Because it’s the only large family mentioned and the only family that relies on Muggle technology over superior magic (e.g. stitches).
Wasn’t deadly serious: I don’t know if it’s mentioned directly, but it can’t be a mistake that it’s a family of six boys, then a girl, and then no further children. I’ve seen that pattern before.
Oddly, that implies that (some) wizards can’t/won’t sex-select their kids.
Well … Arthur’s the one who’s fond of Muggle technology. Molly didn’t really approve of the flying car in the second book and she definitely didn’t approve of the stitches, so it’s rather unlikely that she’d approve of some Muggle invention made from rubber which Arthur suggests for contraception.
Minor note- condoms date as a technology from the 1600s. The wizarding world has taken many muggle technologies from well after that (such as door knobs). Wizards would likely have had time to not only make and adopt reliable condoms but use magic to improve them.
The book says him and the healer agree on them: not sure if he came up with the idea but they got his support.
Interesting, the next generation got a more rational form: Fred+George’s lockpicking is a great idea, not just for underage magic reasons but because you suspect wizards would cast complex locking charms on things to protect from Aloharama but not actually make the lock itself very secure from a mundane angle. Which has parallels to the sadly rare RPGs that allow you to get round complicated locks that frustrate you rogue by smashing the chest to pieces with a two-handed hammer.
Why do you find repeated condom malfunction more plausible than wanting a big family?
Alternately, they just wanted a girl and kept trying until they got one.
Because it’s the only large family mentioned and the only family that relies on Muggle technology over superior magic (e.g. stitches).
Wasn’t deadly serious: I don’t know if it’s mentioned directly, but it can’t be a mistake that it’s a family of six boys, then a girl, and then no further children. I’ve seen that pattern before.
Oddly, that implies that (some) wizards can’t/won’t sex-select their kids.
Well … Arthur’s the one who’s fond of Muggle technology. Molly didn’t really approve of the flying car in the second book and she definitely didn’t approve of the stitches, so it’s rather unlikely that she’d approve of some Muggle invention made from rubber which Arthur suggests for contraception.
True, that. I refer you to my ‘not deadly serious’ point. It’s not that it stands up to scrutiny so much as it’s a neat parallel
Minor note- condoms date as a technology from the 1600s. The wizarding world has taken many muggle technologies from well after that (such as door knobs). Wizards would likely have had time to not only make and adopt reliable condoms but use magic to improve them.
You don’t think the stitches were Arthur’s idea, do you? Cause they weren’t.
The book says him and the healer agree on them: not sure if he came up with the idea but they got his support.
Interesting, the next generation got a more rational form: Fred+George’s lockpicking is a great idea, not just for underage magic reasons but because you suspect wizards would cast complex locking charms on things to protect from Aloharama but not actually make the lock itself very secure from a mundane angle. Which has parallels to the sadly rare RPGs that allow you to get round complicated locks that frustrate you rogue by smashing the chest to pieces with a two-handed hammer.
Because he’s not the brightest bulb?