[HPforGrownups] Re: Molly - Thoughts on a Witch

Sun Aug 8 22:41:27 UTC 2004

No: HPFGUIDX 109386

> SSSusan wrote:
> 
> As for the comment "the woman has no sensitivity at all", again,
> this speaks to our different interpretations & reactions to Molly.
> You haven't cared for her since GoF. Whereas probably the most
> poignant moment in the books so far for me was one in GoF, and it
> took place between Molly & Harry. It occurs in the hospital wing,
> after the TriWizard tourney & graveyard horrors are over, and Molly
> envelopes Harry in a hug, holding him the way *every* child
> deserves to be held by someone who loves him. I saw that as 
> extremely sensitive. 

Probably we see Molly at her best around Harry.  As you say, she does
indeed give him the unconditional maternal love that he hasn't had
since he was 15 months old.  It's a heck of a lot more than she gives
her own family.

Molly, Molly, Molly, - why do I dislike her? Let me list the ways:

1.  She's a bad loser.  When you argue with Molly, there's no "let's
agree to disagree" about it, it's war to the knife.  She's losing the
fight with Sirius about what to tell Harry so she hurls the snotty
Azkaban comment at him (OOTP).  Even the mild-mannered Lupin feels
compelled to be sharp with her.  In the same quarrel, she is totally
unreasonable about her own children hearing important information
about the Order's work and makes herself foolish by getting more
emotional as it goes on.  It's clear throughout OOTP that when
Molly's upset about something, the whole house walks on eggs until
she gets over it.

2.  Her controlling tactics backfire on her or don't work at all. 
Has anyone noticed that the Weasley kids are all really good liars
and dissemblers?  Everything from "only telling strategic parts of
the truth" to "baldface denials" seem to be part and parcel of their
moral equipment.  Arthur at his angriest - the ton-tongue toffee
episode in GoF - threatens the twins with the worst thing he can
think of - he'll tell Molly what happened.  And when she's actually
there and overhears part of it, he backtracks and dissembles
furiously rather than tell her what happened.  

I don't believe that Molly wants her kids to lie to her; no mother
does.  But she has failed to realize that her overwhelming,
controlling tactics have given her kids the idea that in order to
have a peaceful life, they can't always (or even often) tell Molly
the truth.  On the other hand, you can't blame them for assuming that
for her "ignorance is bliss" as she seems to prefer to ignore
anything that qualifies as bad news rather than confront or even
anticipate it.

3.  She plays favourites.  Perfect Prefect and Prat Percy is Exhibit
A, of course.  Yes he's a pill but he didn't get that way
accidentally and its clear for the first four books that he's Molly's
ideal son, something that she throws at the twins every chance she
gets.  But when Ron becomes prefect, all of sudden he goes from being
barely acknowledged to the new golden boy.  She's ignored his wishes
for years (sandwiches he doesn't like, maroon sweaters although he
doesn't like the colour, the dress robes incident) and all of a
sudden he's wonderful.

4.  She says and does hurtful things.  The Azkaban shot at Sirius was
mentioned above.  But how about the second-hand dress robes for Ron
that looked like a girl's dress and had soiled lace around the collar
and cuffs?  She's a witch, isn't she?  She couldn't have transfigured
them into something halfway decent?  Or cut the damn lace off?  Or
does she really think a teenager is going to parade around a Hogwarts
social event wearing something that practically screams "I'm too poor
to dress properly"?  

Or how about the Easter Eggs she sent to Ron, Harry and Hermione in
GoF - Ron and Harry got huge chocolate/caramel things but Hermione
got a tiny little egg because Rita Skeeter had written an article
claiming that Hermione broke Harry's heart?  The same Rita Skeeter
who prints lies about Arthur (whose name she consistently gets wrong)
but can suddenly be trusted 100% about Hermione?  And when Molly
comes to Hogwarts she's cold and unfriendly to Hermione until Harry
(not the most sensitive guy on the planet) loudly tells her that
Hermione has never been his girlfriend.  

Or Molly's comment when Ron becomes prefect?  "That's everyone in the
family!"  "What are we, next door neighbours?"  says Fred/George. 
Imagine, a comment so pointed and direct it even managed to get
through the twins' armour.  I really think that comment - and the
unspoken but clear implications behind it - rival Snape's "I see no
difference" in terms of sheer callous cruelty.  And Snape has the
bare excuse that he's supposed to be a snarky git.  

5.  The way she treats Arthur should count as a human rights
violation.  She runs him down in front of the kids, heck she treats
him LIKE one of the kids and one of the dumber ones at that.  She
shrills at him over his stiches, she rakes him down over the flying
car, she gives him all kinds of grief over disagreeing with her in
OOTP over what to tell the kids.  

6.  Harry.  After all of the above, the way she treats Harry stands
out as the one thing she does get right.  Although I'm not sure that
she'll be able to keep her controlling tendencies lashed down for the
remainder of the series.  Her jab Sirius in front of Harry doesn't
auger well for any one else who gets close to the boy.

Magda

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