Mothers (was Depression (was Re: DH reread CH 31

[potioncat]

No: HPFGUIDX 187495

 
> Quidditchmaster: 
> I believe JK Rowling used Merope as yet another comparison point between Harry and Voldemort. The "hero" gets the "good" mom who died for him to live whilst the "villain" got the "bad" mom who died in spite of him. Also, if you compare Lily and Merope and give them both depression, the way JK described them, Merope would be (and in fact was) the weak one who succumbed whilst Lily would be the one who would probably overcome it (not that I believe Lily would become depressed, but just for the sake of argument). Thoughts on that?


Potioncat:
I wouldn't think of Lily in terms of handling depression. We don't see her even sad at any point. She's very comfortable in her own skin. Even when she ends the relationship with Severus, she does it and moves on. We don't see any glimer of regret at the way it turned out. She is a strong woman who makes decisions and acts on them, and is in control. 

But they do make an interesting comparison. It is two different types of mothers for two different characters. It  has just crossed my mind that Merope and Lily may be two sides of JKR. 

Merope has some events in common with JKR. In the same ABC interview, JKR said that she has not spoken with her father in years, that she was afraid of him when she was a child, and that she tried for too long to please him and earn his love. We know she had an unhappy marriage, had a child to raise on her own, with little money and was depressed. Sounds very similar to Merope's story. Yet, she also overcame adversity, took care of her daughter, and moved on.