What do you think of Molly Weasley?

[jessieanneh2]

Jun 13, 2012 1:07:59 GMT -5 Kitty279 said:

As we keep getting back to the topic all over the place, I thought I'd start a new thread for this.

As I already said, I don't like her and don't think she is a good mother, and here are some reasons:


1) she permanently tries to rule the lifes of her children, even the adult ones. She wants to decide over their haircut, their job, their girlfriends etc. - can you say control freak? I don't think it's coincidence that the two eldest fled the country the moment they were out of school

2) she can't accept that children have to grow up and tries to treat them like five-year-olds. That's something I am very wary of, as I have known such a case in real life with an extreme outcome - the mum convinced herself and her son that he was disabled and needed her because his eyesight wasn't too good and kept babying him. Last I heard, he was in his early 50s and still living at "hotel mum", allowing her to even make his sandwiches and being to an unbelievable extent unable to take care of himself. He couldn't even start the dishwasher! And his mental capacity was completely normal. After that case, I am very wary of mothers with such a mother hen complex

3) her insistence to treat them like babies means that they are unprepared for life. They are living at war, and still, she doesn't want them to know anything. Did she ever hear something about "forewarned is forearmed"? The more the kids know, the better they can defend themselves or make sure they can't get into trouble in the first place. Does she think Voldemort is going to keep from hurting her babies because they are innocent? Look at how she fights tooth and nail to keep anything Order- or war related from them in OotP or how she tries to keep the trio from planning in DH, causing them to have to go much more unprepared on the horcrux hunt. In her obsession to protect them from reality, she endangers them

4) she keeps telling the younger children that they aren't good enough, always insisting that the older ones were less trouble/better students/more successful ... no proper parent should do that! I think most of Ron's inferiority complex can be laid on her doorstep. Her actions reinforced this. Look at the first book, for example. Percy got new robes *and* an owl just for being made Prefect (and I don't think he was a good choice, he was way too stuck-up and self-righteous). At the same time, Ron was sent to school with robes that were too short at the beginning of the year already, and with a wand which not only not chose him (and they are pureblood, shouldn't they know that the wand choses the wizard?), but heavily damaged as well. That made sure that Percy's ego was blown up even more, while Ron's was beaten down and his education impaired from the very beginning. So, who and what was more important for her?
And she keeps putting the twins down, destroying the products they put all their time and money in, trying to force them into a career they would fail at for sure - doesn't that woman understand that they are absolutely unsuitable for a Ministry desk job? She wants to force them into a career she herself thinks respectable, but that would make them unhappy. And that doesn't even count that she seems unable to see what a bunch of nutters the Ministry is, save some few exceptions.

5) then there is Percy. He was the good little boy, always doing what mummy wanted and used as the shining example how to behave. I get the feeling Molly reinforced with her blind adoration for him his faults - blind rule-following, stuck-up attitude, pompousness, lack of humour, and I'd not be surprised if he was a tattletale and she praised him for it. He didn't get along well with his siblings, and I think that she prefered him so much made the matter worse, as it caused resentment among the four younger ones particularly. He was the only one who chose the career Mummy wanted him to chose, and went to the Ministry. We all know how that worked out. Sometimes I really wonder how he would have turned out with less blatant favouritism. Ok, that's not entirely Molly's fault, he had the traits probably in his genes, but I can't help but wonder how much she reinforced them

6) my impression is that Molly doesn't discuss things much and tends to start screaming at every turn. Not a good example. She has no right to complain that the twins are so loud when she is always screaming the house down if something doesn't go her way

7) she disregards anything the children say if it doesn't fit in her ideal little world - see her reaction to being told that Harry was starved, even though she herself complains about him being too skinny

8) her ability to deal with a trauma seems rather limited. Food, playing games and keeping the real world away is *no* treatment! She never realised that Harry needed someone to talk to and thought to never talk about a problem again would make it go away. I always wondered about Ginny, too - she was probably sent to play with her dolls and fed a few more helpings after her first year. (JKR said that after the diary was destroyed she was perfectly happy again - something I find highly unlikely. You can't be possessed by such an evil being for nearly a year and not suffer from it!)

9) she knew Harry and Hermione and still believed Rita Skeeter more. Did she never realise what a scandalmonger that woman is? She should have known better than believing that rubbish about Hermione

10) her treatment of Sirius. Sure, he wasn't perfect, but she disregarded his situation completely. Putting someone down and making snide remarks is the worst you can do when someone is already struggling with depressions. I'd like to know in what state Molly herself would be after 12 years in that hellhole - I doubt she'd even survived. For me it was the last straw.

Don't forget her lack of common sense with money! I mean how does the mortgage and property tax get paid if they waste their money on expensive books, (Lockharts) Trips (Romania first year, Egypt summer before third) Treating Percy to either an Owl or new robes for making Prefect is understandable but not both.

