Pettigrew vs. Lucius

[Zarleycat at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 24415


> Who's more evil, Pettigrew or Lucius: IMO, definitely Lucius. 
Pettigrew
> is a bumbling idiot who does his master's budding out of fear and
> dimness. Lucius is bright, cunning, calculated and menacing. 
Pettigrew
> never appeares menacing and fear-provoking. He is just timidly 
doing what
> Voldie demands of him, not out of his own accord. 

I love these "evil" questions.  I think it comes down to an 
individual's definition of evil.  I'd choose Lucius Malfoy as being 
the more evil of the two because what he does is a conscious choice. 
And he is in a position in wizard society, due to wealth/influence/ 
family, to affect other people.   He may very well be acting purely 
in his own self-interest or his wealthy, pure-bred family's self- 
interest, but he is definitely making choices.  Compare him to Snape 
who has also made choices, and, as it seems, realized that his 
original choices were wrong.  Snape had the internal fortitude to 
turn in the other direction (Dark to Light) in spite of the risks 
that choice posed.  Maybe now I'm veering into "Who has more courage -
 Malfoy or Snape?"  Sev wins hands down on that choice.   
 
So, maybe Peter is less evil because he is not a strong individual 
and can be threatened or influenced by more powerful people. Peter, I 
think, is a perfect example of "the banality of evil."  He doesn't 
necessarily want to be evil, he doesn't delight in others' suffering, 
he doesn't think he is inherently better than other people, he just 
finds that path easier than fighting against it.  His own self-
interest is paramount.  I thought the scene in the Shrieking Shack 
very revealing of Peter's character.  Once he admits to being V's 
spy, he grovels for mercy.  He begs for his life, but he never once 
expresses any sorrow or regret at his own actions - for selling out 
James and Lily, for orphaning Harry, for setting up Sirius for 
Azkaban, for depriving Remus of his friends' support.  Peter is not 
evil - he's criminally weak.

Marianne