More-More Thoughts about Draco

[festuco]

No: HPFGUIDX 129712

Steve
> JKR, in my view, has not painted Draco as evil, but she has painted
> him very much with the potential for evil. In the last book, JKR left
> Draco standing on at a precipice, teetering on the edge. Up until now
> Draco has been mean and nasty, but I still say it has all been in
> 'schoolboy' catagory. 

Gerry
Nasty absolutely. Schoolboy category? I don't agree. Could you explain
to me why you see the Buckbeak incident as a schoolboy thing? For me
this incident is so utterly evil. The casual disregard for life and
other people's suffering Draco displays here are to me examples of him
being really evil. Nothing schoolboy there. 
 
Steve
> Up through the last book while JKR has confirmed that Draco is a mean
> nasty lout, she has refrained from allowing Draco to act with truly
> evil intent.

Gerry
But she has not refrained him from having true evil intent. In CoS he
had intent but not the means, with Buckbeak it was his deliberately
lying and not acting which almost caused a death (which as far as I'm
concerned is the same as acting). He made is choices here.

I'm really interested how you see this. 

Steve
I think the general flow of the story could allow Draco
> one truly dispicable act, and still have room for redemption. But we
> are nearing the point where Draco will fall over the edge and commit
> an act so terrible that he can never pull back from it, he can never
> be redeemed. In a sense, it is this moral uncertainty that makes Draco
> such an interesting and appealing character.

Gerry
I don't believe in irredeemable evil. I do believe that some persons
will never be able to redeem themselves because of their character,
but I truly don't believe in irredeemable evil actions. 
> 
Steve
> Doesn't your mothering instinct give you the uncontrollable urge to
> try and 'fix him'?

Gerry
Nope, not at all. Whereas for Snape it does. The difference being that
Snape (if DD is right) has come back from the DE's and is trying to do
the good thing now. For met this indicates there is a true moral core
in him, no matter how nasty a person he is. With Snape, this gives me
the hope he has the potential to see what he is doing to others if
somebody took the time to help him with his own youth traumas. With
Draco I don't get this feeling at all. 
> 
> -Strategic Alliances-

Gerry: Loved it.