Why doesn't Molly have a job?

[Avani]

It's not that she was necessarily unemployed, but she was a housewife. She had to take care of the kids that weren't at Hogwarts yet, like Ginny before Chamber of Secrets. After that, I guess she was past the age where she wanted to pursue her dreams. It makes sense, being the mother of seven children. Loving and caring for her family came first.

[Gretchen]

Some people choose to stay home with their kids, even if it means they live on the meager side. The Weasley's were not poor. Malfoy saw them as poor but I would hardly call them poor. They had food, a home, clothes, warmth and love. Sounds pretty good to me.

[Amy]

Exactly. They lived a sparser, simpler life. The children were never hungry, they had clothes (hand-me-downs are still acceptable clothes), and they had a roof over their heads. Maybe it meant more to their family to have Molly at home than it was to have material things. Not everyone cares to "keep up with the Jones."

[Katie]

Staying home with her kids may have been exactly Molly's dream. It is for a lot of people, some of who can do it and some of who cannot. They were able to allow her to make that choice, so she did. We don't know the circumstances of that choice (what she wanted, what their financial circumstances were at the time, a million other factors that simply didn't need to be discussed in the scope of the story), all we know is the final results of the decision - that she was working as a housewife when Harry met her. And a housewife, *especially* one with multiple kids, is absolutely a job.

[Keri]

Being a stay at home mom myself I can relate very well to Molly. Though I wouldn't call us poor we do without many things that we find unnecessary for me to stay at home and raise our three children. Some things are just a whole lot more important than extra spending money. I don't find it at all disappointing that the husband be the bread winner. In fact I find it exactly the opposite. After all, it has only been over the last 50 years that anyone has thought it should be otherwise and old fashioned doesn't automatically mean bad.

[Joanne]

First, there is absolutely NOTHING wrong with being a housewife. That IS a job in itself. And the previous messenger was correct -- the Weaselys were not poor just very low income.

I would also like to point out that the witch/warlock world that the Weasleys lived in was very old fashioned. Perhaps it was actually a status symbol that, despite having 5 children and little money, they could afford for Molly to stay home and take care of the family and house.

[Moonlight]

I don't know, if you were mother to the Weasely twins, would you want to go off to work every day during the summer and leave them unsupervised?

[Lauren]

Rowling's intention was to portray all kinds of women, which includes some who work and some who do not.

[Lauren]

Moonlight wrote: "I don't know, if you were mother to the Weasely twins, would you want to go off to work every day during the summer and leave them unsupervised?"

This is true.

[V.]

To a degree, yes, the Weasleys are a little old-fashioned in their traditional housewife/breadwinner roles. But I think that reversing Molly and Arthur's positions probably would have cluttered their role as the homely foil to the Malfoys' wealth and privilege. Also consider Rowling's characterisation of Molly and Arthur: Arthur has a bit of the 'absent-minder professor' archetype to him and given the opportunity probably wouldn't be as 'on the ball' as Molly when it comes to a household of riotous children. Then there's the simple practicality of having to deal with six pregnancies- that's got to add up to at least 4 years maternity leave where both parents would then be out of work, if Arthur were a stay at home dad.

[MJ]

I think, too, that by the time Ginny was old enough to go to Hogwart's, the issue of Voldemort's probable return prevented Molly from looking for work (if that is what she would have done).

[Leah]

because she doesn't want one...?

[Leah]

Feven wrote: "Leah wrote: "because she doesn't want one...?"

But WHY? Doesn't she want a life outside of the kitchen?"

Someone's got to take care of the house

[Gretchen]

Remember this though in the end that it was the mom in the kitchen who kicked Bellatrix Lestrange's arse.

[Tom]

Gretchen wrote: "Feven I know you are young and probably don't have enough experience to know this yet but being a mom does not mean you are just in a kitchen all day. I am a SAHM after many years working professio..."

I don't see Feven's point of view as being based on a stereotype. Keep in mind that all of the Weasley kids were in a boarding school, and not coming home every afternoon needing dinner and help with homework and laundry and "crafts, day trips, education lessions...everyday." After Ginny went to school Molly was at home on her own for what? 8 months of the year?

Although to be fair, after the the fourth book she was effectively running a safe house for the Order of the Phoenix which might well qualify as a full time job... so we're looking at about a year and a half or so when she might have taken on some kind of employment.

[Gretchen]

Feven wrote: "Gretchen wrote: "Feven I know you are young and probably don't have enough experience to know this yet but being a mom does not mean you are just in a kitchen all day. I am a SAHM after many years ..."

Feven I erased what I wrote because I am not trying to start an argument or take anything too personal. So I am just going to let it stand at that. Based on your other post you just wrote on the other thred I want you to read what I wrote there more about my concern for you then a silly argument about a mom and a job.

