Weasley Economics

[serenadust]

No: HPFGUIDX 46350

> --- In HPforGrownups at y..., "historygrrl1" <historygrrl1 at y...> 
wrote:
> 
> > Or maybe Molly values her unpaid work in her family's home 
enough 
> > that she genuinely feels that taking on a paid job would detract 
> too much of her time and energy from that arena.  ... Molly and 
Arthur
> > never complain.  In fact, most of the complaining is done by 
Ron.  
> > His other brothers don't seem to worry nearly as much.    


Actually, Fred and George seem somewhat desperate to make money in  
order to open their own business. It's mentioned (in GoF)that they 
feel a special urgency because they know that Arthur and Molly can't 
give them the gold to get started.  First they bet all their savings 
at the QWC, and when Bagman doesn't pay up, they are actually 
flirting with blackmail in order to get their money back.
In CoS, Tom Riddle mentions that Ginny wrote in his diary of her 
worries over coming to school in "second-hand robes", and in PoA, 
Percy makes a bet with Penelope over a Quidditch match and tells 
Harry that he has to win, since he doesn't have the 10 galleons to 
cover the bet. I think that we get the impression that Ron is the 
only one to really mind being poor because he gets the most "page 
time", but in fact JKR seems to be telling us that the other Weasley 
kids at Hogwarts are also feeling the effects of the family's 
poverty.

Sharron Powell wrote:
  I just don't see why we are tyring to 
> justify Molly working or not working.  The Weasley's are not poor 
in 
> what matters.     

<snip>
> I think that this is a concept that is important for kids to know 
in 
> the materialistic culture that we live in; and I'm glad that JKR 
has 
> put such a family in the books.
> 
> [The emphasis on the lack of family funds comes from Ron.  An 
> understandable feeling for a 13 year old boy who wants to be like 
> everyone else (or better).  Understandable, but that doesn't mean 
> that his opinion tells the whole story.  I'm sure that in his 
heart 
> of hearts (and/or as he gets older) he will see that he would 
never 
> trade all Harry's gold for the love of his family.]

I couldn't agree more Sharon.  Thanks for pointing this out.

Jo Serenadust