Does JKR want us to hate Draco? (was: Re: Admonishing Snape)

[kiricat4001]

No: HPFGUIDX 129623

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "horridporrid03" 
<horridporrid03 at y...> wrote:
 
> Betsy:
> Okay, I'll bite. :)  How do we, the readers, *know* that JKR 
doesn't 
> like Draco?  
<snip, as others have responded to the snipped part>

Betsy:
  But again, *how* can 
> they find such positive traits in that house or those characters 
> *unless* JKR put them there *herself*.

Marianne:

Well, you could ask that about any character that has a passionate 
fan base.  Why do some die-hard Snape fans see absolutely no 
redeeming qualities in Sirius?  Or vice versa? 

Also, just becaue an author seems to want the reader to view the 
characters in a certain light doesn't mean they will do so, which I 
think is one of the reasons JKR seems so taken aback by the level of 
appreciation that's out there for Draco. 

Betsy:
> Because when JKR *does* want you to hate a character, I mean 
really 
> despise someone, she doesn't seem to have a problem accomplishing 
her 
> goal.  Not many people defend Umbridge as horribly misunderstood.  
I 
> haven't found a website dedicated to the subtle courage of 
Minister 
> Fudge.  Vernon Dursley does not send hearts a flutter.  For that 
> matter, the WW's fear of trolls doesn't get the same chatter as 
their 
> contempt of house-elves.
 
Marianne:
No argument there, but these characters are never, ever shown in a 
good light. I agree with Hickengruder - as adults they're not going 
to have a sudden epiphany and change their attitudes.  Draco, OTOH, 
had his youth going for him.  How often in the past have people 
leapt to his defense with the thought that no child can be 
considered irredemable, that in spite of his upbringing there was 
the chance that he'd turn out, if not a member of a choir of angels, 
as least someone who'd turn his back on the evil of the DEs. 

Personally, I've always found Draco to be a cowardly snot.  He's not 
going to turn into Sirius Jr., and renounce his family's beliefs.  
Nor, do I think he'll turn into Snape Jr., a disagreeable piece of 
work, but ultimately one of the good guys.  Just my opinion.

Betsy:
> If Draco is meant to be so completely repulsive, if Slytherins are 
> supposed to be so drenched in evil why are so many readers missing 
> the cues?  Why do they consistently find evidence of something 
more, 
> evidence of possible goodness?  Has JKR done such a poor job 
writing 
> her villians? 

Marianne:
See, I do see Draco as completely repulsive, so I guess I've picked 
up different cues that the people who are Draco fans. ;-).  The 
Slytherins as a whole, though, is a different ball of wax.  I think 
JKR has laid the groundwork to shatter the idea, or implication, 
that Slytherin House is uniformly bad. The presence of Nott in the 
DA, the business about the need for the Houses to unite, etc. is, I 
think, an indication that some of the Slytherins will not be enticed 
by Voldemort's siren song of blood purity and all the rest that goes 
with it.

The question of whether JKR does a poor job of writing her villains, 
is gist for another thread.  I think her best bit of writing a 
villain is Snape, even though he's not the villain. He's so much 
more believable and interesting a character than Harry's other 
nemeses (is that the plural of nemesis???), Draco and Voldemort.  

Betsy:
 If she really does dislike Draco, why can't JKR, with 
> her bully pulpit, get everyone else to dislike him too?
 
Marianne:
People interpret books through their own filter, regardless of what 
an author may wish. I'm not an expert on literary criticism, but I 
have often wondered at what point an author's stated critique of 
his/her character can be legitimately ignored by the reading public. 
If JKR is indeed telling us that Draco is evil, then shouldn't 
everything he says and does in the books be seen through that 
filter?  Yet, if people can find evidence that he's not evil, are 
they simply misinterpreting the story, or did the author not do a 
decent job writing the character? Or, are the readers clinging to a 
forlorn hope that their belief in Draco's redeemability will come to 
pass later in the series? Or, do they realize that Draco's a creep, 
but get a vicarious thrill out of witnessing his nastiness? Or...I 
could go on.

I don't know that JKR *wants* us all to view her characters the same 
way she does. If she does, she might as well start trying to herd 
cats.  She may simply be bemused that her creations have taken on a 
life somewhat different in people's perceptions than what she had 
intended.

Marianne, who's tried herding cats and knows it's impossible.