Draco an underdog?

[Geoff Bannister]

No: HPFGUIDX 131908

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "dumbledore11214" 
<dumbledore11214 at y...> wrote:

> You view Draco as underdog? I completely disagree . Trio are the
> main characters of the story, but I always viewed them as underdogs.

<snip>

> Let's look at Draco - who is the son of one of the most rich
> prominent purebloods families in WW. His dad buys him his place on
> the Quidditch team. his dad has the power over governors to force
> them to dismiss Dumbledore ( temporarily, but still).

> Draco pretty much has the free reighn to harass Hermione any time he
> wants.

> Sure, he loses most of the time, but I don't see it as him being an
> underdog.
> I see it that in that situation underdogs are simply much stronger
> than he is.

> But in comparison to other kids, I most definitely see Draco as
> attempting to be Big Boss on campus and trio as underdogs.


Geoff:
I think, Alla, that you have created a contradiction in terms here.

My dictionary defines "underdog" as :
A competitor thought to have little chance of winning a fight or 
contest.

So your statements "Sure, he loses most of the time, but I don't see 
it as him being an underdog"  and "I see it that in that situation 
underdogs are simply much stronger than he is" just fly in the face 
of the definition. 

If he loses most of the time and underdogs are stronger than he is
(!!!) then he most definitely fits the definition of underdog.

I have said before that I have a sneaking sympathy for Draco because 
he seems to be in the unenviable position of permanently losing out 
or losing face to Harry. Just to highlight a few instances: his 
overtures on the train in PS were rejected by Harry; he has not 
managed to win at Quidditch when up against Harry; When he tries to 
land the others in trouble when Norbert is being sent away, he 
finishes up in detention as well; when they go to serve the detention 
in the Forbidden Forest, he chickens out and leaves Harry to the 
tender mercies of the "cloaked figure".

I have also said previously that I believe that Draco is a basically 
unhappy boy. What we see of his interaction with his father suggests 
that Lucius has little love to show to him. Draco gets "things" but 
this is often the escape hatch used by parents who merely want to 
keep their child content – in the worst sense of the word. He is an 
only child and has learned little in the ways of social skills in 
working with other contemporaries. In Slytherin, there seems to be 
little of the family atmosphere of Gryffindor. Students want to see 
their house do well in Quidditch and the House Cup competitions but 
this seems to be a question of keeping up with tradition. Draco seems 
to have no real friends in the house in whom he can confide. Goyle 
and Crabbe appear to be his muscle men but, from what JKR writes of 
them, Draco might as well go and talk to the suits of armour to have 
a real boy to boy friendship which is so valuable to someone of his 
age.

It is precisely his lack of social skills and patronising attitude – 
probably picked up from Lucius – which caused him to completely muff 
his approach to Harry and to lay the foundations for a lasting 
dislike and distrust. No, I see Draco as an underdog trying vainly to 
project an image of the big guy which completely fails outside the 
Slytherin common room and, as a result, a rather sad little figure, 
which I am sure someone will remind me from historical examples could 
be dangerous.