[readingwizard4]

Sirius had his flaws alright. Why couldn't Poppy Pomfrey come in and help Sirius during the summer? During the school year I can understand. I think Sirius would have been better suited to helping Harry through his abuse. Sirius would be more flexible than Molly. Sirius would know when to give him space and when to be firm unlike Molly who was way too firm all the time. I think Molly might have gotten carried away with the knowledge that she will be the wizarding mother figure of Harry. It went to her head. Plus I think Dumbledore didn't tell Molly the whole story regarding Wormtail. If he did she would have been more sympathetic I think.

I think Sirius didn't want Harry to repeat his mistakes. When you are young you hardly care how your choices effect others. Maybe not everyone but younger people aren't as far-sighted or see the big picture as older people. When you're an adult you are older and wiser and it makes it hard to see your child go through the things you did

[readingwizard4]

jessieanneh2 There was a trip over Christmas Break 2nd year as well. Why couldn't they share the Lockhart books? Get 3 sets. Fred and George needed two since they were in the same class and get another one so the kids could all share since all of the books were the same? Were the classes on the same day? That might be a problem with sharing but if the classes were on different days why not? Because the kids don't want to share? Too bad you have to get by somehow.

[Silvertongue]

I doubt Poppy was in on the whole Sirius thing and she wasn't a mind-healer or therapist.

[jessieanneh2]

Jun 27, 2012 3:48:11 GMT -5 Kitty279 said:

Sherza, that's exactly my problem with the Order as a whole. They were supposed to fight Voldemort, but all they did was holding meetings and gathering information, guarding the prophecy and following Harry around (not that either was of any use). That's not doing anything to stop Voldemort. Dumbledore wasted not only one year, but many - as far as we know, he was already Chief Warlock during the first war and did nothing to enforce Veritaserum etc. for the Death Eaters, but let them willingly off, or even intervened on their behalf. No backbone at all. Sometimes I really wonder if ANYTHING changed after the second war.

No, I am with Viralic here - Remus should have ignored Dumbledore. He could have talked to Harry without the old codger knowing. And damn, there's NO reason whatsoever why he couldn't contact him after third year! Frankly, if Dumbledore had threatened him that way (Azkaban), then that would be beyond disgusting. He wouldn't be any better than Fudge. But then, he threw Sirius into Azkaban without questioning and trial, so no, the old man isn't any better anyway.

Dumbledore is as much of a Pureblood bigot as the rest! for all he spouts about Muggleborn, Half-blood, and Sentient beings rights he NEVER really does anything for them without whopping big strings attached to them:

Hagrid: he allowed Hagrid to be expelled but GRACIOUSLY allowed him to remain on as Groundskeeper. He could have pushed for both Tom Riddle and Hagrid to be tested under Veritaserum, I'm sure there are loopholes where that could happen.

Remus Lupin: He ALLOWED Remus to attend school, but didn't bother helping him find gainful employment though did he.

Sirius Black: Whats to say he wasn't bilking him for money to fund his pet Order, then when he wasn't useful enough for him allowed him to be packed off to Azkaban. Mainly no doubt to prevent him from giving Harry a normal childhood. An independent Harry is a no no after all.

Now on to Molly Weasley, First while she may be decent when it comes to her children she coddles them too much really.

Sirius I think would be alright if He and Harry both went into Family Counseling. Sirius to be treated for the after effects of Azkaban and Harry from his childhood of Neglect.

[readingwizard4]

Wouldn't surprise me if she wasn't in on the secret but I'm sure she would have been a help in keeping him from drinking and keeping him fit I'd hope. She's stubborn enough to do it. Maybe she could bring in someone who could keep the secret. That's risky but I think she would risk it

[Silvertongue]

She would, but Dumbledore would never allow it.

[Kitty279]

Jessieanne, I completely agree with you. Don't forget how Dumbledore did nothing to enforce proper trials under Veritaserum for all the Death Eater who bought their way out of prison by pleading Imperius. He probably even knew about the Dark Mark, which should have been a clear sign who was a member of Voldemort's merry band of assassins, but didn't use that.

Just wondering ... the basilisk only petrified muggleborn. Was that the reason why Dumbledore sat on his bony arse and did nothing? Would he have acted if his precious junior Death Eaters had been petrified, which need to be redeemed at all costs?

[readingwizard4]

Kitty279-I honestly can't imagine why I ever liked Dumbledore. Your last comment comment about the Basilisk and the junior death eaters just gives me another reason on my long list of reasons to hate the guy.

[Kitty279]

These discussions keep giving one more and more ideas, don't they?
At first I liked the man, but by now, I love to hate him ...

[jessieanneh2]

Lets not forget the Lacklustre Teachers like Snape, Binns, Trelawney. The ancient school brooms that even the Weasleys have better quality of? Its a wonder no one has died from them malfunctioning yet. If this was real life he would have been sued big time for endangering them with those brooms alone.

The Basilisk only targeting Muggleborns hasn't escaped me either. And I wouldn't expect anything less from a Dark Lord. I don't buy that he suddenly became a good guy.

[Miss Wings]

www.fanfiction.net/s/7698482/3/The_Return notice anything familiar to OOTP when Harry comes to Grimmauld Place?

[princedice1]

Why does Molly dislike Arthur's fascination with muggle culture? An example being that she gets upset over Arthur's harmless excitement over escalators.

