[HPforGrownups] Re: More on Molly

[Pen Robinson]

No: HPFGUIDX 84406


> --- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "artcase" <artcase at y...> wrote:

> If Molly is the "anti-Aunt Petunia" then why does Aunt Petunia
>> represent a stay at home mom as well? And please don't tell me that
>> Aunt Petunia isn't guilty of the same vicarious-give-her-all-for-
> her-
>> children (in this case, Duddykins) Poof that Molly does.
>
On Friday, Nov 7, 2003, at 15:35 Europe/London, moorequests wrote:
>
>    Art.... there is one major difference between them, and it is a
> big one.
>
>    Molly is happy and fufilled in her roll as housemaker, mother, and
> queen of the castle, and Aunt Petunia is not.

This isn't how I would interpret it.  I don't see any reason to suppose 
that Petunia is unhappy that she is a non-working wife - or, rather, I 
don't see any reason to suppose that she would be a happy, fulfilled 
person if she went out and got a job.  I think Molly is the 
anti-Petunia because Molly is loving and giving while Petunia is 
selfish and unkind.  Molly does her best to mother her own children, 
but has plenty of room in her heart to love Harry as well.  Petunia 
lavishes all her love and attention on Dudley but has nothing to spare 
for Harry - even though his claims as her nephew are far greater than 
his claims on Molly.

The best way to contrast them is to have them performing the same role 
in their very different styles.

> This is why Molly is an
> anti-Petunia... it's the attitude. Molly chose her role. With such a
> large family, it is often much more financially wise to have a parent
> stay home to care for the children than to have both work and hire
> someone to take care of the children. Since childcare providers get
> upwards of $10-12 dollars an hour now, it can really take a full
> day's wages to pay for childcare.
>
>   I agree that many women, like Petunia, step into roles simply
> because they feel they must, that it is expected, and it makes them
> miserable.

It's hard to tell what the economics of the WW may be - perhaps 
childcare is easier to organise there if one wants to do so.  I can 
imagine a Wizarding version of the listening-in devices you can use to 
hear whether your sleeping infant upstairs has woken up...  But I agree 
that Molly chose her role as stay-at-home mother.

As for Petunia, I think we can reasonably assume that Vernon makes 
enough money to be able to afford a non-working wife, but  I also see 
no reason to suppose that Petunia could not go out to work if she 
wanted to, particularly now that Dudley is off at Smeltings during term 
time.  I think she chooses not to work, though probably with very 
different motives to Molly!

Pen