[HPforGrownups] Is Draco Redeemable? (was Re: The Death of Cedric)

[Ebony Elizabeth Thomas]

No: HPFGUIDX 11471

>Heidi:" Over the past few days, we've had a lot of posts from people
>saying "Snape may not be so bad - we only see him through Harry's
>eyes!" and the like. Well, it's the same for Draco - other than the
>one scene in CoS where, admittedly, he acts a little sociopathic -
>we've only seen him through Harry's eyes."
>
Jim:  How would the scene on the Hogwarts Express at the end of GoF look
>different from someone else's PoV? the one where he taunts the Trio
>about the Dark Lord's rebirth and Cedric's murder?  "Mudbloods and
>Muggle-lovers first!"
>

I repeat:  Draco Malfoy is a 14 year old kid.  I hated his guts too at the 
end of GoF.  I loved Cassie's rendition of him, but still didn't hold too 
much sympathy for the incredible bouncing ferret.  It wasn't until writing 
about Draco at 28 years old that his character surprised me.

Canon Draco is the wizarding world's equivalent of a young, rich racist.  
He's petty, he's spoiled, and he likes having things his own way.

Canon Draco is also highly intelligent.  I'd say that reading between the 
lines, his wit is indicative of a brain that could outpace both Harry's and 
Ron's.  He is a leader of men.  I'm sure he'd like real friends... 
re-reading the beginning of SS, he sought out Harry's friendship, even 
though I'd daresay that he knew Harry was not really the follower-type.

The worldview of most 14 year olds is relatively tiny and much more strongly 
parent/guardian-influenced than the kid would like to admit.

At 14, I saw the world through race-colored glasses.  Parental influence.

At 19, I saw the world through religion-colored glasses.  Peer group 
influence.

At 23, I see the world through neither.  I realize that my worldview is 
still changing and will perhaps always change.  I'm not so sure about my 
absolute categories any more.

I'm thinking of a girl who was the leader of the elite in-crowd at my school 
from first through eighth grade, who hated my guts with a passion.  I was 
the de facto female head of the freaks and geeks group.  My parents were 
poor.  Hers were not.  I grew up in the inner city.  She grew up in a neat 
cul-de-sac.  She was proud of her family and everything they stood for.  We 
disliked each other and everything the other stood for intensely.  I saw her 
in 1995 when we were freshmen in college, and she was still nasty and 
snobbish then.

She sought me out three weeks ago out of the blue.  Came to my classroom.  
Hugged me warmly.  Talked for a half hour on end.  In effect, apologized for 
the wrongs of childhood.  We're women now.  We've found out that we have a 
lot in common.  We may end up friends.

I'm thinking of the Civil Rights Movement in this country.  Many young white 
baby-boomers whose parents were virulent racists marched alongside blacks 
for equal rights.  Perhaps at 14, some of them agreed with their parents on 
the civil rights issue.

Some of the same people who argue passionate cases for Snape (who I don't 
care for much) are writing Draco off.  The rhetoric isn't logical, at least 
not the way I've been reading the Slyth threads.

Is Draco really a caricature?  Or can he be redeemed?

Think Draco can't change?  I'd be more surprised if he did not.

--Ebony AKA AngieJ

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