Draco as A.J. & Coddled Draco

[stickbook41 <stix4141@hotmail.com>]

No: HPFGUIDX 51809

Abigail wrote:
> A.J. is, as 
> perceived by viewers and as described by his father, 'soft'....The 
similarity I see 
> between these two boys is that they are both the unexceptional 
> sons of exceptional men.  Tony Soprano and Lucius Malfoy are evil, 
> no doubt.  They are also, however, possesed of a certain quality 
> that makes them leaders in their field - ruthlessness, a certain 
kind 
> of political savvy, a killer charm that conceals a killer 
instinct.  
> Neither A.J. Soprano nor Draco Malfoy possess those qualities.  

Me:
Draco is coddled in the sense that he never, ever has to think for 
himself.  Lucius actually has to *tell* him not to speak ill of Harry 
where strange ears could be listening.  And so Draco does exactly 
what he's told, the Top Box being an example.  He was not allowed to 
participate in his father's "fun," but since he still wants to 
emulate his father, he goes out of his way to make trouble.  This is 
the key parallel between Draco & A.J.  Draco is coddled because he's 
never actually *earned* anything, to include his indulgences.

Abigail:
> Lucius has systematically 
> stepped in whenever Draco had a problem that was too big for 
> him...[several examples]...Lucius encourages Draco's inability to 
stand 
> on his own two feet even as he thinks he's raising a worthy 
> successor.

Me:
If I had to guess, Lucius doesn't know the extent of Draco's trouble-
making.  If he did, he might realize that Draco could easily blow 
their bad-guy cover while out from under his father's watchful eye.  
Lucius is certainly "slippery," and while Draco is learning that too, 
he's still very much an loose cannon.  Rather like the overeagar 
Tybalt of the Capulet House (and we all know what happened to him)!  

Draco is not as smart as he thinks he is, and Lucius knows it.  Does 
Lucius actually think he's raising a worthy successor?  I'd have to 
disagree with you there, Abigail.  I always saw the obvious distance 
between Draco and his father as an indication that Draco has been 
something of a disappointment, as you mentioned with Tony & A.J.

Cheers!

-stickbook