Thank you, Sara and Ariana for your opinions.
Ariana:
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Well, most arrogant know-it-alls have some insecurities underneath, and that's what causes them to boast about their achievements--because they try to convince themselves that they're worth something.
True, that. But Molly is actually happy with what she is. She has brilliant leadership qualities and is wonderful at her studies; yet she sucks at Quidditch and isn't the most lovable person at Hogwarts. So, yes. She isn't perfect but she's satisfied with who she is. And to me, that's as perfect as one can get.
Maybe I was mistaken in calling her arrogant. It's more like... she knows what she excels at and makes it known that she's the best one for the job. (Head Girl, Captain of Gobstones club, etc)
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She is the eldest daughter of Percy Weasley, who as we know is quite ambitious. Perhaps she has a hard time living up to her father's expectations for her?
That's out of the question; in most cases she surpasses even him.
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Or maybe Molly Sr. still holds some grudges for Percy abandoning the family like that, and Molly isn't very close with the rest of her cousins and is jealous of the close relationship they all seem to have.
I'm sorry, but I can't imagine that happening. Mrs Weasley was distraught when Percy left. When he came back with Rufus for Harry, she was the only family member that wasn't hostile. Mothers love their kids no matter what; I've seen mothers still love their children after getting physically hurt by them. Mrs Weasley is one of the best mothers in HP and I find it unimaginable for her to keep a grudge against Percy's daughter for a mistake he now deeply regrets.
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Whatever the reason, don't make her shallow and arrogant through and through--give her some depth and likable points, because no one enjoys reading about someone they don't care about.
Thank you. That's very helpful.
Sara:
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What is your Audrey like? Has Molly inherited behaviour from that side of the family?
No, not really. Her mother is a lot like mine: someone that steps into a room and lightens whatever sort of atmosphere it may be. She's someone you'll never feel dull with. And that's why I thought that she may be a good match for Percy. My father is a no-nonsense man. He follows rules like it's a matter of life and death. Yet, here they are: around twenty years together and no one could be happier.
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Or is it down to an environmental factor; a large family so she feels she has to do something to get her share of attention, perhaps.
Like I mentioned above, Molly is happy with what she is. She actually gets attention so she really isn't in need of seeking it.
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In your face arrogance is really, really annoying and very unrealistic. To me it often feels like the author is trying to make a point that the character isn't one they approve of, yet it could be done in a much better way.
I do not like arrogance at all. From a young age, my father always instilled that rule: do not show off to those unfortunate then you. And so, I do not approve of it. But I want to write of it and try and get it right. I want to be able to write about characteristics that I dislike and make them sound realistic.
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Perhaps something to do would be to get a beta that can discuss this sort of thing with you, or post excerpts in the Excerpts of Murtlap forum to get people to critique the stuff you've written.
Good advice. I already have a brilliant beta doing wonders with it. There's no harm in having a few more opinions though, right?
Thank you
Jasmine