[Holly]

Molly doesn't work because she is lucky enough to not have to......good for her. We had to make a choice in my family, and since I earned more than my husband, he stayed home and raised our daughter. I really wish things could have been different and that it could have been me. A thankless job at a major corporation is not my idea of a fulfilling way to spend a life; being a mom is much more rewarding. Ensuring that the next generation is well raised and has had enough love, wisdom and guidance from their parents is a very key role in any civilization and hopefully people will start to recognize that fact.

[Joanne]

Molly might also have been a SAHM because Harry's aunt was one. BUT there where hugely different personalities and Molly made a perfect counter-balance to Petunia for Harry.

[Mitali]

Until Ginny left for Hogwarts, Molly had a full-time job: homeschooling her 7 kids. Note that none of the Weasleys attended a Muggle primary school, like Harry did. They must have gotten their basic education (the three Rs, and so on) at home, as there are no wizarding primary schools.

After Ginny left for Hogwarts, though, it's a bit difficult to say why Molly didn't bother to get a job, given their financial troubles. Maybe she just wanted a couple of years to herself, and then intended to look for a job, but then the war got in the way. Maybe she just didn't want to work, or was unable to find a suitable job. Maybe she and Arthur decided that once the kids left Hogwarts and got jobs of their own, their financial burdens would ease up, so Molly needn't bother finding work just for those few years while the kids were still at Hogwarts.

[Ciara]

Until Ginny departed for Hogwarts, Molly was a full time mother.
When she left the house, times were so bad and Voldemort was rising, as they discovered later that year.
Perhaps Molly was too busy around the Burrow to work.

Perhaps she did not want to work outside of the house.
As time went on, she probably decided that she didn't know who to trust -and if you can't trust someone, how can you work for them?
Either way, she did a wondful job of raising and caring for seven children.

[Erica]

Petunia doesn't work because she's too busy spying on the neighbors. I don't hear anybody complaining about that.

[Georgia]

Molly doesn't have a job as she has a very big family and house to look after while they children are all of at Hogwarts and Mr Weasley is always at work. Someone needs to be there!

[Joanne]

I just have to say that I find it amusing that this topic is getting such hot debate. We are talking about a piece of FICTION -- about a FICTIONAL character. Perhaps that is why we can be so judgmental on poor Molly. I'm sure most of us would never consider speaking such harsh opinions about a real SAHM.

[Ladysw (Sara)]

Being a housewife is a very demanding job, especially if you have many children.There is no end to the work. It can be harder than working in an office. Women, nowadays, want more options. I know that my grandmother had no rest whatsoever. Just because it's a line of work traditionally allotted to women does not mean it's easy (pregnancy and child birth is hard. I know stay-at-home dads who say its extremely hard to take on the job. Feminists usually just have a problem with limiting women to this position. All the educated feminists ,those that have thoroughly studied all the branches of feminism, agree that it's hard work.

[Moonlight]

My friends daughter is off in boarding school right now. She doesn't have any children left at home any more but since most Americans don't experience this, I thought you might be interested in what she says about it. While she doesn't see her child every day, she does talk to her almost daily. And one way or another, she finds she needs to go over to school a couple of times a month for one thing or another whether to attend a school event, take her child to the dentist, bring her something she forgot or needs from home. The school is located just over an hour drive from their home so a trip there takes some time out of her day. She says it's a different kind of parenting. (Her son lived at home till he went off to college.)

I come from a large family like the Weasleys. Growing up I didn't go on vacations or have as many clothes as my peers. But in my family, we put a high value on education. We all went to college and mostly graduated debt free. This may well be the choices the Weasley family made and it doesn't appear that they have any regrets regardless of the opinion of others. It never occured to me to wonder why Molly didn't work. She made the choices that worked for her and for her family. And that's the way it should be.

[Mitali]

Why are people taking this so personally? The OP isn't asking about all women, just one fictional one. Nor is he/she casting aspersions on SAHMs in general. The question simply is that, why didn't Molly choose to work outside the home. It's a perfectly legitimate question, given that the Weasleys are repeatedly stated to be poor (including by themselves), and shown to be poor (they had only one galleon in their vault in CoS). An extra income would have helped them out a lot. There's no doubt that taking care of the house and kids is hard and valuable work, but there's also no doubt that it doesn't bring in cash. It's silly to say that the Weasleys didn't value cash, when it's clear that several of their members did. The twins and Ron, certainly, wouldn't have minded having more money. And the twins did everything in their power to bring in money - and ultimately dropped out of school to start their own business. It's been stated over and over again that the Weasleys couldn't afford any indulgences or extra expenses, even minor ones like decent dress robes for Ron. Surely it would have crossed Molly's mind that if she worked outside the home once all her children had gone off to boarding school, she would be able to give them a few more necessities?

