Whether we’re together or apart in another difficult year, Mother’s Day is something many of us treasure. A time of celebrating the mothers and motherly figures in our lives, these are the people who have guided us through life and left their indelible prints on our hearts. Your mum might have shaped your love of reading (I know mine certainly has!) and filled your world with stories of all varieties. From doses of wisdom to sources of joy, mothers and books are very similar. So in celebration of Mother’s Day, we’ve looked at our favourite mothers in literature.
- Molly Weasley in Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling
Mothers are huge figures in the Harry Potter series, but nobody is quite as remarkable as Molly Weasley. From the moment we meet Mrs Weasley, we are welcomed into a hearth of warmth, fresh baking, knitted jumpers, and safety. She may be sweet, enveloping Harry and readers alike, but she’s no pushover and is never afraid to fight for those she loves. The line “Not my daughter, you bitch!” may ring a bell, so take from that what you will…
- Marmee in Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
Kind, patient and quick-witted, Marmee is one of the highlights of the Little Women series. Mum to Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy, Marmee has a huge heart and never stops helping others; from nursing the poor to dishing out medicine to Civil War soldiers. But she is also an incredible feminist, raising her daughters to be strong-minded, fierce, intelligent, and kind. The March sisters are told to be whatever they want to be and to be the best people they can. The people that the March sisters become are down to the fact that Marmee never tells them to stay at home and wait for husbands to come along, but encourages them to celebrate their talents. She is a rock to all her children and it is no wonder that she is so adored.
- Marilla Cuthbert in Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
Whilst Marilla and Anne do not meet until the latter is eleven, a mother does not have to be biological but is also the one who loves, nurtures and raises us into the people we become. After Marilla and her brother Matthew accidentally foster a girl (Anne) instead of a boy, they are quickly charmed by the imaginative and bold nature of Anne Shirley. Although Marilla takes longer to mellow, she helps Anne to grow into someone who knows they are worthy of love, picking up the pieces of a traumatic childhood. The Cuthbert siblings are as much parents to Anne as any biological parents could ever be, and it is through Marilla’s stern, steely, but warm-hearted nature that Anne thrives. A mother in any shape or form is one of the most wonderful things a person can ever have.
