Would JKR make Lupin evil?

[bluesqueak]

No: HPFGUIDX 39664

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "alhewison" <Ali at z...> wrote:
> What would she actually be saying to us if Lupin did turn out 
> to *be* evil? She would be saying that the WW is right to distrust 
> Lupin - and by inference - we are right to distrust those Lupin 
> represents (be they the mentally ill, the deformed, those of 
> different religions or ethnic backgrounds - but more simply the 
> misunderstood, the different ones).
<Snip>
> JKR's desire to show social misfits 
> and second class citizens as deserving of our love and/or respect 
> remains consistent. If this is the case, the only way that Lupin 
> would then turn out to be evil, would be if JKR is then trying to 
> say "Look, this is what happnes IF you distrust and shun social 
> misfits, they respond by turning against you. IMO this seems to be 
> a bit like over egging the pudding - when all she needs to say is, 
> Look! get to know these people, trust these people, and their prove 
> trustworthy.
> 
> 
> Ali

I think it is very likely that JKR is going to introduce a theme 
of 'prejudice causes some of its victims to turn to evil'. She's 
already hinted at that with Dumbledore's suggestion in GoF that the 
Giants have turned to Voldemort because he has promised them rights 
and freedom. 

Evil!Lupin would fit in very nicely with that theme. Especially if he 
*wasn't* a spy during the Secret-Keeper affair, but found his 
supposedly good friends James and Sirius suspected that he was; and 
then decided that the reason they didn't trust him was because he was 
a werewolf. What is the point in trying to be a 'good' werewolf if it 
gets you absolutely nowhere? 

Pippin has pointed out that Lupin's 'forgiveness' of Sirius in the 
Shack can be read the other way. It would be very understandable if 
he can never, ever, forgive the man who caused him to turn to 
Voldemort.

JKR has already presented us with extended examples of people who do 
suffer from oppression and prejudice but don't give in to evil - 
Dobby, Hagrid. She has to balance things up to give a realistic 
picture. 

Truth is, prejudice is not just evil because of the actions of 
oppressors, it is also evil because of its power to create further 
evil in victims who would otherwise have been basically good people.

Pip