Voldemort the Cartoon (was Re: Draco = Evil?)

[bleckybecs]

No: HPFGUIDX 124846


Just to say, that for me LV's realistic evilness mostly doesn't come 
from what we see of him in person. Apart from anything else, we 
actually see fairly little of him percentage wise in the books. 

I'm coming from the `actions speak louder than words' idea here. 
What made him scary, real and less of a cartoon from the start was 
first what MM says and then Hagrid's description of life when he was 
in control. MM says that there is only one person he is afraid of 
(DD), (although it seems like an obvious flaw to  not be scared of 
Harry, but that's another topic.)  MM says `After all he's done 
 
all the people he's killed 
 he couldn't kill a little boy? It's 
just astounding 
 of all the things to stop him 
 '

This sets the stage of someone ruthless. He will kill a one year old 
child. A baby no less. (Personally, I tend to think of the problems 
caused when baby Oedipus`s parents tried to have him killed. Look 
how well that turned out for all concerned). This is even before we 
get to Hagrid's description of life under LV's control.

`Dark days Harry. Didn't know who ter trust 
 Terrible things 
happened. He was takin' over. `Course, some stood up to him - an' he 
killed `em.' and `he was gettin' more an' more powerful - why'd he 
go? 
 Dunno if he had enough human left in him to die.' This shows 
how much day to day life was affected, and also how much of an 
unknown quantity LV is. 

The quotes I have given are just from the first 4 chapters of PS 
(Bloomsbury version). There's been plenty more since. The 
description from Moody of the old OotP photo and why so many were 
not in the new order springs instantly to mind.  Whole families 
murdered. The Longbottoms tortured into insanity by some of his 
followers (and if that's his followers attitude, what is his own 
attitude like?!). These descriptions are scattered through all of 
the books. People recount personal experiences to Harry fairly often 
and we also get an explanation of some of those experiences in DD's 
pensive. We are told constantly of the things LV has done, and 
therefore, what he may very likely do again.
 
This is what makes him *realistically* evil to me. The effect he has 
had on every day life and the possibility of it happening all over 
again. The fear and intimidation that the ordinary witch or wizard 
must have felt. I agree, he is very much a `caricature of evil' 
(phoenixgod2000 description) in person, but because of what we`ve 
seen of his previous capabilities, I feel he is much less of 
cartoon. I know people are probably sick of Nazi comparisons, so 
please forgive me, but the fear and intimidation LV created is a lot 
like that created by the SS. Some brave Germans hid people in false 
walls / cupboards / etc to help them escape execution, much like the 
idea of a secret keeper for the Potters. So it *is* realistic. 
Things like this really *have* happened,. 

Until we get the explanation of GH, I will be scared of his 
possibilities (as explained by characters other than Harry in 
relation to how life was pre - GH). Depending on the explanation, I 
may still be. If I may quote Pippin's post

People couldn't take Hitler seriously either, once. (snip) It was 
laughable right up until it happened. 

And it's not like the WW hasn't been there before with LV. Previous 
experience demands that he be taken as a serious threat.

I can go along with clichéd to a certain extent, but just because 
something is clichéd does not mean it isn't scary or realistic. 
(Tony Blair's pre-election promises are extremely clichéd, but that 
doesn't mean the idea of him being around for another term doesn't 
scare me (look at the state of Afghanistan and Iraq). Although, the 
idea of the opposition parties scares me as well if the truth be 
told. )

So, when LV appears in a book, in person, you may choose to read him 
as a cartoon and laughable (`I mean, who can read a Voldemort scene 
and not laugh?' - Lupinlore). I will read him with all his previous 
deeds in mind. After all, I've heard Hitler was a fairly runtish, 
family orientated man. Perhaps not charming, but ordinary enough in 
the flesh. It's what lay behind that exterior that caused so much 
hatred and death.

Becky (who has just realised how long her `just to say' has become!)