Lupin/ Father Figures

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 165018

> Debbie:
> Lupin did nothing with his information about Sirius, even though he
> sincerely believed Sirius was guilty, because for him to become involved
> would risk exposing past actions that would reflect badly on him.  
<snip>
> I have trouble seeing where Lupin can be said to have internalized this
> view.  He has internalized the WW's view that he is dangerous, but it's not
> the same thing as being evil.  To be evil presupposes that you can choose
> good instead.

Pippin:
But to be Dark presupposes that the choice is made for you. "Werewolves 
are so mistrusted by most of our kind" says Dumbledore.

As you say, Lupin can't confess because his past actions would reflect
badly on him. He thinks he can't be forgiven, even by his friends, for 
what he's done. He's internalized the view that his  transgressions 
would show that he's a monster.

Debbie:
  Werewolves cannot choose to be something else.  (However,
> they can choose to be evil, as Fenrir Greyback demonstrates.)   

Pippin:
Would Fenrir admit to being evil? Or would he say that he has
a right to revenge?

> Pippin:
> But if he did indeed internalize
> that view, then he wouldn't need to "join the forces of
> evil." He would think he had joined them already. And
> that is the way Voldemort works. He doesn't bang on your
> door and invite you to join the forces of evil. He joins
> *you*.
> 
> Debbie:
> I have been struggling to interpret this paragraph since I 
first read it.  The only sense I can make of it is that Voldemort 
convinces you that you are inherently evil. 

Pippin:
Sorry to be unclear. 
I meant that we've heard from quite a few DE's and none of them
became Voldemort supporters because they wanted to join the 
forces of evil. Voldemort doesn't approach people by asking
them to go against their consciences. He approaches by
offering people what they want most, and as Dumbledore says,
very often what we want most is bad for us. 

Lupin would realize that, he always realizes when he wants
something that would be bad. But...

Self-loathing can cause even the most tender conscience to
lose its power. You can say Lupin would never join the DE's
because his friends would hate him and he would hate himself
...but the trouble is, he hates himself already, and he thinks 
that if his friends understood what he was truly like, they'd 
hate him too.  It's hard to lose your self-respect 
when you haven't got any.

Pippin