The Unforgivables Curses : what about Petrificus Totalus ?
delwynmarch
delwynmarch at yahoo.com
Fri Apr 2 21:37:45 UTC 2004
No: HPFGUIDX 94985
Carol wrote :
> To me, Unforgiveable is *not* synonymous with illegal. It relates not
> to law but to religion or morality. So my question is, *who* cannot
> forgive the use of these curses? Is it God, who is generally outside
> the picture in the WW except for the evidence here and there of an
> after life? Is it the WW as a whole? Suggestions or explanations,
> anyone?
Del :
Hey, I wanted to bring up that very question in my original list, but
having been burned recently, I decided not to go over the law/morality
opposition again :-)
Another point I've been bothered with is the use of some other curses
that have not been described as either unforgivable or even forbidden.
Petrificus Totalus, in particular, disturbs me a lot. It seems to me
that it should fall in the Unforgivable category as well, because :
1. It annihilates one's freedom of action
2. It can easily allow some horrendous crimes to be committed. Being a
woman, rape is the first one I think of. But it could also be used to
immobilise someone in a burning house, for example, or to drown them.
3. I can't see when it could be used in a *constructive* way. Maybe
when someone gets hysterical ? Or to stop a bad guy from doing
something ? But it could get the same kind of exceptional treatment as
the other Unforgivable Curses seem to receive then : it could be
tolerated when used by trained people (Healers, Aurors) or in
self-defence situations.
4. To me it's akin to tying someone up and gagging them, in RL, and
most of the time, it's a very bad thing, right ?
What do you all think ?
Del
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