Molly as written in the books

[hermionegallo]

No: HPFGUIDX 84247


hg is compelled to respond.
Let's try to bring this topic back round to the books, because we're 
all going to get too hotheaded otherwise.

salit wrote:
I also disagree with those calling her "non-working" mother.  Raising 
7 children is more than a full time job. And let's not forget that 
> > before going to Hogwarts her kids were at home full time and were 
> > almost certainly homeschooled (as I assume all children born to 
> > magical parents are). Kind of hard to go out and work at some 
> obscure MoM position while running a household of 9 with no house 
elves to do the work for you. 

Artcase wrote:
>As in the case of many who choose her profession she will: 
1)choose another project and use her freed time to devote to it, 
2) putter aimlessly growing frustrated at her state of uselessness 
until it causes a rift in her home life at which time she will be 
forced to re-evaluate her persona, 
3) Never realise the project has finalized and create sub-projects 
*such as meddling in her children's relationships, or grandchildren's 
lives* that help her hang on to the defunct project. 

hg replies:
She has chosen another project.  It's the Order of the Phoenix.  
(Furthermore, because this story is written from Harry's perspective, 
we have no way of knowing what other "projects" and "hobbies" Molly 
has, unless Harry hears about it or sees it in some fashion.)

Certainly, no easy task raising seven children.  Now that few of them 
can be considered children, is she actually "taking it easy?"  Or is 
she involved in the Order?  I don't believe that her role in the 
Order is limited to cleaning Grimmauld Place.  At the very least, 
even if she isn't actively on-duty guarding the prophecy, for 
example, or bringing Harry from Privet Drive to Grimmauld, she is 
performing other functions such as keeping track of who is where, 
when -- and likely relaying information.  She sets out meals for 
Order members as they come and go (they do need to eat) and is 
included in the meetings, which would indicate to me that her role 
within the Order isn't simply a token one.  In that case, she would 
be off cleaning up after suppers instead of participating in the 
meetings.


Artcase wrote:
Her job, was mother, now she must shift into a different role. The 
boggart scene reinforces my opinion that Molly lives her entire life 
through her family and extended family. That is unhealthy.


hg:
Molly's job as mother is far from over.  

First, she will always be a mother to her children, no matter what 
their age -- but the dynamic of her relationships with them will 
adjust, as they have.  She may suggest that Bill cut his hair, but 
she doesn't try to treat him like a child.

Furthermore, several of her children still are children.  They are 
older children, but still children nonetheless.  It's within reason 
for Molly to have more authority about what they know and do.  She 
doesn't try to keep her older children from attending the meetings -- 
only those who aren't "of age" as yet.

We might interpret the scene in which she attempts to protect all of 
the big kids (from the explanations about what the Order's been up 
to) as her being overprotective or "molly-coddling."  But if we look 
at that scene in conjunction with the hotly-discussed boggart scene, 
and see that her greatest fear is losing a family member, we realize 
that she's feeling a desperate need to protect whoever she can, in 
whatever ways she can.  She knows, however, that she can't make her 
adult children or her husband refrain from fighting Voldemort, and 
that her authority over the older kids is waning with their age.  
It's hard to send your children out into the big, bad world -- even 
harder, I'm sure, when that world is so threatening.


Artcase wrote:
> So, in conclusion, I stand by my initial opinion that Molly is not 
an  accurate portrayal of mothers and is a carboard symbol for what 
> JKR "wishes" her life to be. I believe that wish to be delusional 
and  am calling her out on the fact, because IMO she should know 
better. I  have read that she is a fan of psychology, if so, why 
can't she recognize her own mistakes? AND more importantly, why 
perpetuate the myth to a new generation? It is an injustice to them.

hg:
Molly is anything but a cardboard character.  We can't assume that JK 
is writing a character that she herself "wishes" to be -- but knowing 
the books, we can certainly connect the dots and see that Molly is 
likely a mother figure that Harry needs.  Time and again, he has 
greatly needed and appreciated the ways she expresses love and 
concern for him.  There is no mistake in portraying a character with 
such a powerful mothering force.  However, it would be a mistake to 
characterize this as a flaw.  Molly may be imperfect, may sometimes 
overstep some parenting boundaries, but we see she's driven by love 
and desperation.  I don't think there's any one message children of 
today should be getting in these books -- mothers who work outside 
the home aren't the only healthy and balanced mothers, and I don't 
get the impression from the books that Molly is unhealthy or 
unbalanced.  

JKR's not failing any responsibility to the minds of the young 
public.  She's portraying rich, three-dimensional, strong and 
imperfect characters of all sorts.
hg.