[HPforGrownups] Re: Percy

[Bart Lidofsky]

No: HPFGUIDX 166120

From: Annemehr <annemehr at yahoo.com>
>But by now we see that Percy clings doggedly to his childhood outlook 
>on life: a slavish loyalty to authority figures which has probably 
>become inextricably entwined with the presumption of reward and 
>advancement.  This in spite of the fact that his new Authorities have 
>turned him against his old ones -- and he is now willing to hurt 
>people rather than consider a fundamental change in philosophy.

Bart:
Our society, and hence, our literature, is due to the dual roots of Western culture: the Judeo/Christian roots and the Greco/Roman roots. Unlike the Taoist vs. Confucian roots in China, however, the difference is not as well marked, or even necessarily known.

In the case of Percy, he is running into a place where the roots are in conflict. He follows the Greco-Roman example of always obeying your superior, and assuming that they know best. Note that between the authoritarian Molly, and Arthur, who is held back from advancement because he follows his whims rather than the rules (although he seems to be quite happy where he is), not to mention the Public School system followed by Hogwarts (note that, historically, the system of prefects was a cost-cutting regimen, by having the students do work that the school would otherwise have to hire someone to do, normally paid for with a few extra privleges that cost the school virtually nothing). However, in the Greco-Roman culture, you follow your superior practically no matter what (not as bad as the Japanese Samurai system, where the true test of a Samurai is said to be the ability to follow a bad master). In the Judeo-Christian culture, God comes first; generally, you are expected to ruin your life to follow God's will (although Judaism limits rules that you are expected to die before breaking to a number you can count on the fingers of one hand). 

In any case, most of the Weasley family see the danger of Voldemort to be more important than following the Ministry, to the point of risking what little they have to do what they can to stop Voldemort. Percy considers following the Ministry to be so important that he appears to be Orwellian in the way he follows them, in denying evidence he has seen with his own eyes. I don't think he sees his family as evil as much as he sees his parents as horribly misguided. I would tend to trust Arthur's judgement on Percy's promotions, however, as he has been in the system for decades, and has a far better idea of how it works. Arthur would agree with Vir Cotto's assessment in Babylon 5, when Morden, the representative of the Shadows, asks him what is it he wants, and Vir replies, "I'd like to live just long enough to be there when they cut off your head and stick it on a pike as a warning to the next ten generations that some favors come with too high a price. I'd look up at your lifeless eyes and wave like this. Can you and your associates arrange it for me, Mr. Morden?"

Let's hope Percy can get a look at Morden's head before the end of Book 7.

Bart