Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Writing: Seeing Ourselves in Fictional Characters

This is my post for #Day 5 of the Author Blog Challenge.


Molly Weasley

Who is your favorite literary character? With which literary character do you most relate?

Oh no! Not another "what is your favorite" question! I am terrible at these types of questions as I don't really have a favorite; I like too many characters to ever choose.

Now, if I had to say the one that comes to mind who is the most like me, I would have to say Molly Weasley from J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. The similarity is mostly superficial though. I am a redhead. I have seven children, and I would do anything, including put my own life at risk, to keep my children safe and happy. I also have a tendency to mother my children's friends.

Now if only I shared her ability to perform magic! Maybe, just maybe I'd then be able to keep my house clean. That is one area that she and I differ on even more than the ability to perform magic: domesticity. I am a mother who would do anything for her children, and I'd like to think that I am doing a good job in raising my children, BUT I detest housecleaning. My house is cluttered and messy and probably dusty as that's another thing I don't like spending time on. I do laundry because it has to be done. I vacuum and clean the dishes because those things have to be done. I even pick up toys frequently, because there are so many in my house that, if I didn't tidy them up often, I'd be tripping over them most of the time.

But I am not "house proud." People don't admire how pristine my home is or how well decorated it looks. My bookshelves are cluttered with books, knick-knacks and paper. My counters are cluttered with more paper and probably books too. The one word that would best describe my house is "cluttered."

I do cook, but I'd rather spend my time writing, playing with my children, taking walks and living life than worry about having the perfect home.

Do I wish I had better habits when it comes it keeping my home spotless and presentable. Sometimes. But this is me.

Too bad I can't just magic it clean!

3 comments:

E.B. Black said...

It's impossible to do everything. I don't have kids, but I still don't clean to the level I'd like to. Partly because I'm always working on making the people that I love happy, writing, promoting myself, trying to take care of my mental and physical health (which I sometimes neglect), critiquing, and cooking meals when I can.

Kathi Laughman said...

For many years I have kept a magnet on my refrigerator that says "Boring women have immaculate homes"... And while the sentiment of course isn't exactly true (I know women with wonderfully tended homes that are anything but boring) it does somehow ease my mind... how wonderful that we live in a time when we don't have to be fully consumed by the "tending of things" and can break free to enjoy other parts of life. Great post!

Jane Isaac said...

Life is to short to be house proud. I keep mine marginally tidy, just don't open the cupboards, LOL! Great post!