[HPforGrownups] Re: The Purpose of the Weasleys (was; Saving every Sickle)

[Jesta Hijinx]

No: HPFGUIDX 59568


>
>--- Jesta wrote:
> > My one thought is that their financial
> > priorities do seem to be a little
> > skewed - the vacation to Egypt hit me wrong, as
> > it did many others, when
> > there were problems buying robes and paying
> > tuition.  But it might be that
> > the Weasley parents saw it as important to have
> > everyone together and see
> > Bill - moreover, and we mustn't forget this as
> > the overarching concern, it
> > was a plot device plain and simple for Sirius
> > to see a photograph showing
> > Pettigrew.
>
>Lynn:
>
>It's funny, I didn't think it strange that the
>Weasleys would take the kids to Egypt.  I grew up
>in much the same circumstance, food on the table,
>second-hand everything.  The big difference is we
>didn't have pocket money, we had to save any
>money we received from Christmas, birthdays or
>the paper route if we wanted any pocket money.
>Yes, I remember those times I wished I had
>something new but, what I remember most was the
>trips we used to take, going to camp in the
>summer, etc.  It is hard when a child goes
>through it but I think in the long run, the most
>vivid memories will be the family times together
>and the bonding that could take place during
>those times.
>
YOu know, enough members of big families have said this to me that I can 
well believe that it is true.  :-)  But as you yourself note later on, it is 
somewhat unevenly applied.  I'll get to that in a minute.

I grew up lower middle class, much the youngest child (a big gap between me 
and even my nearest cousins age wise) and frankly my parents had hit the 
point where they spent most of the disposable income on themselves.   Trips 
anywhere with them were torture, and I always begged to be left behind with 
family friends rather than go through several days of them getting tired and 
cranky and fighting all the time - I developed psychosomatic stomach 
ailments as a result - so possibly the "family vacation" doesn't hold the 
allure for me that it does for others.

But also, as a singleton, I have made financial priorities for myself that 
experiences are more important than "stuff" - I have always questioned 
whether I'd make that same choice when I have kids of my own.  Don't get me 
wrong:  I don't feel an obligation to keep up with the Joneses or always 
have the newest and best.  But Ron should have a wand that *works*, for 
example, no matter how it got broken; as matters stand, he's a real danger 
to himself and others, and I'm rather surprised the school permitted him to 
keep that broken wand.  In that case, I think there should be a school 
emergency fund - and maybe Ron (or any other student) works off a sort of 
"co-pay" by working a couple of hours a week in the library or something 
like that for a term to "pay" for his new wand.  (There's no canonical 
evidence for such a thing, but if they can find chores for the students to 
do for detention, I don't see why they shouldn't teach the students the 
value of good honest work with a couple of situations like helping Hagrid 
feed the magical creatures, or helping shelve books in the library for 2-4 
hours a week.)


>Besides, even when kids get something new,
>there's always someone out there who will point
>out that it's the wrong brand or bought from the
>wrong store, etc.  There's always someone who has
>something better.  Ron sees what Harry has now at
>school but apparently has forgotten that Harry
>grew up with even less than Ron has had.
>
Yes, he does.  I've often thought the point of the Weasleys' poverty was to 
hammer home to Harry that everyone has problems - his blood family is for 
c**p, but he has a vaultful of money that keeps him from having the same 
kinds of problems Ron has.

>My big problem with the Weasleys was how they
>treated Percy when he became a prefect.  New
>robes and an owl?  For a family in their
>financial position, that seems a bit excessive
>particularly when there are other important
>things that should be considered.  Ron should
>have had a new wand rather than Charlie's old one
>given the importance of a person's wand.  I
>understand Molly's desire to reward her child for
>living up to expectations but it appears to have
>been at the expense of the other kids.
>
>Lynn
>
Yes, Lynn, I commented above that this is what bothered me - I don't think 
Molly has any covert motives at all with the kids, I think it's very 
straightforward:  Percy did the best and toed the line, so he's gotten new 
stuff to be a prefect with (which also creates more hand-me-downs, either 
for the kids directly or to be sold back to the wizarding consignment places 
from which Molly gets her second-hand stuff).

Felinia
>
>
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