Villainy

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 109564

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Barry Arrowsmith 
<arrowsmithbt at b...> wrote:
> The problem is that most villains are set up to lose; it's a given 
- 
> evil never triumphs, and it won't in HP either. No matter how 
powerful  and intelligent, no matter that he has overwhelming 
technological (or magical) advantage and an army of ruthless 
killers at his beck and  call, it makes no difference. Even if the 
hero has nothing but a bent  pocket knife and a piece of string, 
the baddy goes down.
> 
> To do this the author must force him into committing egregious 
or even  farcical mistakes. He has to - otherwise how could he  
possibly lose? <

Pippin:

Okay, in fantasy fiction the mistakes are laughable--why not? 
There's no practical value in knowing that a Death Star's exhaust 
vents may be unshielded or that a carelessly programmed 
portkey might take you back to its origin. No only that, any 
mistake that allows the defeat of the villain is going to look 
stupid in retrospect.  

But the folk wisdom is sound. Instead of adopting a similarly 
destructive technology  or  recruiting ruthless killers on your own 
behalf, you wait for the bad guy to overextend himself and 
make a mistake. He will, because the very paranoia which 
powers his quest to become invulnerable and suppress all 
opposition also tempts him to overlook seemingly insignificant 
threats.  Of course this involves your side holding out while 
taking staggering losses -- but that's what being a good guy is 
all about, right?

Kneasy:
> What are his wider ambitions?  In reality we only have a vague 
idea,  and that from Hagrid, " Getting  supporters.....Taking things 
over." A  bit vague for a manifesto. And since I can't remember 
Voldy coming out  with any of the standard give-away phrases 
during any  foaming-at-the-mouth carpet-chewing episodes; it 
makes you wonder if  Hagrid's to be trusted in this.<

The threat of genocide hangs over the Potter books the way the 
threat of nuclear conflagration hangs over James Bond's 
skirmishes with SMERSH. Ian Fleming didn't have to go into 
detail about mutual assured destruction and Rowling doesn't 
have to go into detail about what happens if the guys in the robes 
and the hoods get into power.  The threat is stronger for being 
unspoken.

However, the WW is not Godwinized and sees the threat 
differently: "You're scared for yourself, and your family and your 
friends. Every week, news comes of more deaths, more 
disappearances, more torturing ... the Ministry of Magic's in 
disarray, they don't know what to do, they're trying to keep 
everything from the Muggles, but meanwhile, Muggles are dying 
too. Terror everywhere...panic...confusion...that's how it used to 
be." --GoF ch 27

Kneasy, are you saying that's not scary?

Pippin