To celebrate today being Mother's Day, I wanted to highlight some of my favourite motherly figures who were influential on the protagonist and also left an impression on me.
Molly Weasley from the Harry Potter series
It's hard not to love Molly Weasley for who she is as a person, and how that reflects in her role as a mother. She places her children before her and always wants the best for them, even if that isn't always in her means or she showed it in a different way. The howler that Ron receives in both The Philospher's Stone and Prisoner of Azkaban conveys how great of a mother Molly is, as she isn't afraid to discipline her children to teach them about consequences and responsibility for their actions. I think everyone would pick her face off against Bellatrix Lestrange as their favourite Molly Weasley moment but, albeit that being super badass, I really liked the moment when Molly and Fleur saw eye to eye for the first time in Half-Blooded Prince. It was such a sweet moment between the two women, especially as Molly was able to realise that Fleur would love Bill as much as she does herself.
Myra from After the Flood
If you ever after a read purely about the sacrifice and love that a mother has for her children, this is it. Myra battles against all odds, stubborn and steadfast, in ensuring her younger daughter's survival whilst trying to come to terms with the absence of her eldest daughter. And she does all this in a post-apocalyptic, fully flooded, world. Both Myra and After the Flood has been my recent most influential read for its overall message, but definitely still worth the read to witness Myra in her journey.
If you ever after a read purely about the sacrifice and love that a mother has for her children, this is it. Myra battles against all odds, stubborn and steadfast, in ensuring her younger daughter's survival whilst trying to come to terms with the absence of her eldest daughter. And she does all this in a post-apocalyptic, fully flooded, world. Both Myra and After the Flood has been my recent most influential read for its overall message, but definitely still worth the read to witness Myra in her journey.
Miss Honey from Matilda
Not only the ideal primary school teacher, but also turning out to be an incredible sisterly/motherly figure, it would be a shame not to include Miss Honey on this list. She didn't have a fault besides potentially caring too much but it's her nurturing and encouraging behaviour that makes her stand out. If anything, I just love that despite having such a tragic past, she never let that stand in her way and tried to make the children she taught feel happy and comfortable in a rather terrible school environment. Also, the fact that she did not freak out by Matilda's ability and instead, encouraged Matilda to seek more knowledge and continue to read. Bless her soul.
When you think of Little Women you most likely will remember the 4 sisters that take their town and your reading experience by a storm. However, credit lies with Marmee, who raises her children in the midst of a war and without her husband by her side. She doesn't have a strong presence per se but the values and lessons she teaches her daughters has earned her a spot on this list. In a time where most would be trying to marry their daughters off, Marmee encourages following one's passion and being true to oneself. How refreshing to see in such a setting!
I will say that, amongst my many reads, I haven't come across many characters in a positive motherly role. Instead, I find that most of the time the main character will have a rather traumatising or challenging relationship with their mum or not have a motherly figure, which spurs their story and character arc. So, moving forward, I definitely want to explore more mother-daughter relationship reads just to see what I will gain from them. I also didn't intentionally mean to name all characters starting with the letter "M", it just happened.
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