[HPforGrownups] Voldemort: Sexism/Honor etc.
Amanda Lewanski
editor at texas.net
Sun Jul 8 02:01:15 UTC 2001
No: HPFGUIDX 22097
Indigo wrote:
> --- In HPforGrownups at y..., "Susan Hall" <shall at s...> wrote:
> > disagree about whether he would have let Lily live.
>
> So you believe he lied when he said "You don't have to die."
Well, I do. Hell, yeah. Means to an end. Get this person who might be
dangerous out of the way of the object, in any way possible. Finish the
goal, then deal with the detritus.
It has also been postulated, and I quite honestly don't remember by who
(although I'd love to claim it), that Voldemort was sparing Lily because
his loyal Snape had asked for her. This was put forward as Snape trying
to make the best of a lost situation, much like that ship captain in
"Raiders of the Lost Ark" trying to save the woman by staking a claim on
a level he thought the Nazis would understand. This is totally
unsupported, of course, like all Snape/Lily, but interesting to ponder
(like all Snape/Lily).
Susan Hall again:
> I certainly can't find
> > any canonical evidence for a "skewed sense of honour" towards
> wizards.
>
> Indigo:
> Goblet of Fire.
>
> Instead of taking Harry out on the spot, Voldemort made sure Harry had
> his wand, and they *duelled*.
>
> That's what I mean by skewed sense of honour. That might've been
> arrogant pride talking but it also came across as giving a worthy
> adversary a fighting chance.
Well, it came across to *me* as a cat playing with a mouse. Disney's
Sher Khan with Mowgli sprang to mind. He was indulging himself, not
honoring an opponent.
I think if Voldemort had really thought that Harry posed any kind of
danger, he'd have taken no chances. The duel was foolish because
Voldemort so severely underestimated Harry, and that underestimation was
what gave Harry a chance.
Voldemort has no interest in giving any adversary a chance, worthy or
otherwise. Voldemort is in the midst of a plan to reanimate himself and
arrive in the middle of a gathering of the children of the primary
wizarding families of England, France, and somewhere Slavic, and wreak
major havoc. Whether accidentally in the line of fire, primary targets,
or hostage candidates, anyone who targets a school as his major stroke
is no one with any sense of honor.
As for sexism, I think Voldemort is beyond that. He's removed from the
human race, at least from human emotion. If a female is useful, he will
use her. If a male is useful, he will use him. They are Servants. Gender
is immaterial except in how they can be used in different situations. I
think Mrs. Lestrange might be the only woman mentioned, because she's
the only woman who fought her way up in the ranks; that doesn't mean
Voldemort did the selecting.
--Amanda
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