Voldemort's Motivations (was Harry's Connection w/V)

[judyserenity]

No: HPFGUIDX 33626

Jo Ellen raised some very interesting points about Voldemort's 
motivations, saying:
> ....I gathered that other than gaining control over the 
> wizarding world, that V resents having to hide from muggles as he 
> sees them as inferior and has deep psychological hang-ups regarding 
> his muggle father rejecting his wizard mother....
> V having grown up as TR in muggle
> surroundings probably wants to take over both wizarding and 
> muggle worlds with wizards being the ruling race. I suppose that is 
> his ultimate way of recociling the total lack of control he had as a 
> child growing up in an orphanage, but thats just a guess. So why is 
> it so important to V to be doing what he is doing, in gaining 
> immortality? What will having immortality help him achieve? What 
> kind of crazy is that?  

Very good insight into Voldy!  I'd add that he seems to have deep 
psychological hang-ups regarding his father rejecting *him*.  After 
all, Voldy obviously is very magical; if his father was unwilling to 
have magic-users in the family, that means he didn't want his son, as 
well as not wanting his wife.  And Tom Riddle Sr. did in fact abandon 
his son to an orphanage, despite obviously having financial resources 
to support him. 

I agree that some of Voldemort's motivations seem contradictory.  If 
he wants world domination, why make enemies of muggle-born wizards and 
witches, some of whom (like Hermione) are obviously very powerful?  Of 
course, contradictory motivations have in fact been a feature of many 
power-mad tyrants in the past.  For example, in WWII, Hitler opened a 
second front with the Soviets for no discernable reason.

I think Voldemort's quest for immortality can be interpreted one of 
two ways.  It can be seen as a plausible desire for someone who is 
power-hungry; power over death is in some ways the ultimate power.  
Or, it can be seen just as a plot device, which allows Harry to 
destroy Voldemort's power for a time, without permanently killing him.

-- Judy