Woman Crush Wednesday: Luna Lovegood

Haley Saffren ’20 / Emertainment Monthly Staff Writer

Favorite Female Character

To favor a character means to love that character above all others because of some personal appeal. Choosing a favorite character is hard, but certain characters appeal to me more than others.

While Harry Potter offers many interesting women (even the sinister Bellatrix Lestrange has great character depth), Luna Lovegood is something special.  Let’s dive in to what makes Luna a riveting character.

Respects Everyone

Whether it be a lowly house elf or a well-respected professor, Luna treats everyone with equal respect.  She is never malicious or insulting.  When Ron rudely calls her names like “Looney Lovegood,” she still becomes his friend.  She’s also immediately kind to Dobby, the elf whereas even Harry is a bit rude to Dobby at first.

Unwaveringly Herself

Luna is unique.  She wears turnip earrings, reads magazines upside down, and dresses oddly like donning a roaring Gryffindor lion’s head during a quidditch match.  Her quirkiness provokes teasing and bullying from other kids, but Luna does not mind and remains true to herself.  In fact, she revels in her quirky nature.  She never changes to gain acceptance, and stays her odd and wonderful self, which is one of her most appealing traits.

Loyal to the End

When the group led by Harry is attacked by Death Eaters in the Ministry of Magic, in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Luna guides Ron and an injured Ginny back to safety, helping and protecting her friends without hesitation.  She constantly provides emotional support, like comforting Harry after Sirius Black dies or speaking at Dobby’s funeral so all remember him well.  Luna instinctively supports any friend in need.

Relatable

Readers relate to certain characters for different reasons and Luna is relatable in an unexpected way.  She is picked on for being quirky, and she lacks friends.  Despite her innate strength of character, even Luna is not immune to loneliness.  In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, for example, Luna tells Harry she enjoys the Dumbledore’s Army meetings because it makes her feel like she has friends.  Kids struggle with issues like this every day.  They try to find friends who will accept them for who they are and, sometimes, they get bullied in the process.  The kids at Hogwarts cannot recognize that Luna’s strangeness makes her special.  In the end, she finds true friends, especially Harry, who deeply appreciate her.

Gotta Believe

Luna seems to be an incredibly open-minded and curious character.  She never denies the existence of creatures, even if members of the magical community don’t believe in them.  Luna’s belief in the unbelievable is pure and childlike, and she usually validates any creature’s existence with a kind explanation for those who doubted.  Luna is accepting of everyone, mythical or human, without judgment.

Smart

Ravenclaws are known as the smart ones.  However, Luna is not a stereotypical example of a smart kid.  While Hermione is logical and analytical, Luna believes anything.  What Luna has that others lack is perception.  She notices Ron can be insensitive but doesn’t judge him for it.  She knows how to comfort Harry after Sirius Black dies.  She finds sense in the unbelievable and remains true to her beliefs throughout the books.

Flawed

Luna has faults, as most well-rounded, complex characters do.  Believing in everything is endearing, but not everything she believes in is true.  Luna can be naïve in her unwavering support for her loved ones.  She is surprised when her father turns on her friends to keep her safe, something Luna would never do.

Luna Lovegood is a truly unique character.  She’s a weird outcast who is more than what you see on the surface and whose character depth makes the reader take notice.  Luna’s natural inner strength makes her a very unlikely but admirable heroine.