Pity for Voldemort

[Brenda M.]

No: HPFGUIDX 104754

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "delwynmarch" 
<delwynmarch at y...> wrote:
> Alla wrote :
> > I am wondering what would make me pity Tom. Because right now I 
> > cannot think of him as anybody else, but very pathetic maniacal 
> > murderer.
> > 
> > I suppose I have to see him doing some good, noble deeds. Ha! No, 
> > talking more about his bad childhood is not enough for me.
> 
> Del replies :
> It almost is for me.
> 
> First he's an orphan who was raised in an orphanage.
> 
> Second, he discovers (how ?) that his father denied his mother and 
let
> her to die and their kid to rot, just because she was different.
> 
> Third, all the time he spends looking for the CoS makes me feel that
> he was craving a feeling of *belonging*, of *family*. His own family
> ceased to exist before he was even born, but Slytherin is willing to
> take him on as his Heir.
> 
> Fourth, anger and hate often spring from pain and fear. How much 
pain
> and fear did Tom have in his heart to be able to carry out his plan 
to
> kill his father ? Most people just fantasize about killing someone
> they hate, even Harry does. But it takes something more to actually 
go
> and do it. Especially when it's a teenage boy going to kill his own
> father that he's never met before.
> 
> So yes I pity Tom Riddle. I am aware that he was an arrogant prat, 
but
> as many of us keep repeating about one or the other characters, he 
was
> just a kid !


Bren now:

Well put, Del, once again! You took the words out of my mouth... I 
mean fingers (should really stop using that phrase, it's getting OLD -
- *shrug*)

Tom Riddle had the very unfortunate dispositions in him to begin 
with. It's not his fault that he was born with the snaky urges and 
Salazar Slytherin's (again) serpenty blood in him. He REALLY needed 
proper care and devoted love from his (complete) family more than 
anyone else. If he learned to love and be loved in return, perhaps he 
would have the *power* to make *real choices* away from his 
dispositions ("Heir of Slytherin, purging those who are not worthy 
of...")

But he didn't. He spent his childhood full of hatred and pain, 
naturally letting his Salazar-nature to take over. What/who did he 
have in his life to guide TR to light, make him see why morals are 
important? "My mum didn't do anything wrong and she was deserted. 
World isn't fair. No, the only way to rule the world is to be as 
immoral as possible." -- I can see this coming out of TR's brain. 
Combine this with ambition, thirst to prove himself and the superbly 
brilliant self -- well you can imagine what the outcome will be.

I'm not by all means justifying Tom Riddle, what he did was dead 
wrong and as immoral as it can get. But I totally understand where he 
is coming from, understand what it was like for him (who was born 
with certain 'evilness'). Did he know right from wrong 
systematically? Yes, probably learned all that in school, etc etc. 
But did he REALLY understand it, did he learn to put himself in 
others' shoes. My answer is NO, he had too much hurt of his own to 
make him care, and he didn't have enough guide/help to make him see 
the other side.

Bren