I know Molly.....

[B Arrowsmith]

No: HPFGUIDX 84023

Molly seems to have been on the receiving end of some hard words 
recently, all of them from female  posters. I wonder why?

I'm probably going to get a lot of flak for this one, but note that I 
do not make judgements, only observations.

The WW is highly traditional, including the portrayals of women. There  
seems  to be a strict divide;
what might  be called career types with no apparent families 
(MacGonagall, Skeeter) and the home based (Molly, Petunia) with no 
career. No compromise or blending of the two so far as I can see.

I feel  that I understand Molly perfectly. She is the archetype  of the 
traditional English mum, a species that is rapidly disappearing as more 
and more wives return to work  as soon as practicable after producing a 
family. Those that can recall the times before 'housewife' was an 
accusation enunciated with a curled lip will remember that this group 
were the bedrock, the mortar between the bricks of social and family 
structures. They still are in more traditional areas of the country.

Certain traits are essential to claim membership - family comes first, 
always; children never really  become adults, even if they are 35 and 
settled down, they are still their  children and likely to be the 
recipients of advice or censure, wanted or not, appropriate or not. 
Approval or acceptance of outsiders is conditional and will be 
withdrawn abruptly if unacceptable behaviour is detected or even 
suspected.Daughters are generally treated with a light touch but  sons, 
that's different.

Sons are naturally gullible and totally  incapable of looking after 
themselves. When young they will be led astray by manipulative friends, 
when older they become targets for some designing tart. No woman is 
really good enough to deserve  their son, but usually they manage to 
bite their lip and somehow refrain from pointing out the glaringly 
obvious faults this child-snatcher  exhibits. Best to try and make the 
most of it and try and train her into some sort of suitability by 
telling her how he likes his toast, how he must have woolen socks and 
"I don't want to interfere dear, but...."
They cry at their  son's wedding but not at their daughter's.

They can drive you mad, if you let them, especially the young wives who 
have to tolerate this interference. However, I'm old enough to have 
seen many of these young wives gradually transform into carbon copies  
as their own sons grow up.

Of course, in these days of personal growth  and self-actualisation 
they are  generally scorned. But for  generation after generation they 
ruled  supreme. They knew that 'family' concerned the group and took 
priority; any back-sliding into 'self' was potentially dangerously 
anti-family and was viewed with extreme suspicion.

Recognise any of Molly in there? Thought so.

In these terms Harry is an honorary  son and as such should be 
protected from being led astray (Ron and the flying Ford Anglia), from 
designing females (possibly Hermione) and from unsuitable influences 
(Sirius).

Molly is not  intellectual. Caring and worrying is much more 
fundamental than mere intellect. Gut instinct rules. Things are in 
simple black and white, good and bad. Anything, real or  imagined, that 
  poses a risk to her offspring (including Harry) is bad and must merit 
objections even if a coherent argument  cannot be formed.

Could you ever see her reaching an accommodation with Sirius over 
Harry? I can't.

Kneasy