Of identities and truth

[ltg3asu]

No: HPFGUIDX 38911

"Amanda Geist" <editor at texas.net> said:
    "Has anyone noticed that people associated with Voldemort seem to 
spend an awful lot of time faking identities?"

Me:  Well, no, I hadn't actually, but now that you mention it....

AG some more:
    "It's as if Voldemort's path leads you away from the truth of  
yourself. Whereas the Other Side seems to be about learning the truth 
of yourself and controlling it (*cough* Snape *cough*)"

Me: 
    Oooh! Lets do get Jungian on this one! 
    This fits in perfectly with a Jungian interpretation of the books, 
I think.  The hero's journey to Jung (if I remember correctly) was 
about discovering all aspects of one's self and incorporating them 
into a unified whole. I believe its not a stretch to assume (I don't 
have my copy of "Man and His Symbols" handy) that this is because all 
parts of the self serve their own positive (as well as negative)  
functions, and by suppressing a trait or module, its potential for a 
positive influence on our lives is inhibited. 
    For example, Quirrell, who is very obviously a scared little man 
(to me). I would imagine that he has felt quite impotent his whole 
life through, unable to gain the happiness he wants, which ultimately 
must be gained from self via acceptance of who and what he is 
(whatever that may be). However, because it is easier to do so than to 
face his inner struggle, young Quirrell has turned to others (namely, 
Lord Voldemort) to find power and prestige, which he may believe are 
roots to happiness. He has turned his back on his inner journey of 
self discovery and acceptance for a quick and easy fix of instant 
self-esteem.  Its interesting to note (if this sort of thing interests 
you) that the persona Quirrell adopts as a guise at Hogwarts is one 
that is a true reflection (in my POV) of his inner state (scared, 
powerless, and quivering).
    Continuing, how about Tom Riddle. I know young Riddle becomes the 
heinous LV, but I still can't help but feel sorry for him. He has 
suffered a great deal, much like our hero, Harry, but, fortunately, to 
different ends. Riddle has chosen to inflict his pain on the world (as 
a catharsis, maybe?) and to project onto muggles, mudbloods, and their 
allies the very guilt I believe he feels within himself for the loss 
of his parents (Did his mother not die in childbirth? Did his father 
not leave because of the magic in he and his mother?). He has managed 
to do this all very easily by creating a new self who does not have to 
deal with the hurt and fear, but only with the anger he feels. In 
essence, he has tossed to the side bits of himself that didn't suit 
him, and exaggerated parts that did and were acceptable. We all do 
this sort of thing (we create our shadows, or discarded traits,  and 
personas, or the face we present to the world), but we don't all 
choose to carry it out to this extreme.  
    As for Pettigrew, I liken him to Quirrell in his search for self 
esteem. It is continuously from others, at first the other Marauders, 
but then from LV. I do believe that, much like Neville, he does have 
latent strengths, but they are not so easy to get at, either because 
of  the nature of the strengths or his view of himself and possible 
lack of self-worth (believing he can't do something inhibits him from 
doing it). The bottom line is that they aren't strengths to him, so he 
has mistakenly discarded them.
    Now, as for Harry, his journey of defining self has only just 
begun. He has had many an opportunity to cross over to the dark side 
(*see below), but has not done it. Why? He has had to face the anger, 
fear, and pain caused by the absence of his parents just as did Tom 
Riddle. He has also had to cope with the messages of lowered value 
(obviously, originating with the Dursleys) as did Peter. He has also 
had a "thirst to prove himself" and gain "power" like Quirrell. 
However, in Harry's case, he has had a guiding presence in his life, 
his own internalized moralistic sense of right and wrong. Even when 
faced with the person who betrayed his parents to their death, his 
anger doesn't overcome him, because he sees that killing Pettigrew 
wouldn't be right. When given the choice of becoming powerful by being 
in Slytherin, to Harry (who knows of the reputation that house has for 
turning out dark wizards), its really a choice of being bad (with 
power) or being good (possibly without power). Because of his morals, 
its not a hard choice ("Not Slytherin, not Slytherin!"). 
    Harry has already begun to define himself by standards of good, 
but also to accept (although reluctantly, as seen in Chamber of 
Secrets) his potential to do bad and contain within himself negative 
characteristics. In the end, it is his choices that have begun to make 
Harry who he is, as the sculptor of himself and the rudder of his own 
ship (no, not SHIP!).

                L. Terrell Gould, III (who, it would seem, could not 
wait for school to end so he could spend his summer holidays writing 
five foot long parchments on Harry Potter)
**** I saw Attack of the Clones, speaking of the "dark side", and 
could not stop comparing the story line of the whole saga to HP.... 
how sad****