Tom Riddle Sr. (Was: Why Tom left Merope)

[Jen Reese]

No: HPFGUIDX 147077

Jen previous:
> I'm not exactly certain of the author intent here but I didn't 
> think 'criminal' when I read Merope's story. 

Magpie:
> Oh, I didn't either--and I don't think of her as a criminal now.
> But when I look at the cold facts of the situation it is Merope who
> is acting upon the other person.  I wasn't so much reacting to the
> canon as what seemed like the idea that Tom Riddle should have been
> taking care of Merope.  That just throws the situation into cold
> relief for me, because Tom Riddle was the one with his free will
> taken away no matter how you look at it.  If we cut Merope some
> slack for being ill-used we should cut Tom Riddle some slack for
> also being ill-used. Especially since he's a Muggle and so even more 
> out of control in the situation.

Jen: I misinterpreted your position. That's pretty much my take on the 
situation, too, that JKR meant to present it as somewhat tragic all 
the way around rather than passing judgment on either Riddle Sr. or 
Merope for the particulars. 

Voldemort certainly passes extremely harsh judgement on Riddle, Sr., 
in the graveyard and I still think there might be some meaning for the 
story that he does *not* rant about his mom abandoning him, but puts 
the entire blame squarely on Riddle Sr. The few moments he considers 
Merope are searing, like when he assumes she couldn't have been 
magical or wouldn't have died, or when he realizes Burke took 
advantage of his mum when he obtained the locket from her (course 
there he may have been angrier about the actual locket being 'stolen' 
from his family rather than Merope. His love of treasure and all that 
<g>). Then in the graveyard Merope gets a pass and the "Muggle" is to 
blame. 

I'm hoping there might be more about the Merope/Lily connection, about 
the fact Voldemort can't process his mom's role in his life and then 
he's faced with Lily who makes a very different choice from Merope in 
that her death actually conferred love power to Harry instead of 
sentencing him to a life of no love. Just a wish on my part more than 
feeling canon is nailed down for this scenario.

All in all, I lean toward the idea the whole Riddle/Merope story was 
mainly important to show the situation Tommy Riddle was born into. 
Before HBP, there was much speculation here about Voldemort's mum, 
that she was a powerful witch from a powerful Slytherin family 
perhaps. Or alternatively that Riddle Sr. took advantage of her, got 
her pregnant and left her high and dry. Then Harry finds out how 
pathetic the Slytherin line had actually become, with no power or 
wealth despite their pure-blood status. And Merope was certainly not a 
princess ala Narcissa (!), and was the one taking advantage of Riddle 
instead of the other way around. I found the story eye-opening.

Jen, who likes psychology too much for her own good and holds out hope 
that Jungian ideas & alchemy will prove to be a major theme in the 
unveiling.