toxic challenges. Decoding can be a creative act that transforms a single, stable text into a dynamic field of texts. Thus, the Harry Potter fan communities actively participate in media movements to envision diversification, which manifests into generations of fans unifying in pursuit of social justice.

Ultimately, reimagining the character of Hermione Granger by way of transformative fan activism presents alternative character interpretations capable of social reimagination. Through this lens, the Harry Potter fan community decodes media messages in the series’ books, films, and plays in favor of racial diversity. While the original transcriptions of Harry Potter lack racial inclusivity, the fandom circulates artwork, hashtags, and social call to actions. As a result, transformative fan activism in the wizarding world community demonstrates Stuart Hall’s model of encoding and decoding and bell hook’s oppositional position. Moreover, the birth of “Black Hermione Granger” invokes vital conversations about the power of white bias in entertainment. In turn, simply decoding encoded messages manifests into the subversion of white individualism in literature and film. What is left to consider is how long will white bias dominate popular media and who will catalyze its uncrowning.

Works Cited

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