Death Eater Similarities

[Eric Oppen]

No: HPFGUIDX 21346

>    Date: Sat, 23 Jun 2001 06:08:40 -0000
>    From: "Emma Moniz" <phantomangel90 at hotmail.com>
> Subject: Death Eater Similarities
>
> I checked the archives and everything, and I saw that no-one had made
> the commentary that the Death Eaters are strikingly similar to the
> Klu Klux Klan Stateside.  I realise that this rather excludes the
> Brits from a lot of commentary and I apologise for that.  But growing
> up in an area with high KKK activity, as well as being a target for
> said activity, it seems strikingly similar.  Never knowing when you
> might be hit, dreading seeing the mark outside your house (Dark Mark
> for the DE, burning cross for the KKK), never knowing if they let
> your family get out unscathed, uncertain of who is a member and who
> isn't....  I was discussing this tonight, and the things the Death
> Eaters and the KKK share in common realy hit home when I read GoF for
> the umpteenth time this week.  I can understand that fear, now.
>
> Are there other groups, aside from everybody's favourite, the Nazis,
> who share characteristics like this?  I understand the Death Eaters
> are a compilation of all hate groups, but they seem to function more
> like some than others...
>
> ~Emma

This is true enough, however, the KKK (_Ku_ Klux Klan, not _Klu_ Klux Klan,
BTW) is itself not wildly dissimilar to other groups that operate(d) in the
US in the nineteenth century---the Antirent agitators in upstate NY State
and the pro- and anti-Mormon raiders in 1840s Missouri and Illionis, for
instance.

One thing that struck _me_ about the scene in the cemetery where Voldie
reunites with his "faithful" Death Eaters is that he apparently has no
problem calling them by name.  Why bother with those stupid robes if you're
going to be using real names, out loud?  I'm sure that Voldemort's easily
smart enough to come up with code names, which would also make it a lot
harder for a traitor to betray the whole lot of them in one fell swoop.  In
addition, taking a new name is traditional upon religious or magical
initiation---converts to Christianity, Judaism or Islam, as well as outfits
like the Hare Krishnas, can often take new names for use within the group,
if not in the outside world.  Part of DE initiation could well have been the
selection of a new name for the initiate, either by Voldemort himself (and,
note, he himself changed his name) or by the initiate, or by both of them
working together.  Pettigrew became Wormtail, and the others could've done
likewise.

For that matter, how did they get into their robes so quickly?  I'm sure
that it would be a _tad_ suspicious for (spoiler) who destroys dangerous
beasties for the Ministry of Magic, if the cleaning staff found his Official
Death Eater Robe(tm) in his closet at work one day.  Places like the
Malfoys' manor probably have enough hiding places for tons of DE gear, but
not everybody's got a manor to play with.

And, one final thought---is it a requirement that DEs must be able to
Apparate?  It would certainly come in very handy, but I don't think Wormtail
could, otherwise he'd have done it when he set up Sirius Black.  Maybe this
is a requirement only for the highest ranks of the organization---as I've
said before, I do not think for a second that the people we saw in the
graveyard are anything like the total number of DEs.  Voldemort would
probably only summon the highest-ranking members to him at such an occasion.