Purely evil

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 118427


khinterberg wrote:
> > 
> > This quote has interested me for some time now.
> > 
> > Q. Tom Houseman asked, "Do you think that anyone in real life is 
> truly wholly evil like Draco Malfoy and Voldemort?"
> > 
> > A. Rowling said, "My instinct is to say that probably not, but I 
> can t answer that question without ruining the series for you."
Rowling said that in future books she will attempt to show "why
Voldemort is who he is." 
> > 
> > The Star-Ledger, Newark, NJ
> > 
> > 16 October 1999 
> > 
> > Is she telling us that neither Voldemort nor Draco are completely
> > evil? I like to think so, because it would make the plot and 
> character development so interesting.  I'm not a fan of black and
white goodness and evil, and I like to think of this quote as showing
us, the fans, that Jo doesn't either, even for her "evil" characters.

azriona wrote: 
> I kind of think it could go either way.  I mean, if JKR said "Why, 
> yes.  There are people in life who are purely evil from Day One and 
> that's that", then you'd have the possibility that Draco or Lucius
or Voldy are pure evil.
> 
> If you had JKR saying "No, no one can be pure evil" then you've got 
> fans who say "Look!  There's hope for those three yet!"
> 
> Either way she answers, she's toast.
> 
> --

Carol responds:
The problem for me is in the wording of the question, which *assumes*
that Draco (a boy of sixteen in the next book) is already purely evil
like Voldemort. Admittedly, Tom Riddle was already purely evil at
fifteen or sixteen, releasing a basilisk with the intention of killing
Muggleborns, and at sixteen or seventeen, murdering his own family,
but I don't put the bullying, badmouthing Draco in the same
category--yet. He has yet to make the choices that Tom made, or even
the decision to join the DEs.

The question also relates to real life, but JKR has turned it around
to relate to the books. I think she's leaving room for what we already
know is her view: No one is born evil, not even descendants of Salazar
Slytherin with the ability to speak Parseltongue programmed into their
genes. Voldemort is partly the product of circumstances but mostly the
product of his own wrong decisions. IMO, there was still some hope for
his redemption even after he put the memory of himself into the diary
to continue "Salazar Slytherin's noble work," but once he cast that
first Unforgiveable Curse, murdering a parent or grandparent in cold
blood, he was beyond redemption. It will be interesting to see whether
JKR agrees with this view.

As for real life, which is what the question actually relates to, I'm
not sure whether she would consider someone like Saddam Hussein or
Osama bin Laden wholly evil. (I do, but her politics and values don't
always correspond with mine.)

Carol