parental roles in HP books

[Jen Reese]

No: HPFGUIDX 136231

Sherry:
> Fathers, however, don't come
> off too well, From James to Lucius, they are portrayed as less in
> some way. As someone who came from a non-traditional upbringing,
> being raised by my father because my biological mother didn't want
> the responsibility of a disabled child, i have always had a problem
> with the way fathers are brushed aside in the name of the all
> perfect mother.

Jen: JKR intended to explore the relationship of 'bad fathers', or 
at least it turned out that way in the end. Here's a comment and 
explanation by JKR in a July issue of TIME: 

***Much of Rowling's understanding of the origins of evil has to do 
with the role of the father in family life. "As I look back over the 
five published books," she says, "I realize that it's kind of a 
litany of bad fathers. That's where evil seems to flourish, in 
places where people don't get good fathering."***

I'm not sure that's her personal opinion about where evil flourishes 
so much as she discovered that theme in her own books. She seemed 
almost surprised by the realization that most of the evil characters 
have had some type of negative relationship with their fathers--
Voldemort, Barty Crouch, Jr., Draco (not irredeemable of course!), 
Snape(?? Don't know much about his father) & Morfin, are a few 
examples.

And except for Arthur, the books hardly examine the Good Father. 
Most of these relationships are for background characters like Amos 
Diggory, Luna's Dad or James, in the short time he had. So JKR is 
spending much more page time on the likes of Barty Crouch, Sr., and 
Tom Riddle, Sr., and how they affected their sons.

It was an interesting quote, made me go back and examine a few 
things in the series. 

jen R.