Fathers WAS: lupin's motives (was Depression (was Re: DH reread CH 31

[Jen Reese]

No: HPFGUIDX 187506

> Alla:
> 
> Hey, I am snipping your post Sherry just to react to your last two
> sentences. I totally agree with you about JKR not portraying 
> fathers too well in her series, but am I dreaming or there was an
> interview where she said that untill certain moment she did not 
> realize that exactly and then she could not bring herself to kill 
> Arthur?

Jen: I was just thinking about Rowling's 'litany of bad fathers' comment while reading the thread about mothers.  Here's the quote from Time Magazine in 2005:

"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 didn't get good fathering." Some of that must surely flow from her own experiences: her relationship with her father has been uneven, and the father of her oldest daughter is no longer part of Rowling's life."

In a separate interview on Dateline in 2007, JKR had this to say:

MV: So as an author, then, there were certain characters you couldn't bear to part with?

JKR: If there's one character I couldn't bear to part with, it's Arthur Weasley.  And I think part of the reason for that is there were very few good fathers in the books.  In fact, you could make a very good case for Arthur Weasley being the only good father in the whole series.


Alla:
> I never found anything strange with author's writing reflecting his
> or her personal joys and sorrows, exorcising her demons, reflecting
> what he or she went through, etc.
> 
> So if JKR did not have a good relationship with her father, I would
> have totally understand that she could not or did not want to 
> portray good father figure in the series. <snip>

> But if JKR truly did not realize what she was doing? I just find it
> interesting.


Jen: The Time article makes it sound like Rowling didn't realize how she portrayed fatherhood in the series until after OOTP.  The quote is ambiguous but I think it's about Potterverse only.  If the quote reflects her thoughts on real life, then Rowling must think she and her oldest daughter are at-risk future evil!  Of course, the writer is only suggesting the origins of Rowling's Potterverse fathers with no corroboration by JKR.

I can't think of much to add; I was just remembering the quote then you brought up the topic, Alla.