Mythical Norms in Kindred and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Anonymous College

The mythical norm impacts female characters Dana from Kindred and Hermione from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Since these characters are female they are both impacted differently by the mythical norms within their societies. While their stories are drastically different, they can be compared in the way that they both challenge this mythical norm and ideals of society through their accomplishments and characteristics. Both Dana and Hermione are smart, motivated, and brave which aids them in challenging the mythical norms of their societies through their intelligence.

Dana faces multiple challenges throughout Kindred and her intelligence is a lot of what gets her to survive the antebellum south. Dana challenges the norm that slaves should not read when she goes to pass on her knowledge of reading to Rufus and other slaves on the plantation. Once while giving one of the slaves a spelling test, Weylin walked into the room. Dana thought “I hoped Weylin couldn’t see. And I hoped Nigel had had the sense to get the pencil off the table. So far, I was the only one in trouble” (246). Dana knew that if she ever got caught doing this that she would get into trouble. She risks getting beaten just to pass on knowledge to Nigel. In...