Levels and contradictions in JKR's writing - Twisted Irony

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 138470

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "delwynmarch" <delwynmarch at y...>
wrote:
> ...edited...
>
> 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. ..."
> 
> 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*.
> 

bboyminn:

If what you say is true in the absolute, then Voldemort would be
content to be an immortal hermit quietly contempating life and living
in some remote cabin in the woods, but he's not and he doesn't. He
wants people to bow down to him, he wants to be view as a near-god, he
wants to be called 'Lord' and 'Master', and he truly wants to be Lord
and Master of all he surveys. 

True, immortality is his goal, but why? Well, certainly he is as
afraid of death as he is of life, that part of what makes him as
falable and weak as he is. He also has delusions of grandeur; he sees
himself as above all others, and more importantly gains his value from
that vision.

Voldemort isn't fighting to simply be immortal, he want to rule the
world and he wants to rule it FOREVER. But in that lies the flaw in
the desire for immotality. To be King of nothing forever, really is
not as good as being King of something for a while, especially if that
something is good, fair, and just.

> Del:
> 
> 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

bboyminn;

On general principle, I agree with what you said, both the irony cast
immediately above and your comments father up about Voldemort's
motives. I don't think we see the issue so differently, but are in
fact simply contempating different parts of the elephant.

I really do see the twisted irony in seeking out a worthless life that
lasts forever, over living a life well and good, and giving at
mortally short life value and meaning. Poor quy :( .

Remember, regardless of his motives this general principle holds true
- "Tyranny is the architect of its own doom."

Just passing it along.
Steve/bboyminn