[HPforGrownups] Re: Draco's redemption

[DMCourt11 at cs.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 33376

In a message dated 1/13/02 10:06:52 PM Eastern Standard Time, 
aromano at indiana.edu writes:


> On Mon, 14 Jan 2002, serenadust wrote:
> > I have to admit that I also find the "redeemed Malfoy" scenario to be 
> > too much of a cliche for JKR to use.  However, I wonder why he would 
> > want to murder his father for "bitter revenge"?  As far as I can see, 
> > his father gets him anything he wants, confides DE secrets to him, 
> > takes him to the Quidditch World Cup match, and generally has made 
> > his life quite pleasant.  The only time his dad is critical of him at 
> > all is when he chides him for not doing as well in his studies as 
> > Hermione.  
> 
> Actually, we don't know that at all, IIRC.  The only *real* exchange we
> ever see between Draco and his father--real as in, completely private (so
> they think)--is in the scene at Knockturn Alley.  There, Lucius is nothing
> but abusive and critical.  As far as Death-Eater secrets--we don't know
> that either.  Lucius doesn't tell his son anything about Tom Riddle or the
> existence of the Diary.
> Aja
> 
> Although Malfoy spoils his son,  he's also shown no confidence in Draco.  
> Buying the brooms implies that he figures Draco has no hopes of ever making 
> the Quidditch team on his own merits.  In his first chance to prove 
> himself, he fails to catch the snitch that is hovering right by his ear.  
> Odds are the story got back to Lucius, and Draco surely heard a few choice 
> comments from his father on the subject.  
> 
> Earlier, as Aja points out, we get the exchange between father and son in 
> Knockturn Alley, where Harry is delighted to see Draco looking both 
> "abashed and angry" at his father's comments.  To top everything off, we 
> know he doesn't tell him anything about Tom Riddle or the diary.  Draco 
> confides to Harry and Ron (as Crabbe and Goyle) that he wished he knew who 
> the heir of Slytherin was, that he would help him, but that his father 
> doesn't want him mixed up in it and that if he knows too much about the 
> chamber of secrets it would look suspicious.  So Lucius also has no faith 
> that his son can keep a secret or that he won't mess things up by trying to 
> help out.
> 
> Draco can't have much self confidence. He must also have a lot of anger 
> towards his father even if he can't admit that to himself.  However, he 
> strikes me as being too weak a character to turn on his father by either 
> going over to the other side, or confronting and/or killing him.  I don't 
> see him redeeming himself because he realizes his father is evil.  Unless 
> there's something that comes out in later books, how would he have learned 
> about good and evil?  All he's been told is that: 1. he comes from an old 
> and pureblood family, that they should be respected and run things,  2. 
> mixed blood is polluting the wizard world and other purebloods who let this 
> go on are destroying the race, 3. they have an obligation to correct this 
> situation, 4. muggles are  inferior but dangerous.  
Since we mostly see things in the books through  Harry's perspective, we 
don't know if Dumbledore or anyone else has tried to talk to him about this. 
So far, Draco seems too insecure and scared to ever change.

Donna
> 
> 



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