[HPforGrownups] Molly Weasley

[k12listmomma]

No: HPFGUIDX 188769

> Catlady (Rita Prince wrote:
>> << 6. What did you think of Molly's alternating behavior, yelling at her 
>> sons, then being sweet and loving to Harry? >>
>>
>> I thought it was crazy, and would have made her kids feel worse (and 
>> blame Harry for it), but eventually I realised that she always behaved 
>> like that and they were used to it and understood that it was just 
>> because she was something of a drama queen.
>
> Bart:
>    It's a common behavior: Family is one thing, guests are another. I
> note that, as the books go on, and Molly thinks of Harry more as family
> and less as a guest, her attitude towards Harry becomes more like her
> attitude towards her own family. In a another way, it's a subtle
> putdown; Harry, being brought up by those horrible Muggles, doesn't know
> any better, but Molly's kids, who received a proper upbringing, SHOULD
> know better.


Shelley:
Like Bart, I think her behavior is pretty typical. The larger family, the 
more you have to control the chaos that could occur. Strictness, having 
control, is one way to ensure the peace. Also, the more unrulely the kids, 
the more you have to crack down on things, such as dungbombs, that could 
really ruin a peaceful family dinner or having company over. Parents in this 
situation either do as Luna's dad did- which was to be permissive of all the 
weird stuff, or as Molly did, which was to try and control it. I strongly 
disagree that Molly is a drama queen, rather she feels that she has to 
control the situation or her kids have proved that they will drive the chaos 
to take over and everything will fall apart. She's just trying to be a good 
parent, as best as she knows how.

Harry, on the other hand, has done nothing to prove that he's going to be 
anything but a gentleman, and Molly doesn't need to control him. Their first 
meeting doesn't have Harry setting dungbombs on the Hogwarts train or some 
other activity where he shows he needs a firm hand to set him straight, and 
I think Molly just gives him the benefit of the doubt that he's just going 
to behave naturally. I disagree that Molly's kids "should know better"- what 
you are looking at is a matter of personalities. All of the Weasley kids are 
extroverts, full of energy, intelligence and exuberance. They are lively by 
their own natures, not some quiet mousey kids who would never think of doing 
anything that would draw attention to themselves. It's not the same as 
purposely misbehaving. They don't get into trouble on purpose, but put that 
lively bunch together and you can get a synergy of that exuberant energy 
that could lead to things quickly spiraling out of control, so that Molly's 
guidance has to be to nudge the situation back into calm again. Harry's 
behavior has nothing to do with his living conditions, rather the books 
constantly show that he makes right choices in how he acts. He's not an 
attention seeker, as the Daily Prophet and Rita Skeeter tried to paint him, 
but would have always been the kind of student that teachers always love- 
quiet, respectful, mature for his age. Different personalities, but not one 
wrong and the other right. I'd rather date an exuberant Fred or George for 
the constant new excitement they bring into each day, than a dull, 
predictable Harry. Some might prefer the calm and mature Harry to the 
attention hogging Fred or George. I imagine having one in the house that she 
didn't have to worry about was a refreshing change for Molly, and that's 
part of why she loved him so. I have seen nothing that suggests that either 
he nor Hermione did anything to add to her stress level, and that's why they 
were "no trouble at all" when they visited.

I also agree with Bart that Molly's attitude does change toward Harry as 
time goes on and he "becomes family"- she has no problem with ordering him 
to do laundry and muck out the chicken coop, and other chores that she is 
dishing out to her own kids. She works him every bit as hard as one of her 
own.