Do you think there is more to Voldie's story?
knjwilson
knjwilson at yahoo.com
Wed May 5 19:39:45 UTC 2004
No: HPFGUIDX 97740
--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "pippin_999" <foxmoth at q...>
wrote:
> I think evil in the Potterverse is a
> collaborative act, not an individual one. It takes at least two
> people, one who can rationalize a cruel or unjust act, and one
> who doesn't need to.
>
> So, to take the Dursley household as an example, Petunia and
> Vernon rationalize their behavior: it's necessary to hide Harry
> from the neighbors and squash the magic out of him. Dudley
> doesn't need to rationalize; he flat-out enjoys making Harry
> miserable, and when he hasn't got Harry to pick on, he bullies
> younger kids in the neighborhood and at school.
>
> As he's a child, it is his elders' business to make him feel
> responsible for his choices by arranging appropriate
> consequences. But this they have largely failed to do, and I think
> the same thing happened to Tom, though as a result of neglect
> rather than over-indulgence. Dudley grew up feeling he would be
> rewarded whatever he did. Tom grew up feeling he would be
> punished whatever he did. Neither learned to connect their
> choices with the consequences.
Yes, but contrast TR with Harry. Harry was punished whatever he did
as well. As DD said, we are defined by our choices. Given the same
unloved, deprived childhood Harry chose a different path from TR.
Conscience is there, TR just ignored it. And TR's own bad choices
were re-enforced by everyone else's bad choices, whether their intent
was good or bad.
John
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