What drives You Know Who?

[dungrollin]

No: HPFGUIDX 111202

Hello everyone, I'm new.
I was re-reading CoS the other day, and started making a list in my 
head on what drives You Know Who.  Then it occurred to me that it's 
probably been discussed on the web, but though I have trawled and 
trawled I haven't found much.
I only have three things on my list and will discuss each of them in 
turn in relation to quotes from the books and from JKR, and the 
observations and questions the lead me to:

1.Purity of blood:
Source material:
'Slytherin wished to be more *selective* about the students admitted 
to Hogwarts.  He believed that magical learning should be kept 
within all-magic families.  He disliked taking students of Muggle 
parentage, believing them to be untrustworthy.' Professor Binns p114 
CoS.
'...I would be able to lead another in my footsteps, and finish 
Salazar Slytherin's noble work.' Tom Riddle, p230 CoS.
'You think I was going to use my filthy Muggle father's name for 
ever?' Tom Riddle, p231 CoS.
'You [Lucius Malfoy] are still ready to take the lead in a spot of 
Muggle-torture, I believe? ...your exploits at the Quidditch World 
Cup were fun, I daresay ...' YKW, p564 GoF.

And that is just about all we know. Slytherin was trying to get 
muggle-borns out of Hogwarts, it never says that he held a wider 
grudge against them, though it appears that due to YKW's horrible 
father, he does.  Though his attitude to Malfoy's Muggle-torture at 
the world cup suggests that finishing Salazar Slytherin's noble work 
is not, for the moment, his top priority.

2.Killing Harry
There's so much on this in the books that I think quotes would be 
over-indulgent, so I shall restrict myself to comments.  

I'm not sure that there's anything hidden here.  Obviously, YKW 
wants him dead because Harry's the one with the power to vanquish 
him, and the sooner he can kill Harry (before he grows up and 
becomes too powerful), the better.  For the moment, this is his all-
consuming passion. 

Under this heading also goes his determination to get hold of a full 
copy of the prophecy. 

3. Immortality.
Source material:
'Dunno if he had enough human left in him to die.' Hagrid, p 46 PS.
'Not being truly alive, he cannot be killed.' DD p 216 PS.
'They, who knew the steps I took, long ago, to guard myself against 
mortal death?' YKW, p 562 GoF.
'I, who have gone further than anybody along the path that leads to 
immortality.  You know my goal - to conquer death.  And now, I was 
tested, and it appeared that one or more of my experiments had 
worked ... for I had not been killed, though the curse should have 
done it.' YKW, p 566 GoF.
'But I was willing to embrace mortal life again, before chasing 
immortal.' YKW, p 569 GoF.
'You should be wondering what he did to make sure that he did not 
die' JKR Edinburgh Book Festival 15th August 2004.
'Voldemort' is French (vol de mort) and can be translated as 'flight 
of/from death' (though there may be other ways).
'Death Eater' is a strange name for a group obsessed only with 
killing Muggles/Muggle-borns/half-bloods.

In fact, there are a great many more direct references to YKW's 
desire for immortality than there are to his desire to rid the 
wizarding world of half-bloods.  His sixteen-year-old self was 
obsessed with getting rid of muggle-borns, until he found out about 
Harry and his story, at which point his fear of (or interest in)
someone he couldn't kill, or someone who could 'defeat the greatest 
wizard of all time' (CoS, p231) became more important.

And why name his followers 'Death Eaters'?  What has he promised 
them?  If he knows that one or more of his experiments worked, will 
he be performing them on his Death Eaters now he has his body back?
Somehow I don't think so. 

I know it's long for a first-ever-post, but thanks for reading!
Dungrollin.