Voldemort/Re: Ending

[lizzyben04]

No: HPFGUIDX 176148

Renee:
> And now, I hope someone can answer a rather burning question for me.
> JKR has said somewhere that she was trying to depict Voldemort as a
> psychopath. Now I always thought psychopathy was a condition that is
> both incurable and untreatable. Psychopaths lack empathy and are
> incapable of feeling remorse, among other things. Why, then, does JKR
> have Harry suggest that Voldemort try for some remorse? Is this as
> nonsensical as I think it is? Has she failed to take a serious look at
> what psychopathy actually is. Or do I have the wrong ideas about it? 
> 
> Renee
>

lizzyben:

And I can now provide the answer! JKR does see LV as a psychopath, and
does recognize that he is therefore incapable of remorse. But, because
he has Harry's blood, this means he has the blood of pure *love* in
his veins, which meant that he could repent, if he had enough
*courage*, which he didn't. So, he's a psychopath w/Harry's blood, and
this would somehow maybe make him capable of remorse, even though
there's no sign that this affected how he thinks or feels at all. Wrap
your head around that one. 

"Meredith Vieira: Why was it important to you, Jo, to write about the
cruelty and inhumanity?
J.K. Rowling: I'm not sure why. (LAUGHTER) But it was what I wanted to
write about most.  And it's about choice.  And you are shown that
Voldemort. I mean, it– I suppose we're going to call him a psychopath.
 But he's so, in many ways, he is what he is and he's beyond
redemption. Although this being Harry Potter and because I can take
liberties because I have magic in my world, it is shown at the very
end of the book that he did have a chance for redemption because he
had taken into his body this drop of hope or love–
Meredith Vieira: Harry's blood.
J.K. Rowling: Right.  So that meant that if he could have mastered the
courage to repent, he would have been okay.  But, of course, he
wouldn't.  And that's his choice. "