Weasley Family Dynamics (was:Re: The Molly Question (long!)...)

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 164928

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "horridporrid03"
<horridporrid03 at ...> wrote:
>
> > >>Debbie:
> > Molly is hardly the exemplar of perfect motherhood, but as a       
> > slightly imperfect mom myself, I'll have to take issue with the    
> > wholesale condemnation.
> > <snip>
> 
> Betsy Hp:
> I'd unleashed the hounds. <g>  But pulling back a bit, I agree that 
> Molly is more than likely supposed to be more a character of comedy 
> than anything else.  A "Mrs. Bennet" (of "Pride and Prejudice") type 
> I think.
> 

Carol:
Do you really think so? Mrs. Bennett is a grown-up Lydia, formerly a
pretty young flirt and still flighty and brainless. her one ambition
is to marry off her daughters. Neither she nor Mr. Bennett ever
disciplines the girls, who do as they please (within the limits
allowed by their society) whether it's play the piano, read a novel,
or run off after the soldiers. They're not expected to help at home
("We ar quite able to keep a cook, Mr. Collins!")

Molly expects her sons (and presumably Ginny) to help with the
de-gnoming or cutting up the potatoes (IIRC). She also tries to
maintain discipline, though her idea of doing so is to yell at them,
send a Howler, go through their pockets using Accio, or burn their
order forms. It's a lot more than Mrs. Bennett does. IIRC, the closest
she ever comes to disciplining a daughter is to scold Lizzie for
refusing to marry Mr. Collins.

Molly may be primarily a comic figure, and she certainly presents as
much of a contrast in her way to Arthur (usually as lax a
disciplinarian as the more intellectual but still ineffectual Mr.
Bennett), but she also genuinely cares about her children and their
futures and about Harry. (She's the first person ever to hug and
comfort him like a mother.) Her Boggart, the deaths of any and all of
her children or her husband (and, yes, I'm sure Ginny is there; we
just didn't see her because Harry came in late and Lupin vanished the
Boggart before it was done), shows how deep her love for her family
(and Harry) is. Mrs. Bennett, superficial and shallow, loves the
silly, flirtacious, and ultimately promiscuous Lydia above the more
intelligent, steady, and sensible Elizabeth and Jane.

> Betsy Hp:
> I suppose my sense that this is a very real issue comes from
Arthur's enjoyment of his job, and Molly's hatred of it.  Plus, Arthur
not being thrilled by his transfer and Molly's joy over it.
> 
> I think Arthur didn't like that his cause wasn't taken seriously 
> while Molly didn't like that Arthur was taken for his cause. 

Carol:
I don't really understand this last sentence, but as I understand it,
Molly doesn't like the way Arthur's affection for Muggles (or Muggle
artifacts) holds him back at the Ministry. She's also not thrilled
that he creates loopholes in his own regulations so that he can get
away with enchanting Muggle artifacts at home even though his job is
to arrest anyone else who does it (or at least confiscate the
artifact). "My wife thinks I'm mad," he tells the Dursleys (who
obviously share the opinion, or rather, hold it much more firmly than
Molly does, and one of the Twins dismisses him with "Dad collects
plugs." The Twins and Molly view Arthur quite realistically, IMO, as a
loveable eccentric. But Molly, who resents Slughorn for not
recognizing Arthur's talents, knows that he could succeed in the
Ministry if he wanted to. There's nothing wrong with ambition as long
as you don't step on others to accomplish your own goals. She values
Percy because he has it. Arthur, unfortunately for his relationship
with Percy, doesn't. I think (correct me if I'm wrong) that you see
Muggle rights as some sort of cause for Mr. Weasley, who certainly
doesn't approve of the Twins' conduct toward Dudley or Willy
Widdershin's blocking Muggle toilets, but he's also rather fondly
condescending toward Muggles ("Bless them!") and has no real
understanding of them at all. As for Molly, there's no indication
whether she does or doesn't share his views. She's only concerned that
his fondness for tinkering and for Muggle artifacts is more important
to him than getting ahead at the Ministry, getting the money and the
recognition that his talents deserve. But she doesn't care about money
for its own sake, or she'd heartily approve of the Twins and their
money-making pranks and gadgets. (Note that it's the Ton-tongue
Toffees like those used on Dudley that she confiscates before the QWC.
She certainly doesn't approve of that little incident.)
BetsyHP:
> Molly has always been a bit squirrely about Muggle stuff, IMO.  Her 
> fit over Arthur's stitches, her quick turnaround on Hermione, her 
> opening commentary about the Muggles in the subway...  I just sense 
> something there. 
> 
> I wouldn't go so far as to say that Molly is full out anti-muggle, 
> but she does seem a bit suspicious of outsiders, and muggles are
that by definition.  And so I especially see her having issue with
Arthur taking up Muggle-rights to the detriment of his career and the
family finances. <snip>

Carol:
The whole WW is completely at a loss when it comes to understanding
Muggles. Even Arthur is primarily interested in the technology which
he considers to be a substitue for magic (and, like Bob Ogden in the
Pensieve scene, with the helplessness of Muggles when confronted by
magic). Arthur does try to make conversation with the Dursleys (and
reproves them for not saying good-bye to Harry) but he has no more
understanding of them and their idea of "normality" than they do of
him. Arthur may be a step closer than Molly to empathizing with
Muggles, but that's hardly her fault. Blame what passes for Muggle
Studies at Hogwarts. (And her reaction to Hermione has nothing to do
with hermione's being a Muggleborn. She believed the Daily Prophet
story about Hermione two-timing Harry.) I absoluetly don't see her
"having issue" with Arthur's taking up Muggle rights, only his
obsession with plugs and batteries and so forth affecting his career.
Let's face it; he's as obsessed with Muggle artifacts as we are with
the HP books, and that's pretty pathetic. :-) If he really knew about
and understood Muggles, surely he'd know how we dress!

> Betsy Hp:
> I find the Weasley family dynamics rather fascinating myself.  And I 
> was getting bored of all the speculative theories, so thought I'd 
> bore the list in my own way. <really big evil grin... huge, even>

Carol, who also prefers character analysis to speculation and
appreciates the shift in focus