When I first read this (62), in the car on vacation in Ocean City, I cracked up helplessly. When I tried reading it aloud to Nathan, I could barely spit it out; Re-reading Goblet of Fire this time around, I started hopping up and down in my seat when I realized that it was coming up. As totally inconsequential as it is, I think it's my favorite single line in the book. Why, oh why?
I adore Mrs. Weasley. She's probably my favorite female character in the books, though Professor McGonagall gives her a major run for her money. Anyway, this is just such a motherly moment. Here's Bill, who she's barely seen since he graduated from Hogwarts, and she has to comment on his personal grooming. Her reaction to the earring is great too, and oh so reminiscent of how my mom reacted when my brother came home one day in high school wearing a magnetic earring to freak her out. He did eventually get a real one but by then I guess she'd gotten rather used to the idea, and he was old enough that she didn't feel she had much say. Bill may be in his mid-20s, but once he's under his old roof again, he's also under his mother's scrutiny. Riled up as she is over Fred and George's antics, I imagine she's kind of on the warpath anyway when they sit down to dinner, so Bill's earring becomes the target. But I just love the hair. What is it about mothers and long hair?
My mom actually doesn't have an objection, but both of my grandmas hate long hair on men. Actually, they're not too crazy about long hair on women either. It's partly a generational thing, I suppose. But it's just like a mom to welcome her son home with, "You need a haircut!" What I really love about this line is the way she says it. She could have used any number of words in that sentence: long, ratty, unkempt, ridiculous... All sorts of adjectives to indicate her disapproval. But the word "silly" is so incredibly gentle, especially when coupled with the "dear" and her "fingering her wand lovingly"; it's more of a perfunctory protest than any kind of real objection. She knows Bill isn't going to let her cut his hair; she just wants to do her motherly duty by mildly expressing her own notion of what constitutes an appropriate hairstyle. Good ol' Molly...
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2 comments:
Maybe Molly's been taking lessons from the mirror that tells Harry his hair is a lost cause! :-)
But yes, this is a lovely "Mom" moment. It must have been challenging but fun to raise a household full of boys. You know Molly loves em' all. Though the fact that they kept having children (and stopped after Ginny) might indicate her yearning to keep going until she finally got a girl. :-) Just a thought!
Aye, I think she's pretty happy to have Ginny - and Arthur must be tickled to have broken the long girl-less streak in his family! All those boys would definitely be a challenge - though one gets the sense that Fred and George caused more headaches than the rest put together... ;)
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