Choice and Essentialism (was:Re: Understanding Snape)

[juli17 at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 153954

 
>
>   Betsy Hp:
> > > Here's the text under discussion:
> > > "It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more
> > > than our abilities." [SS paperback p.333]
> > > I don't think Dumbledore was trying to say that people are who
> > > they are, and we can merely discover their true character by
> > > looking at their choices.
>
> > >>Alla:
> > > I think that is exactly what he says here. I mean, why would not
> > > he say then - our choices MAKE us who we are.
>

Debbie:
I always thought the debates over predestination vs. free will were rather
pointless because, from our own perspective, we always have free will.  "Who
we are" at age 11 is not necessarily who we are at age 18, or 50, or 150.
Who we become depends on our choices.
 
Julie:
I agree that we do have free will. We can and do make choices in our
lives, though who we become depends not only on our choices but on
our genes and our environment. Nature versus nurture doesn't really
exist because it is nature and nuture that shape us. And our choices ;-)


>
> Debbie:
>
And take Snape, for example.  Snape made undeniably bad choices in his
youth.  He hung out with the wrong crowd.  He demonstrated a knowledge of
too many curses.  And, of course, he joined the Death Eaters.  But we are
made to understand that he left the Death Eaters, too.  Even if Snape is not
DDM!, the possibility of redemption is always present.  Dumbledore treated
Snape as a Good Guy, illustrating that the door to redemption is always
open.  Thus, our choices don't tar and feather us with permanent labels.

<snip>

Debbie:
There is no question that JKR sees Dumbledore as a moral center of the
series (I acknowledge that some readers disagree with JKR here).
Dumbledore is motivated to encourage others to join the *good* side, hence
his speech to Draco on the Tower.  However, any genuine conversion must be
prompted by the character's own decision, i.e. free will. He does not tell
Harry anything in PS/SS -- the temptation is there but it is Harry who
decides to go through the trapdoor by himself.

Julie:
Since you mention Draco, I'll diverge a bit to make my point. DD did
encourage Draco to join the "good" side. Draco does have a choice. 
But Draco isn't the only one with a choice. For instance, Ron also
has a choice whether to aid the good side or join Voldemort on the
"bad" side. Yet Draco's and Ron's choices aren't really comparable,
because they've been raised in totally different environments. For
Ron, sticking with the good side comes just about as naturally as
breathing. For Draco, it's a painful choice. He has to rethink his
whole world view, one that's been drummed into him since babyhood,
and he has to turn against many of his friends, not to mention his
family, and basically betray his father (and perhaps his mother--I 
can't really tell with her). 
 
This is true of any child from a Death Eater family, or even a 
family with *bad* views, like the Blacks and their pureblood 
racism. (Sirius did make that very hard choice to abandon his
family's *ideals*, which resulted in his family abandoning him
as it were). 
 
Everyone has a choice, but the same choice (side with the Order
against Voldemort) is no challenge at all for some, but a major
act of courage for others. 
 
Julie 
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