[physicssquid]

I always got the feeling that Molly had old-fashioned views, but I'm not sure.
Reading between the lines, I always got the impression that she thought that things like Quidditch weren't suitable for girls, so she wouldn't be impressed if she found out that Ginny was going to become a professional Quidditch player.

[Kitty279]

Possible. If she approved of her playing, then she could have forced the boys to allow their sister to play with them, right? (I wonder where Ginny got her broom from in OotP?)

She married straight out of school, then went on to be a stay-at-home mum, popping out babies. Just like in earlier times. So I could really see her as more than a bit old-fashioned. And the way she complains about the hair of her two oldest sons and Bill's earring is another hint that she wants everything like it was in her times, too.

The only thing not fitting there would be the fact that in earlier times, children had to work way earlier than today - no keeping them naive and innocent until they're grandparents themselves!

[Silvertongue]

I agree that her views are probably very old fashioned. I doubt she would have been thrilled about Ginny's choice of career (which, for me, gives ginny a plus point, even if I'm not her biggest fan). I don't understand the hair thing though, because I always imagined it to be a very 'noble, pureblood' thing to have long hair. But then, maybe that's why she doesn't like it? Also, she finds Kingsley respectable enough and he wears an earring.

[physicssquid]

But Kinglsey is described as being a big man, and he's bald, so I would assume that Molly didn't like him but was intimidated by his size, given that I always assumed that she wasn't exactly tall.

[Kitty279]

Besides, Kingsley has already started the one career Molly approves of - in the Ministry. And of course, she has no business whatsoever to tell Kingsley what to do. I could see her disapprove of his appearance, but not daring to say something.

Of course, in canon he proved that with an earring, you can still protect the Muggle PM and end up Minister of Magic yourself ... I wonder if Bill used that to shut her up?

[physicssquid]

He probably did, but I doubt she would have really listened. I thought she was even more stubborn than Harry, and nothing would change her opinions about anything. Which makes me wonder if she would have wanted to give people like Dumbledork or Lucius Malfoy haircuts because their hair was too long.

[Kitty279]

ROTFL! Oh My God! You are horrible! Now I have that image in my head of Dumbledore hurrying through the castle playing hide and seek with Molly, who runs with her wand in hand after him and screams at him to stop and come so she can cut his hair and beard! And of Lucius tied to a chair while Molly not only cuts his hair, but shaves him bald! *snicker*

[physicssquid]

She probably would shave Lucius bald, and of course she'd also go after Hagrid, Remus, Sirius and Snape as well.

[Kitty279]

Until they team up against her

[Kaiserin]

Reason is not automatic. Those who deny it cannot be conquered by it." Ayn Rand
Do you think she was talking about Molly?

[physicssquid]

Jun 29, 2012 9:47:08 GMT -5 Kitty279 said:

Until they team up against her

Would Snape be able to work with Remus, Sirius and Hagrid without trying to kill them? ;D

[Miss Wings]

Jun 29, 2012 8:15:15 GMT -5 Kitty279 said:

Besides, Kingsley has already started the one career Molly approves of - in the Ministry. And of course, she has no business whatsoever to tell Kingsley what to do. I could see her disapprove of his appearance, but not daring to say something.

Of course, in canon he proved that with an earring, you can still protect the Muggle PM and end up Minister of Magic yourself ... I wonder if Bill used that to shut her up?

Of course she wouldn't say anything. She'd be to scared of his power and with regards to the hair. She's probably just jealous that Bill has straight hair and she has a mess.

[Kitty279]

Jun 29, 2012 9:54:25 GMT -5 physicssquid said:

Would Snape be able to work with Remus, Sirius and Hagrid without trying to kill them? ;D

Was thinking more of the last three ;D

Jun 29, 2012 10:03:12 GMT -5 Miss Wings said:

Of course she wouldn't say anything. She'd be to scared of his power and with regards to the hair. She's probably just jealous that Bill has straight hair and she has a mess.

LOL - now that's a new idea!

[Silvertongue]

I've always wondered what she thought of Dumbledore's long hair.

[Miss Wings]

Probably thought he was God, isn't he meant to have long hair?

[G. Novella]

Jun 29, 2012 9:12:50 GMT -5 Kitty279 said:

ROTFL! Oh My God! You are horrible! Now I have that image in my head of Dumbledore hurrying through the castle playing hide and seek with Molly, who runs with her wand in hand after him and screams at him to stop and come so she can cut his hair and beard! And of Lucius tied to a chair while Molly not only cuts his hair, but shaves him bald! *snicker*

If you let Molly at a tied up Lucius, she'd do way worse than shave him bald, especially after COS.

But on the note of Molly disliking long hair, I think it was just a peeve for her own sons. I know plenty of mothers who find long hair alright on men, but get irritated with their sons growing their hair out. It's like an attractiveness thing. They just don't find long haired men attractive, and so it bugs them in their own sons.

[basketsarah120]

Lol see I find guys with a little longer hair attractive. I don't really like guys with short hair. I also like scruffy guys.