Voldemort as Christ figure

[dicentra63]

No: HPFGUIDX 37060

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "davewitley" <dfrankiswork at n...> wrote:
> --- In HPforGrownups at y..., "Amy Z" <aiz24 at h...> wrote:
> 
> >And what about Voldemort--is *he* a Christ figure?  He has the 
> resurrection if not the self-sacrifice.
> 
> At last! Someone has said the thing I thought on my first reading of 
> GOF, but have never dared raise (tho' I have hinted on occasion).
> 
> As well as the resurrection (in a graveyard, of course), he has the 
> disciples, he insists on the exclusive adoration and fidelity, he 
> promises great rewards for his followers, including immortality.  He 
> is called 'Lord' by his people.  He has been known to live inside his 
> followers.  He comes alive in a book.  He is represented by a snake 
> lifted up (see John 3: 'As Moses lifted up the serpent in the 
> desert...').  

There are some who say that Satan chose to be a serpent in the garden
precisely because it was a Christ symbol (the shedding of the skin
symbolizing rebirth), and that was part of the deception.  Now that
we've got two parselmouths on opposite sides of the war, will snakes
always symbolize evil in the Potterverse?
> 
> I assume the religious right were so turned off by the 'witchcraft' 
> that they have never quite got to this particular bomb waiting to go 
> off - but you'd think *someone* would have twigged.

Well, speaking as someone who is on the religious right (in some
people's estimation, that is; not necessarily mine) there is nothing
about Voldemort to suggest that Christ himself is being portrayed or
criticized. You're more accurate with the anti-Christ imagery. Evil
often comes as a forgery--the imitation of good that is in fact corrupt.

> 
> But I do wonder if JKR is in fact saying something about religion, or 
> at least religious sects.

It's awfully hard to know what kind of larger messages--if any--JKR is
trying to communicate beyond the ones stated clearly, such as
abilities vs. choices.  

We know that she is herself extremely indignant about oppression and
injustice, so when I read GoF I wondered if Hermione's S.P.E.W.
campaign were going to become a soapbox. To my surprise, it didn't--it
just petered out.  It might come back later, but the argument from
Hagrid et al. that "they like it" might actually be valid in the WW,
given that they're not human and have different psychological needs.

Anyway, I don't think that there are many parallels between
Voldemort's following and a sect (cult did you mean?) because there's
quite a bit missing.  The usual criticism of cults is that one
charismatic person is bamboozling a lot of gullible people out of
their lives and property (emphasis on property) and that they've lost
the ability to think for themselves.  Cult leaders accomplish this
primarily by isolating people on a compound and designating it a
Utopia where We The Chosen will make our paradise.

Voldemort's followers are and always have been integrated into the
society. They are required to obey Voldemort absolutely, but that's a
little different from not being able to think for yourself.  They are
still capable of disagreeing with him, they just keep it to themselves
to avoid a Crucio.  For all we know, some plot against him from within.

Voldemort is trying to create a type of Utopia (no mudbloods) but that
seems secondary to the goal of Ruling The World With Blood And Horror.
Not unlike some of the genocides that have happened in the past
century: the point never really is to "clean things up," it is to get
rid of your enemies and terrorize your allies ("mess with us and
you're next").

I would say that if any parallels are to be drawn, they are to the
political horrors of dictatorships and the like, who get a select few
to go along with them by promising them political power, and then they
go about wreaking havoc in the name of whatever name they've chosen
that day.

--Dicentra, who hasn't seen anything remotely blasphemous in HP