Ron & Authority (was Re: Attitudes toward authority, Ron's complex...)

[finwitch]

No: HPFGUIDX 37688

> 
> I guess I always assumed that (although this might make Percy seem 
> even stranger) his parents taught him that authority is not to be 
> trusted without question.  I would think that Arthur and Molly, 
> having lived through Voldemort's reign of terror and knowing the 
> people who were sucked into his web and the respected positions 
they 
> had held, would consider it wise to prepare their children to try 
to 
> discern for themselves.  

Child X did something not so nice, Molly/Arthur asks why, the child 
says: "because X told me so". The parent replies: "Would you jump 
into a well(or some other stupid thing to do) if X told you to?"

Yes, I do think it has to do with Molly/Arthur teaching their kids to 
question. Molly provides the questionable orders and Arthur supports 
the kids who question them. (But always with: be nice to your mother, 
let's not tell her...) Molly vs. Arthur on Muggle-thing-collection is 
another clear example of disagreeing parents. But when they *do* 
agree on something, it's supposed to hold. (like twin's toffee... 
Aldur didn't like their feeding it to Dudley, but accepts their 
business-idea, unlike Molly).

Percy, then... He only leaves office because his father "forces" him 
to? Would stay away from his family if his brothers didn't make him 
stay with them by making a *rule* saying he's to stay with family-
members on Christmas? "Percy loves rules". I think he can't see the 
forest from the trees, that his ethical maturity has never grown 
beyond *rules*. A totally unselfish workaholic. Percy works like a 
house-elf! No rest, no break, unless someone tells him to. He sees 
Crouch Sr. like Winky does!

> They're the types of people who find it only fair to tell Harry 
when 
> Black is after him, and who clearly talk enough about the situation 
> for Ron to know that the Malfoys are not trustworthy even though 
the 
> wizarding world in general seems to hold them in high esteem.

And Percy's prefect-friends said differently, I suppose, as well as 
some the ministry-members.

> From the ways that the other Weasley siblings behave, only Percy 
> would seem to contradict this, and he is at odds with the rest of 
the 
> family in so many other areas that I don't think it discounts the 
> possibility entirely.  Look at Ginny - when she finally decided to 
> try to get outside help with the Riddle situation in CoS, she 
didn't 
> go to an authority figure, she went to her brothers.  Fred and 
George 
> clearly aren't in awe of those in authority, and from Bill's and 
> Charlie's career choices, they don't strike me as the most 
> heirarchically-minded people either.

Yes... Other Weasleys trust *family* over authorities - Percy chooses 
to do just the opposite. All other Weasley's do *something* Molly 
doesn't approve, all but Percy. Except when Percy is being quite a 
critique against his father-- when *all* other Weasleys are on 
Arthur's side. Percy does one thing - the rest of family other, 
unless a family member stands firm with him, making him follow the 
*family code*.

You think Bill's a rebel by appearance Molly criticises? Or 
Fred&George with their practical jokes? Oh no -- that's just against 
Molly's opinions, but Percy's rebelling against his *entire* family 
every chance he gets!

--Finwitch