Harry Potter for Grown-Ups http://www.egroups.com/group/HPforgrownups Message 788 From: Peg Kerr Date: Sat Sep 2, 2000 10:17am Subject: Musings on loyalty (long) Have been thinking about what the books have to say about loyalty. Quite a lot, actually. It occurred to me recently that one reason (among many) that Rowling included the whole house elf subplot was that it was both a foreshadowing and an ironic commentary on the scene between Voldemort and the Deatheaters in the graveyard. Think about it: isn't there something rather similar between Winky, groveling at the Quidditch match while Crouch, Sr., says "I have no use for a house elf who disobeys me" and Wormtail groveling before Voldemort, as Voldemort taunts him that perhaps he isn't loyal enough. Loyalty, as demonstrated between Harry, Ron, Hermione, Sirius, the Weasley family, and Dumbldore is highly valued--but the house elf plot, like the story of Voldemort and his followers is included to warn us: "Be careful: if you wish to give your loyalty to someone, be sure that they deserve it." What is the difference between loyalty as demonstrated Our Team (Harry and his friends) versus as demonstrated by the Other team the house elfs and their masters (all the masters we've seen are dark wizards and 2) the Other Team (Voldemort and his followers?) Well, on Our Team, loyalty is reciprocal (meaning it goes both ways), and it is flows between people who consider themselves to be equals. Harry helps Ron and Hermione, knowing that they, in turn will help him. This is demonstrated perhaps most effectively when Harry recognizes that since he and Cedric have helped each other, they are equals, and he acknowledges this by suggesting that they take the Triwizard cup together. Loyalty is demanded, but not in the nature of a one-up, one-down relationship, but because people on Our Team are responsible for each other and look out for one another. Remember Hagrid scolding Ron and Harry in PoA for snubbing Hermione: "I thought you two would value your friend more'n broomsticks or rats." And remember what Sirius said to Wormtail, when Wormtail protested that he had to betray James and Lily (turn his back on his loyalties) to save himself: Wormtail: "He would have killed me, Sirius!" Sirius: "Then you should have died--died rather than betrayed your friends AS WE WOULD HAVE DONE FOR YOU." On the Other Team, however, loyalty is definitely not reciprocal. Remember in the first book when Dumbledore tells Harry that Voldemort left Quirrel to die: "He shows just as little mercy to his followers as his enemies." The house elf masters that we have seen (Malfoy, Crouch) consider loyalty as something they demand from their servants, but do not seem to think they owe anything to their house elves in return. Voldemort, too, when the death eaters come, scolds them for how they has let him down, and punish some, cruelly. But although he gives Wormtail back a hand, my impression is that everyone understands that all the giving is going to flow toward Voldemort, not the other way around--unless he decides to reward his follows on a whim. Note, too, that the Deatheaters return this "loyalty" of Voldemort's with coin just about as false. They come back to him out of fear, or because he can offer them scope for depraved pleasures--not because they think, "By gum, my friend Voldemort is in a spot of trouble, and he needs me, and I know he's always stuck up for me before." Others, observing the characters of these Death eaters, note that their loyalty is false. Karkaroff and Wormtail, for example, both guage their loyalty to Voldemort by calculating first and foremost what's in it for them. Other thoughts: it was something about loyalty, or more specifically, about choosing sides, that led to the first falling out between Draco and Harry. Remember the scene on the train, first year: Draco wanted Harry to join "his side" and appealed to him to avoid Ron and others of that ilk. Draco: "You'll soon find out some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there." Harry: "I think I can tell who are the wrong sort for myself, thanks." The whole Mudblood story line is also about loyalty: which side will you stand with? Purebloods only, or all wizards, including Mudbloods? Look at how much dramatic mileage Rowling gets out of many characters like Quirrel, Moody and Krum, Karkaroff, Fudge and Snape, where a big part of the plot (and the surprises) hinges on: where does this person's loyalty truly lie? Think about the implications of the students being sorted into four houses, and the interhouse competition, and the Triwizard tournament. Rowling is doing a lot in these books about loyalty, competition, about assessing who is on your side, trusting, betrayal, etc. I could go on in this vein but will probably stop here for now. Comments? Peg --------