[Lex]

Before the kids went to Hogwarts, Molly must have been their teacher as well as full time mother and homekeeper (they had to learn to read, write and count somehow and they obviously didn't go to muggle school). Afterwards, my guess is that Molly looked after the safehouses and Order members. Somebody has to do it and who better than a housewife who raised the Weasley twins? Only she could keep Sirius Black under control after all! Lol.

[LAJones]

It's not as if she sits on her butt all day, at least she is out there fighting to protect her loved ones and not sitting in the background not doing anything :). I admire Molly Weasley for what she has done over the years for her family, friends and loved ones. Anyway the film would be boring if everyone had a job and that is all they showed, so would the books. It just adds something different.

[Lindsay]

Full time mom isn't a job?

[Libbie]

Lindsay wrote: "Full time mom isn't a job?"

THANK YOU.

I was just coming on this thread to say that. Just because you don't get a paycheck, doesn't mean it's not WORK.

[Phil]

I don't remember it from the books but in the movies it looks like they have some farmland. It would certainly be a big job taking care of all that.

[Mitali]

Feven wrote: "Lindsay wrote: "Full time mom isn't a job?"

Not a PAID one, the Weasley's really needed extra money."

Exactly. Pretty much no one on this thread seems to get that. Everyone is just caught up in their own political agenda to pay attention to the actual issue.

[Leah]

People keep forgetting about The Order. Molly was a large part of that. Also, don't you remember that the Weasley's were blood traitors? Even during Harry's second year, the Ministry was infiltrated with Dark Wizards, and they all hated the Weasley's.

[Joanne]

Leah wrote: "People keep forgetting about The Order. Molly was a large part of that. Also, don't you remember that the Weasley's were blood traitors? Even during Harry's second year, the Ministry was infiltrate..."

Oh. Good point. Wasn't that why Mr. Weasley kept getting overlooked for promotions? Had he been able to get a promotion, they would not have had such severe money issues.

[Leah]

Joanne wrote: "Leah wrote: "People keep forgetting about The Order. Molly was a large part of that. Also, don't you remember that the Weasley's were blood traitors? Even during Harry's second year, the Ministry w..."

Exactly.

[Samantha The Escapist]

Phil wrote: "I don't remember it from the books but in the movies it looks like they have some farmland. It would certainly be a big job taking care of all that."

^ this. she also took care of the finances even though Arthur is the one that earned them. He kept up the entire house, and I'm convinced she did things on the side for Dumbledore. As Phil said the farm was there, chickens and all that. And she knit a lot of the clothing and made many other things for the kids and the house.

Also the series setting started at some point in the 80s did it not? Sure women in the work place certainly wasn't anything new at that point, but it still wasn't odd to see a family with only a single income.

Plus the other points about how she wouldn't be taking a job till the kids were all gone to school anyway and by that point the voldemort was really picking up and things were beginning to change.

Finally, if they could consistently scrape by so what? it's not liek she had to save up for college or anything.

[Kylie]

Feven wrote: "Lindsay wrote: "Full time mom isn't a job?"

Not a PAID one, the Weasley's really needed extra money."

But did they really? The question of need is based on personal values I guess. I personally like materialistic things, having a bit more money, so I returned to part time work when my child was 2. If someone doesn't value those things, why would they NEED money.

They had a home, food, and all their needs covered, as well as some wants - they were hardly desperate for anything. Sure things were second hand and money for treats were limited (but not nonexistent!), but they obviously weren't valued above Molly being at home.

So, I can understand how some would say they needed the money, if looking at their life from their own values and lifestyle. But looking at it from the Weasley's perspective? I think they were perfectly happy the way things were. (Sure, the kids moaned a bit, but you know, that's what kids do, even if they do have all the bells and whistles -Draco threw tantrums at not being allowed to have the top of the line stuff and they were loaded).

[Avani]

Feven wrote: "Leah wrote: "because she doesn't want one...?"

But WHY? Doesn't she want a life outside of the kitchen?"

Not necessarily. I think she was perfectly happy taking care of her family.

[Jeni]

In a strictly literary sense, the Weasley's are designed to offset the Malfoys. (Someone says this up above.)

The Malfoys have "everything;" money, clothes, expensive homes, etc. and the Weasley's have "nothing."

But who has happiness and warmth and familial chaos and love that Harry can be a part of?

I'll take poor, happy, healthy, and loving over money any day.

