Molly, Motherhood, and Myopia

[magister96003]

No: HPFGUIDX 125346


Lupinlore:

(snip)

>Mothers are concerned first and foremost with the nurturance and 
>protection of the INDIVIDUALS under their care.  They don't 
>see "children."  They see Ron and Ginny >and Harry and so forth.  
>They don't see "great social forces."  They see the problems Arthur 
>has at work and the pain Harry is in because someone may have broken 
>his >heart.
(snip)


I think you are right on target in your remarks, and I would like to 
add something.  By the beginning of Order of the Phoenix Molly is 
terrified and almost hysterical.  She is, as you point out, extremely 
protective of her children.  This time her children are in real 
danger and there is not a thing she can do to protect them.  She was 
probably only too happy to accept that Voldemort was gone for good so 
many years ago.  Now her two eldest sons and her husband are actively 
involved in fighting the returned Voldemort, and the rest of the 
family – except for Percy, who is a separate heartbreak -- is ready 
to join them.  (Fred and George will certainly be joining as soon as 
they can convince the Order they are trustworthy.)  
 

So Molly does what she can.  She does not have fighting skills, but 
she joins the Order and takes her turn in the various patrols, etc.  
She does what she can.  She takes on herself the duty of providing a 
place where the members of the Order can come and be fed and rest and 
otherwise prepare to return to the fight.  I read somewhere it takes 
twelve people in support positions in the modern military to put one 
person in the field.  Molly is alone except for what assistance she 
can get from the kids and poor old Sirius.  People who clean the 
bathrooms and make the coffee make a great contribution to a war 
effort, but they seldom get any of the credit and certainly almost 
none of the glory.


Molly is making a valiant effort to keep everyone's lives as normal 
as possible and hide from everyone how frightened she is for them.  I 
find the boggart scene particularly touching.  "'I see them d-d-dead 
all the time!' Mrs. Weasley moaned into his shoulder. `All the t-t-
time!  I d-d-dream about it. . . .'"  Then, "'D-d-don't tell 
Arthur,' . . . `I d-d-don't want him to know. . . . Being 
silly. . . .'"


Molly is not perfect, but she is no monster and I like her.

 
Dorothy