Draco's nature

[Kate Harding]

No: HPFGUIDX 110628

DuffyPoo:
I apologize if you thought I was attacking your interpretation of 
Draco's character.  


psyche:
No, don't worry, I didn't at all.



Duffypoo:
My first opinion of Draco was formed when reading the incident in 
Madam Malkin's robe shop and the following incident on the train.  
Neither of Draco's parents was near to hear what he had to say.  He 
had no reason to spout the party-line in either situation if he 
didn't believe it wholeheartedly himself. 


psyche:
I think he *does* believe it. He has internalised all his father's 
opinions because the message his environment has given him is that 
dad is god and Draco is nothing. That he's only right when he agrees 
with Dad. This is a mindset I understand, because when I was a child, 
my mother was god. (And she adored me!) It took me 30 years to really 
*understand* in my *gut* that I didn't have to do what she wanted, 
and I'm still discovering things that I have believed for years 
because she said them which, on reflection, are patently false! I 
still find it frightening to state an opinion (though you may not 
have got that impression :) ) and I still have trouble knowing what I 
want and like, even down to what I feel like eating. And I was an 
unusually independent minded child, so god help those who aren't.



Duffypoo:
There is also the statement that Draco made, "Then I'm going to drag 
them off to look at racing brooms. I don't see why first years can't 
have their own.  I think 'I'll bully father' into getting me one and 
I'll smuggle it in somehow.'  I don't think there would be too much 
bullying of dad going on if Lucius were abusive in any way.


psyche:
A good point. And I think you're probably right, but it's worth 
remembering that, as you say, there was noone around to hear that 
statement. I doubt Draco would have said it if he thought it was 
likely to get back to Lucius. He may simply have been showing off. 
Teenagers tend to boast about how their parents can't tell them what 
to do, but usually the reality is very different. In fact, the ones 
who are getting the hardest time have the best reason to pretend 
otherwise.


Duffypoo:
There are all kinds of ways to love just as there are all kinds of 
dysfunction in a family.  Simply because someone is not loved in a 
traditional sense, does not mean they have been raised in a loveless 
home.  Love comes in all different disguises. Because a parent is 
strict with a child, even overly strict some might think, doesn't 
mean that parent is abusive or unloving.  


psyche:
You're right. I think perhaps my terms were stronger than I intended 
when I first posted about this. And I had forgotten the Narcissa 
factor, and reading these posts has made me think that she probably 
does dote in him, although I still wouldn't call it love, because I 
think self-obsession is incompatible with selfless love. That's a 
question of semantics, really - your idea of love and mine are 
different. But I still feel that 'loveless' is a fair description of 
Draco's relationship with Lucius. I don't believe Lucius loves. He's 
too cold. Perhaps it would be more accurate, and less controversial, 
to call the relationship "affectionless". Because what I'm getting at 
is that Draco has had no signs of affection from Lucius - whether or 
not he thinks he's doing his best for the boy, if his best consists 
of distant criticism and discipline that veers towards the Victorian 
('never did me any harm'), then I would call that loveless, because 
that will have been Draco's experience of it.



Duffypoo:
Until I see proof in canon that indicates otherwise I'll stick to my 
own interpretation.


psyche:
Quite right too! And so will I.

psyche