In defense of Molly /Molly's treatment of Arthur

[Rebecca Hoskins]

No: HPFGUIDX 136588

Salit wrote:

> > I think the 
> > Molly/Arthur relationship is a symptom of Rowling larger issues.
> > As I talked about in a previous post I think she is, in general,
> > very down on fathers
> Her depiction of mothers and fathers leaves a lot to be desired.
> Mothers are all self sacrificing and loving. Fathers are either
> inept or downright abusive. I wonder if this comes from personal
> experience...
 


That is possible, I did hear a rumour that she had suffered 
domestic abuse. However, I cannot say that I had noticed 
anything wrong with the way males are portrayed in the 
Potter World. Arthur is a strong character who is quietly 
spoken and avoids confrontation (unless it is very necessary).
He DOES do what he feels is right.
Molly is a brave and caring woman who has already lost two
 brothers to Voldemort's crusade (Gideon and fabien Prewet - 
JKRowling.com)and so is understandably over-protective of 
those she loves. She defends those she loves like a tigress,
 hence her behaviour towards Sirius during OotP. All in all 
Molly and Arthur's relationship is built on love, respect 
and mutual need and reliance.

Harry's father, was brave, clever and talented. He was also a
show-off who bullied Snape, who he disliked because he was
 into the dark arts. Sure, bullying behaviour is nasty, and 
James grew out of it (although Snape didn't!). I don't see 
that JKR wrote James as a bully to belittle the father figure,
 but to make it less easy for Harry to hero-worship his father.
 Harry might have longed for his mother in her absence,
but it was James that he elevated to hero-status. Harry had
 to come to realise, during OotP that James wasn't perfect,
 but that he was still, after everything, a good person.

I have heard people suggest that JKR did not make any strong 
father figures for her young charges at Hogwart (James 
bullying, Arthur a drip (which I disagree with anyway), Tobias
 Snape an abusive man, Mr Lovegood a loony etc), but I see 
Arthur as a strong father, Mr longbottom as a very heroic 
figure, Amos Diggory as a likable (if over-proud) father, 
Hagrid's dad as a funny and loveable father. I can 
continue if necassary; many strong and likeable fathers!

JKR has made all her characters very colourful, and very real. 
And just like real people they all have their negative 
aspects, men and women alike. Although JKR may have had 
reason to feel negatively about some men, I do not feel 
that she has let this intrude into her novels, and neither 
do I feel that children reading these books will take home 
negative views of either men or women.

When you compare JKR's portrayal of men, to C. S. Lewis'
 protrayal of women, there is clearly no comparison! I 
adored Lewis's books when I was a child, but as an adult
 reading them to my three children I'm afraid that the 
sexual stereotypes in his stories were uncomfortably
obvious; to the point where I stopped reading them to my 
8yr old son. By comparison, JKR's work is almost entirely
 free of bigotry of any nature, and children reading her
 books are only going to become more open-minded due to 
reading them, not less.

Well done to her.

Rebecca