[HPforGrownups] Re: The Evil that is Rita -and how about Crouch Senior?

[Becky Walkden]

No: HPFGUIDX 57794




Huggs Becky wrote:
> 
> RITA isn't bad or evil.  She's just a shallow, narcissic mudraker 
> who'll do anything for a story to make herself look good.  If she 
> were a muggle I'm sure she would be working for the National 
> Enquirer or some other such trash papper.  She's just a pest.>

Barb responded: 
> Oh, I don't know about that.  She obviously has a vicious streak.>
and   
>I don't think we're going to see the last of Rita, nor that she will 
prove to be harmless.  She hasn't been so far; if she's revenge-minded 
now, she'll only be getting worse.>

I'm leaning towards agreeing with Barb here.  I think people are 
categorizing characters in the Potterverse as evil only if they are 
clearly on Voldemort's side, but there are other characters who sure 
aren't good but may not be DEs, either.  Rita is one of those.  She's 
despicable.  I don't want to simply repeat what Barb said, but Rita is 
bad because she is a selfish, dishonest, insensitive witch.  The fact 
that she thinks nothing of smearing 14 year old kids in an obviously 
widely read publication proves that.

Rita may not cry "Purebloods only!" but she does some damaging things.  
She's a DE in different clothes and with a different approach.

Me:  I guess it really comes down to your definition of what "evil" is.  And intentions play a big part.  You make some very good points about smearing a 14 year old kid.  That IS pretty dispicable.  But I think your definition of Rita as being a "selfish, dishonest, insensitive witch" is more accurate than evil.  The difference is between being immoral and amoral.  Rita is totally amoral.  The fact that her lies could cause personal agony and humiliation to somebody never occures to her if she can make up a good story and get people to read what she writes. (there are leading writers for a couple British tabloids who would make good Rita's) An Immoral person would delight in it.  I doubt if Rita ever notices.  Shallow, selfish, insensitive and corrupt all are good adjuctives but they still do not come up to (my definition at least) the level of evil.
By the by:  I would classify Crouch Senior as being basically an evil person in his extreme cruelty even though he was an aurer and worked for the good guys!   Huggs Becky




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