Merope (wasLily the popular girl)

[puduhepa98 at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 168044

>Jen: I agree it could be related to Merope's choice. JKR spent some  
time on the event and the consequence in HBP, having Riddle reach the  
conclusion that his mother couldn't have been magical if she died and  
then finding out she *was* magical (which also relates very much to 
his  quest for immortality)his  quest for immortality)<WBR>. Har
happened to  Merope and Harry even brought up the comparison with 
Lily. Plus there are so  many mother characters who play a pivotal 
role at crucial moments--Lily of  course, Narcissa with the UV, 
Petunia taking Harry in, Barty Crouch Jr's mom  taking his place at 
Azkaban--it'Azkaban--it'<WBR>s a recurring plotline (theme? A  moth
Petunia's case, Lily's love).  

<snip>


>Montavilla47:
>I just have to ask this, because I've run into  this on other forums and 
it kind of bugs me. I know that Harry gets angry  that Merope didn't do
more to keep herself healthy and that Dumbledore then  makes a 
comparison, saying the Merope didn't have Lily's courage.

But  can we really say that Merope didn't choose her child's life over her 
own? If  there really is any choice about dying in childbirth.  

:
>va32h
>Harry expresses his surprise in response to  Dumbledore's statement that 
Merope didn't even lift her wand to save her own  life - which suggests 
to me that witch could use magic to protect her health  or at least 
Dumbledore thought that Merope could have. 



Niikkalmati
 
I have always thought it unfair, even appalling, to blame Merope for  her own 
death or to conclude (as DD says LV has done) that she didn't love  her son.  
Yes, she did die in childbirth - or so shortly thereafter as to  make no 
difference.  It happens even today in the RW to young and healthy  women.  I can't 
imagine she didn't want to live.
 
Merope, as we have seen, was physically and psychologically abused all of  
her life.  She was magical but her treatment by her father, the  humiliation and 
ridicule we see in the Pensieve,  prevented her from  expressing her magic 
and she may have had only a little magic to begin  with.  Then she was abandoned 
and friendless in an alien Muggle  world.  By the time she came to B&B, she 
was  in desperate  straits.  I think it was her love for her son that kept her 
hanging on  until he could be born.  She was probably drained of all her magic 
 just trying to stay alive.  I give her high praise for finding a place  that 
he could stay.  I do not believe she is meant to be a contrast to the  other 
mothers in the series, who love their children, but another one who gave  her 
all so her son could live.
 
Nikkalmati 





************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com.


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]