[HPforGrownups] Re: Was Tom Riddle, Sr. Selfish?

[P J]

No: HPFGUIDX 148610



Lealess
>I was the person who said he was selfish.  I thought he was selfish
>because he abandoned his unborn child, no matter what his reason --
>whether it was his traumatized psyche, or disgust at the product of
>a union with a tramp's daughter, or dislike of kids, or jealousy of
>his fortune -- whatever it was.

PJ:

If I had been in Tom Srs shoes I don't think I'd have done anything 
differently.  Fear, anger and embarrassment would all come together to push 
out any thought of the unborn child at that moment.  The *first* thing I'd 
think to do is escape the nightmare situation I'd found myself in!

We weren't told whether he ever searched for his child or not, only that a 
brokenhearted Merope moved to London after he left her.  But even if he 
didn't, men have been leaving women to raise their children alone since the 
dawn of time.  Nothing new there.

The point is that his unconcern for his unborn child doesn't make Tom Sr. 
less of a victim, because he was!  It was Merope who acted without regard to 
another person's wants and needs (with both Tom Sr. AND Tom Jr.) which, to 
me, is the very definition of selfishness.

PJ