Am I the only one

[serenadust]

No: HPFGUIDX 95878

Neil wrote:

> Has anyone else's opinion of Molly Weasley changed?  In the first 
three books 
> I really liked Molly.  Sure, she was on the tough side, bossing 
the kids and 
> Arthur around, but her good heart and fondness for Harry 
outweighed that.
 
> My opinion started to change in GoF and by the end of OotP, I no 
longer liked 
> the woman.  Now the love and kindness she showed seems to be far 
out weighed 
> by her controling attitude.

<snip>

I've been greatly entertained by the passion with which the Molly-
detractors have shown in the many attacks on her character in OoP.  
It's an interesting illustration of the fact that there's no one in 
our society who attracts more scorn than a mother who dares to be 
less than perfect. 

Personally, I loved Molly more in OoP than I ever have before, just 
as I loved both Sirius and Harry more when we see all three of them  
cracking under the horrible stress they experience in this book.  
IMO, it just makes them more real, more well-rounded characters.  
And make no mistake, Molly is suffering every bit as much as the 
rest of the occupants of Grimmauld Place, and I would argue that in 
many ways, she's got the most to lose and she knows it.

"She was beaming in welcome as she hurried toward them, though Harry 
noticed that she was rather thinner and paler than she had been last 
time he had seen her." p.61, OoP, Scholastic

He's last seen her only a month before and I rather doubt that she 
looks thinner because she joined Weight Watchers ;-).  She's truly 
been suffering as we realize when we hear about Percy as well as in 
the boggart scene where we get to see the horror of her greatest 
fear.  In contrast to Sirius, who sulks and gripes about having to 
stay confined, and Harry who is only focusing on how he feels he's 
been neglected, she's trying to hold it together for not just her 
own family, but Harry, Hermione and the entire order.  Unlike, 
Arthur, Tonks, Lupin and most of the Order, she never gets out of 
Grimmauld Place (apart from brief shopping forays), has to abandon 
her own home, and yet she takes on the entire responsibility for 
making this house of horrors a home.  She's entitled to be a bit 
touchy, I think.

Sienna wrote:

To my mind, the way that Molly treats the twins is abominable
because they obviously have a wealth of talent better applied
outside the academic world and she does nothing to encourage that.
She also demonstrates preferential treatment for those of her sons
that actually achieve what she personally wants them to achieve.
It's just as well the twins are blessed with so much natural self-
belief because otherwise that could be quite scaring.



So is the fact that F&G are completely out-of-control, endangering 
everyone at the dinner table by magically flinging steaming pots and 
knives, and knocking their little sister down the stairs an example 
of this "wealth of talent"?  Actually, I agree that the twins are 
very, very talented businessmen as well as wizards, but in OoP they 
demonstrate a disturbing lack of judgement and maturity in very 
serious circumstances.  She was absolutely correct that they should 
not be part of the Order because they would have been a danger to 
every one. Perhaps in more normal times, she could afford to lighten 
up on them but given the lack of respect they show her ("You can't 
boss us -" Fred began"), and their irresponsible behaviour, I think 
she's well within her rights to come down on them hard. The Weasley 
family's situation is very dangerous, and talent doesn't trump  
maturity.  The twins are treating this like a game.


 Neil continued:

> She is bossy, pushy and just plan iritating. She thinks she is
always right
> and feels everyone should bow to her will. She is not happy just
bossing
> Arthur and the kids around anymore. Now she feels, Harry,
Hermione, even Sirius
> and the other members of the order should do as she says.
>
> Does anyone else feel like telling her to shut her mouth or is it
just me?


::Snicker::  Did anyone else notice how much Hermione resembled 
Molly in this book?  I mean, JKR practically beats us over the head 
with their similarities, right down to the knitting.  I guess if 
these traits are annoying in Molly, they must be at least as 
annoying when Hermione demonstrates them (with far less 
justification, IMO).

Jo Serenadust, Molly's new best friend ;-)