Elkins' Draco Malfoy Is Ever So Lame. (But not sympathetic)

[naamagatus]

No: HPFGUIDX 124670


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "horridporrid03" 
<horridporrid03 at y...> wrote:
> 
> >>Naama:
> <snip>
> > Draco's roll is exactly the same, on the level of Hogwarts - he 
is 
> the paradigmatic Slytherin, embodying all of its worst qualities - 
> ruthlessness, cold heartness (snakiness?), ambition untempered with 
> compassion. And the pure-blood ideology.<
> 
> Betsy:
> Except that he's not.  Ruthlessness and cold heartedness?  Draco is 
> anything but.  Both qualities demand a certain cutting off of 
emotion 
> and Draco is almost pure emotion.  

I don't agree that these qualities have much to do with cutting off 
emotion. And I definitely don't agree that Draco is almost pure 
emotion. 

> 
> And ambition?  When has Draco ever expressed ambition, beyond the 
> childish wish to bring a broom first year (failed) and perhaps to 
> beat Harry at Quidditch (failed again, because of lower quality 
> broom)?  We haven't seen him express much compassion, but then 
we've 
> never been witness to an opportunity for Draco to do so.  

Ambition: we see his ambition in the two major areas of 
accomplishment available for him - studies and sports. He is jealous 
of Hermione getting better grades than him, and he bribes his way 
into the Quidditch team. 

Compassion: "Never been witness to an opportunity for Draco to do 
so?!" How about when Harry told him his parents were dead and JKR 
went to the trouble of telling us that he *didn't* sound sorry? How 
about gloating at the possibility that Hermione might be killed, 
instead of being concerened? How about tormenting Neville - instead 
of feeling sorry for him? How about *not* feeling compassion for 
Hagrid when he was so upset and miserable? How about sniggering at 
Lupin's shabby robes rather than feeling sorry for him for being so 
poor? ETC. ETC. ETC.

> 
> Draco does express the pure-blood ideology, but he's a child 
> parroting his parents' politics.  He does hate Hermione (and I can 
> understand why) and he uses his ideology to attack her, but it's a 
> mere tool in his arsenal.  He doesn't hate Hermione *because* she's 
> Muggle born.  Her blood just gives him a stone to throw.

Parroting: As has been said by others, we have the example of Sirius -
 born to a pure-blood ideologues, yet rejecting that ideology at a 
young age. Therefore, *according to JKR*, there is free choice, and 
Draco is accountable for not making the right one. 

Hermione: Is there any canon to support your claim that Draco hates 
Hermione for any other reason? Because I can't think of any. It also 
matters a great deal the kind of stone a person chooses to throw - it 
matters not so much for the victim, maybe (in some circumstances), 
but it shows a great deal about the attacker.

> 
> Harry et al think Draco is pure evil, but JKR shows us again and 
> again that they are wrong.  Just as Hagrid contention that all bad 
> wizards are Slytherin has been shown, time and again, to be wrong.
> 

When has JKR shown us that Draco is anything but evil?! He starts out 
as a snobbish, spoilt, spiteful brat and ends up an eager 
collaborator of an evil regime - lapping up the opportunity to step 
on and terrorize his fellow students. 
He is completely consistent from start to finish - no doubts, no 
falterings, no softer moments, not the slightest hint of crisis of 
conscience. Nothing. 
Therefore... there isn't a chance in hell that JKR has any plan for 
him to be redeemed. 


Naama, excessively certain