Levels and contradictions in JKR's writing - Twisted Irony

[delwynmarch]

No: HPFGUIDX 138462

Jen wrote: 
"Tom never had the chance to live the life of a Hermione or a Ron, but
he actively worked against his base nature of goodness and *chose* to
obliterate his soul, even after the opportunity presented itself to
become a  different kind of person when he discovered he was a wizard."

Del replies:
I disagree on two points.

1) I'm not sure Tom had any "base nature of goodness". We know that he
never loved. I wonder how a soul that doesn't *know* love can be
called good in any way. I'm not saying that he was evil to start with,
but I do think that he was *not* good. He was neutral, in a way. And I
don't know if he could *ever* have been good, truly good, good deep
inside. He could have *acted* good, but could he have *been* good,
without knowing love, compassion, empathy? 

2) You say that his entering the WW was some kind of chance to change
his life. But I don't think Tom saw things that way *at all*. The very
concept of changing one's life depends entirely on someone realising
that there has been something wrong with the way they've lived their
life up to now. As far as Tom was concerned, the things that were
wrong in his life were the world he was living in, the people he was
forced to live around, but it was definitely *not* himself. He was
special, he was better, it's the others that were wrong.

bboyminn wrote:
"If Tom had not kill his parents, if he had chosen to work hard and
achieve all he could in life on the merits of his skill and ability,
he would have easily achieved everything he desire. I believe if on
the path of good, Tom would be the undisputed Minster of Magic, and a
wizard of worldwide influence and power. Though his Slytherin
qualities may not be liked by some, none could deny his power both as
a person and has a wizard."

Del replies:
The only problem is that you are assuming that LV's utmost desire is
power. But it's not. What LV wants, what Tom Riddle was obsessed with,
is *immortality*. Power is not the end for LV, it's the *way*.

Look at how he delayed the beginning of VWII, simply in order to get
his hands on the Prophecy. He wasn't after power, he was after the way
to eliminate the only person in the world who can vanquish him.

LV couldn't care less to become the Ultimate Ruler of the Universe -
if that meant he was still mortal. What he wants is to live, forever,
in whatever form. No sacrifice is too big to attain that goal, not
even the sacrifice of his own soul and body, his fame, his "friends",
his most trusted servants, nothing.

Unfortunately, I guess he discovered pretty quickly upon entering the
WW that only Dark Magic can grant immortality, or prolong life. Good
magic can't do that. So he went right away for Dark Magic, without
caring one bit that it was Dark: it was his gateway for immortality,
that's all that mattered. Just look at how excited he became when
discussing Horcruxes: the fact that it is Dark Magic at its worst, the
murders it necessitates to be performed, the hideous and unrepairable
damage it does to one's soul, and the awful state of the person that
survives because of a Horcrux, none of those things matterred in the
least to young Tom. The only thing he saw was the possibility to
*live* - forever.

Tom never loved anyone - not even himself (being obessed with one-self
isn't the same as loving one-self). Had he loved himself, had he cared
for the state of his soul, he would never have become LV. But he never
cared about himself, he only cared about accomplishing his only,
life-long, obession: immortality, in whatever shape or state.

And since you were talking about irony, Steve, here's the one I see:
by making his life near-endless, Tom deprived it of any value. His
cursed life is simply not worth living, IMO, and I think that's what
DD alluded to when he said that there are things worse than death. Tom
never realised (he couldn't, I think) that quantity doesn't mean
quality, and that quality of life is what *really* matters. Lily
Potter, for example, lived a short life, but what a beautiful life!
But for LV, Lily was just a "silly girl"...

JMO,

Del