[HPforGrownups] Re: Vengeance

[elfundeb]

No: HPFGUIDX 51784

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Cindy C. <cindysphynx at c...>" <cindysphynx at c...> wrote:
> Anyway, I'm not entirely sure what to make of JKR's treatment of 
> vengeance.  [snip]
> 
> Similarly, there's Hermione's slap of Draco.  That one struck me as 
> another moment when a character is allowed a bit of vengeance 
> without author condemnation.  
> 
Speaking as someone who's at least faintly troubled by *every* episode of physical pain intentionally inflicted by a character, I have to say that I think Hermione's slap of Draco was ambiguously presented.  While Hermione is allowed to give Draco his comeuppance without express condemnation of any sort, the context muddies the message.  Hermione is clearly already stressed out over her excessive workload, and JKR emphasizes this fact because it's the same day she misses Charms class, nearly blowing the secret of the timeturner, and then she leaves Divination forever.  Her immediate reaction, telling Harry he has to beat Slytherin at Quidditch, seems as out of character as the slap itself. Moreover, it's not clear whether she truly feels satisfied or shocked about what she did, or even whether stress over what she did contributed to her missing Charms class.  

What does come through loud and clear is JKR's approval of Hermione's "heart over head" reaction to Draco's badmouthing to Hagrid.  Because, at least in my opinion, Draco was right.  IMO, Hagrid's blubbering *was* a bit pathetic, especially for a teacher. What Hermione did was excessive, IMO, but it worked in two ways -- it got Draco off Hagrid's case and it was a visible show of loyalty to and support for the distraught Hagrid.  And JKR approves of that, under the circumstances.

> I do have to say that I sense a double-standard.  Vengeance from an 
> Evil character is bad; vengeance from a Good character is OK, so 
> long as no one gets hurt.  And maybe sometimes even if someone gets 
> hurt.  Ton Tongue Toffee, anywone?

I'd say the jury is still out on the Ton-Tongue Toffee, despite Harry's evident approval of what he obviously saw as harmless comeuppance.  However, I see a big difference between the Twins' premeditated act in the Ton-Tongue Toffee incident and Hermione's slap and the Trio hexing Draco on the train, both of which were stressful reactions and not truly acts of vengeance or comeuppance, even though the victims might see them in that light.  For JKR's real message on the subject of vengeance, I go back to Harry's refusal to allow the killing of Pettigrew -- vengeance may be sweet, but mercy is sweeter and the satisfaction more lasting.  
> 
> And vengeance by an Evil character against an Evil character 
> (Voldemort torturing Wormtail as punishment for letting Crouch Sr. 
> escape)?  I get no sense that JKR wishes the reader to disapprove.

No, I disagree.  I didn't approve of it, but even assuming that she *does* want the reader to approve of Pettigrew's comeuppance, I think it's another setup.   After Pettigrew gets his just desserts at Voldemort's hand, but Voldemort's next Crucio victim is Avery, who was already begging forgiveness and about whom we know nothing except that he was a Hogwarts friend of Snape's.  And after that, the next person on Voldemort's victim list is Harry.  Voldemort makes no distinction between any of them.  He tortures people because they do not bind themselves to his will and in truth, whether that person is a faithless Death Eater or Harry himself.  Yup, I agree with Dicentra:  she's showing us how disturbing the desire for revenge can be.

Debbie
who was interrupted in drafting this post by the need to prevent her children from executing acts of vengeance against one another


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