Was Beverly an overly protective mother?

[Trekker4747]

In "Evolution" (TNG's Third Season premire episode) Beverly acts very over protective of Wes.

1. She's concerned about him working too hard.
2. She comms him when he's setting traps for the nanites and chides him on not being in his quarters.
3. She comes in to a lab and pesters him for working late trying to solve the problem of the nanites.
4. At the end of the episode she shows (unwarranted concern) when a girl shows interest in Wesley.

In Season 3 Wes was 17 years old. He had been an acting officer on the Enterprise for nearly two years he's had a long history of being advanced and smart beyond his years and here's Beverly acting like he's 4 years old and putting sand in his mouth.

The bit at the end of the episode really bugs, maybe it's a sexist thing but to me it's unusual to show a girl showing the "wrong" kind of interest in your son. Usualy you protect a girl from undue male attraction, not the other way around.

Infact, Beverly was SO overly motherly towards Wes he almost didn't stay on the Enterprise while she was a SF Medical he almost left because he had such strong seperation anxiety from her. It's understandable Beverly may have some worries over Wes, after losing a husband and all, but her actions stink of beeing overly protective for an adult male as advanced as Wesley was, especialy in a time when, presumably, kids mature faster than those from today. A 17 year old for them was supposed to be like someone in ther late 20s today.

 

[mr.peany]

I wouldnt say 'overprotective', but caring. Keep in mind, she hadnt seen Wesley in over a year, which in itself isnt a bad thing, so she probably just wanted to get to know the changes in Wesley's personality since she last saw him.

 

[DrTaylor]

Beverly was SO overly motherly towards Wes he almost didn't stay on the Enterprise while she was a SF Medical he almost left because he had such strong seperation anxiety from her.

Where do you see that? Because what I saw was more along the lines of, "Okay, son, you're a minor, so I'm gonna go take this new job, and once you're done with this term at school or whatever you've gotta wrap up you're gonna come with me. See you next month."

her actions stink of beeing overly protective for an adult male as advanced as Wesley was

Don't forget he's a genuis with the emotional maturity of a seventeen year old.

presumably, kids mature faster than those from today. A 17 year old for them was supposed to be like someone in ther late 20s today.

This isn't the Borg, and it isn't the middle ages. Longer lifespan equals longer childhood.

 

[Trekker4747]

Where do you see that? Because what I saw was more along the lines of, "Okay, son, you're a minor, so I'm gonna go take this new job, and once you're done with this term at school or whatever you've gotta wrap up you're gonna come with me. See you next month."

A minor in OUR society.

This isn't the Borg, and it isn't the middle ages. Longer lifespan equals longer childhood.

Not necessairly. Childhood isn't dependant on lifespan. Emotional maturity depends on how the child is raised.

 

[WillsBabe]

I didn't see Beverly as overly protective. In fact, I thought the opposite when she upped and left him on the Enterprise. Still, it seems to be the case that parents are happy to leave their kids on the Enterprise, as in the two young lads left by their parents in Brothers.

 

[Chris_Moderato]

Well, given that she had lost a husband and had but one son, a gifted one (we're lead to believe) at that, it makes sense she might be a bit protective of him.

 

[Outpost4]

Overly protective?

She left Wesley alone for a whole year on the Enterprise.

 

[DrTaylor]

Trekker4747 said:

Where do you see that? Because what I saw was more along the lines of, "Okay, son, you're a minor, so I'm gonna go take this new job, and once you're done with this term at school or whatever you've gotta wrap up you're gonna come with me. See you next month."

A minor in OUR society.

This isn't the Borg, and it isn't the middle ages. Longer lifespan equals longer childhood.

Not necessairly. Childhood isn't dependant on lifespan. Emotional maturity depends on how the child is raised.

And Beverly Crusher, to quote Rupert Giles, has the emotional maturity of a blueberry scone. Not likely to help Wes any. And I was talking in an average sense. We have longer lifespans now than in the past. In general, we marry later. We marry later because we settle down later, in general. We generally spend more time playing around acting like children than we did in the past, and one argument is that we do so because we have a longer lifespan, an argument that I find valid.

 

[Ryan Thomas Riddle]

Not really, all mothers tend to be overprotective of their sons. Could've been worse, Wesley could've had my mother who can't seem to cut the cord? In fact, I don't think the doctor ever cut the cord off at her request.