[Emma]

This got me thinking a lot about the roles of the characters in the book and when you think on it I remembered Petunia doesn't have a job, and I don't think Narcissa has either? But this doesn't strike me as odd, there are lots of people in reality who choose to stay at home and look after the children and the house, that is very hard work in itself! :)

[Lauren]

Emma wrote: "This got me thinking a lot about the roles of the characters in the book and when you think on it I remembered Petunia doesn't have a job, and I don't think Narcissa has either? But this doesn't st..."

Petunia is unlikable, unlike Molly, so I think that was intended to portray that, just like any other job, not all housewives are the same. One cool aspect of the series is that women are neither portrayed all negatively nor all positively. It makes no generalizations about women, professors, teenagers, men, old people, house-elves, or any other demographic.

[[deleted user]]

In this economy?It's understandable.

[Mitali]

Keshena wrote: "Anyway, I always figured that as most wizards are either half blood or Muggle born, those that didn't work in the Ministry had normal Muggle day jobs. The cashier at the local grocery store or a respected banker could be a witch or wizard. Obviously there were wizards in the post office in Harry's town."

On the contrary - it's shown repeatedly throughout the series that witches and wizards - even Muggle-born ones - go in for magical jobs, and have very little contact with the Muggle world. The career pamplets and counselling that Harry and co. receive in OotP, for example, make no mention of Muggle jobs. Even the kind of education that Hogwarts offers makes it unlikely that British witches and wizards would be able to find a job in the Muggle world - at least, nothing that required a secondary school diploma (I don't know what that is called in British schooling terms) or more than basic knowledge of Muggle subjects like maths, geography, literature, etc.

[Amy]

It seemed like the Weasley family/children had a warm, safe home, food to eat, and clothes to wear (hand-me-downs is not neglect). That is what is important. Obviously, it was more important/valuable to Mr and Mrs Weasley to have her at home for the family rather than material items and wealth. There is nothing wrong with that. It's actually refreshing compared to the society we are in now where everyone has to have everything and every new tech gadget. As for why she didn't go to work when Ginny started school, if they were happy with their current lifestyle, why would they have to change anything?

[[deleted user]]

I love Molly Weasley. Rowling shows that it's possible to have a housewife that is still a feminist character. Molly is officially my favorite character in this series.

And that line with Bellatrix? (not my daughter, you bitch!) was so fucking epic.

And yeah, Molly's family isn't poor. They're living fairly happily, which to them is all that matters.

[Mitali]

Amy wrote: "if they were happy with their current lifestyle, why would they have to change anything? "

Jocelyn wrote: "They're living fairly happily, which to them is all that matters. "

The Weasleys are NOT happy with their current lifestyle. Has no one here actually read the books? The twins and Ron complain about their lack of money every chance they get. Molly is desperate for her family to get up in the world, and Percy is just as desperate, but only for himself, not his family as a whole. Bill and Charlie seem happy with their lot, but they're living and earning on their own by the time we meet them. The only two Weasleys living in The Burrow that we don't hear complaining about money are Arthur and Ginny. I wouldn't call that 'living happily'.

[Gretchen]

Just because the twins and Ron complain does not mean that their family has any vital needs. Let's face it Ron was a bit of a twerp. I like Ron but he was also jealous of all of Harry's money. Money Harry only had because he was an orphan. He yelled at Harry once that he didn't know how it all felt, the war, because his family was already dead. Finally when Ron looked into the mirror of erised he saw himself getting all of these accolades where as Harry saw only family. Ron's charterer flaw that he was working on throughout the entire series was his selfishness and jealousy.

[Mitali]

Gretchen wrote: "Just because the twins and Ron complain does not mean that their family has any vital needs. Let's face it Ron was a bit of a twerp. I like Ron but he was also jealous of all of Harry's money. Mone..."

I agree that Ron is a twerp, but that's beside the point. People keep claiming that all the Weasleys were happy with their lifestyle, whereas at least three Weasleys very vocally kept on stating that they were not happy throughout the series. Whether or not their dissatisfaction was rooted in an actual problem is a different issue. (IMO, it was a real problem, but there's room for interpretation there.)

[Kath]

What about the cost of childcare for 7 kids? Probably would use up most of her salary if she had a full time job.

[[deleted user]]

Mitali wrote: "Amy wrote: "if they were happy with their current lifestyle, why would they have to change anything? "

Jocelyn wrote: "They're living fairly happily, which to them is all that matters. "

The Weas..."

Well, of course they have their fair share of problems. No family is totally perfect. What I mean by "happy" is that they're not horribly unsatisfied with their life. More like "not upset at their lifestyle" than "happy." They love each other as a family, and since love is a major theme in HP, that is SOMETHING I would call happy. Just one aspect of their lives, not all.