Feminism in The Harry Potter

The Harry Potter book series shows how gender hierarchy is perpetuated in literature. The series has 201 male characters and 115 female characters and there are significant imbalances concerning the position and power between men and women within the Society of Hogwarts. The alpha and omega of the entire story are two authorities that symbolize good and evil in the series Albus Dumbledore and Lord Voldemort respectively. They are perceived as the greatest wizards of their time and set the gender hierarchy in the series. Additionally the head of the Ministry of Magic that regulates the wizarding world is male as are the goblins working at the Gringotts Wizarding Bank. When viewed through a feminist lens it is evident that the series perpetuates a masculine view of women that is entrenched in our culture.