Did Molly dislike Sirius?

[Brian]

No: HPFGUIDX 109667

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Lissa Hess <drliss at c...> wrote:
> At 01:05 AM 8/11/2004 +0000, you wrote:
> >Siriusly Snapey Susan wrote:
> > >
> > > Do you really think Molly DISLIKED Sirius, or just that she
> > > questioned his ability to be a mature, responsible guardian for
> > > Harry?  I know she made that one really nasty remark to Sirius
> >about
> > > his not having been able to do much for Harry for 12 years, 
seeing
> >as
> > > how he'd been locked away in Azkaban [ouch!], and I chalked 
that up
> > > to 1) the stress of the situation and 2) her worry over Harry
> > > listening *too much* to rash Sirius.  But I don't think I'd go 
so
> >far
> > > as to say she DISLIKED him.
> > >
> > > Do others have thoughts on this?

Brian:
I took the Molly/Sirius exchange as a personality clash.  Molly is, 
temporarily, living in Sirius's ancestral home and she knows that he 
is a good guy.  She treats him like a bachelor uncle (from the 
husband's side), though, and with good reason.  My guess is that JKR 
has written Molly as a stereotypical mother.  Stereotypy has 
received a lot of bad press since the days of political correctness, 
but Molly, I think, is an example of it.  Notice that most of the 
time Harry notices that she behaves "like a mother."  Here in the 
U.S., mothers are stereotypically protective (not to say that they 
aren't in the U.K. or elsewhere, it's just that I don't know).  Also 
in the U.S., mothers (stereotypically) spend a lot of time prying 
into their childrens' lives and demanding a lot of them.  Most of 
Molly's behaviors are "motherly" according to a "mother paradigm" 
I'm quite familiar with.  To use an idiomatic expression I've heard, 
she "blows hot and cold."  That is to say, her emotions rule the 
day.  This trait is potentially interesting for R/H SHIPpers and H/H 
SHIPpers because Hermione, in my view, also blows hot and cold 
(notice how in OOTP her mood changes so quickly due to Ron's and 
Harry's actions).  Getting back to Molly, the scene in OOTP when the 
Weasleys spend Christmas at Grimmauld Place comes to mind.  Molly's 
mood changes and she helps with the meal.  Molly is MOODY (no 
reference to Mad-eye intended)!  Sirius is MOODY!  If we use the 
books we've read so far as evidence, Molly and Sirius don't know 
each other that well.  Remember, Molly and Arthur have unknown 
backstories.

Anyway, I don't think Sirius and Molly dislike each other.  In fact, 
I'd be willing to bet that Molly will, at least for awhile, be 
tormented with grief over Sirius's death.  After all, this is the 
woman who in GoF worried that her last interaction with Fred and 
George was disciplinary!  

By the way, Molly does a pretty good job of henpecking Arthur, thus 
fulfilling another stereotype.

> 
> Lissa:
> 
> I've been watching this whole thread with interest.
> 
> I love the character of Molly, because she TOTALLY reminds me of 
my own 
> mother.  

Brian:

You see?  Stereotypy at its finest!  JKR's stories aren't 
universally appealing for nothing!

snip

Lissa:
> 
> One thing I did notice about Molly is that she (like most people) 
has 
> trouble letting go of her prejudices.  

Brian:  True!  She is even small-minded enough to send Harry a small 
egg in GoF.  She doesn't strike me as a rocket scientist.  She's 
more heart than head.

snip
> 
>
 > 
> I don't think they dislike each other, but I don't think they;re 
crazy 
> about each other either!

Brian:  Righto!  I imagine Sirius had "about had it" with Molly's 
cautious ways, but then he didn't get the last laugh...yet.