[HPforGrownups] Re: Peter and Gollum

[Taryn Kimel]

No: HPFGUIDX 82722

Jennifer:
1) What the heck is the draw of serving Lord Voldemort? He's a 
horrible leader, and as you say pay and benefits are lousy. One way 
or the other, most of his followers end up on the wrong end of things 
or dead. What's his attraction? We've compared the WW to the Muggle 
World at the beginning of the Nazi regime and I just don't think LV 
compares to Hitler. Wasn't Hitler compelling on some hideous and 
unspeakable level? Didn't he couch his evil in ways that were at 
least palatable to the German people? Lord Voldemort is obviously and 
proudly out for himself. "Rewards" I have seen consist of a 
prosthetic hand. I don't call a silver hand an appropriate and 
equitable reward for the loss of your real one. Look at Bella, now 
that she botched the prophecy grab. She can only look forward to 
punishment, no reward at all for all her troubles. So, someone tell, 
me, what's the Dark Lord got that I'm not seeing?

Taryn:
The parallel with Voldemort and Hitler really does stop after them being what they preached against. (Hitler at least being the opposite of his Aryan ideal of tall, blonde haired and blue eyed. His Jewish heritage is debateable.) But it's true that, although Hitler never hid his hatred of Democracy, Communism, and, most of all, Jews (Mein Kampf is an example of that, where Hitler spends most of the book discussing his plans. It was published in the 1920's, before the Nazi Party had gained power in the Reichstag.). He was a brilliant orator, which was what really gained him popularity. His speeches were almost hysterical with emotion and, in turn, his audience felt that emotion. Hitler was evil, but, unlike Voldemort, he was nationalistic. He was not power hungry for his own sake. He wanted to see Germany rise above all other countries, wanted to see the German "Master Race" rule over all others because of what he believed to be their superiority to the "lower races." He was a sick, horrible man, but in a very different way from the personally ambitious Voldemort who wants nothing but his own, personal gain. He wants power over others for the sake of having that power over others. The biggest argument you could make for some ideal of Voldmort is possibly a desire to purge the world of Muggles and Muggle-borns, I guess. But that doesn't seem nearly as evidenced as a simple desire for personal power over others.

Sorry, just finished a paper on Hitler. ^_^;; Waaay too much research.

As to the draw of serving Voldmort... Desire for personal power? If you're like Peter, the idea of being on the winning side? I mean, when Voldemort first held power, it really looked like the good guys were losing. It WAS a winning side. But then, of course, you've got the fanatics like Bella. It's harder to explain them with a leader like Voldemort than Hitler. Hitler like ideals and a vision that was shared by his followers, which Voldemort seems to lack. I've gotta run, so I'm not gonna try explaining now. ^_^;;

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Taryn : http://taryn.shirataki.net

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