Draco

[sistermagpie]

No: HPFGUIDX 177410

Prep0strus:
> But without a subversive reading that makes down up, light dark, good
> bad, and chocolate ice cream taste like Brussels sprouts… how does 
one
> identify with Draco without feeling bad about the person that they
> are?  At his best, he’s a misguided little spoiled twit who likes to
> have fun at the expense of others.  At his worst, he’s a genocidal
> monster in the making.  I don’t think a funny comeback or two makes 
up
> for that.

Magpie:
Well, I can't speak up for identifying with him if by that you mean 
there are ways that I look at Draco and say, "Yup, that's just what I 
would do/say" or "He's cool!" I have heard plenty of people who 
identify with him because they did have some of his worse qualities 
when they were younger and grew out of them (sometimes they were raised 
by racists etc.). 

But for me it's not so much identifying with him but he's my favorite 
character because he has the most compelling issues for me. I think 
he's in a greatly difficult situation in canon--even before it happens 
you can see it's coming when Voldemort returns. That he's not an 
admirable person to begin with just adds to his trouble. Nothing ever 
goes right for him, but I can see certain things that he cares about 
that aren't just stupid and evil. It's not a subversive reading, as far 
as I can see. 

I mean, one might as well ask JKR why she felt that way, since she gave 
him a somewhat sympathetic storyline in HBP especially. I doubt she 
felt badly about herself for feeling sorry for him and creating him and 
not killing him off for his sins.

I guess the short answer is that just as it seems odd to you that 
anybody could like or identify with the character and still feel okay 
about themselves, to me it's equally strange that somebody would feel 
badly about themselves for doing the same. (Given how I like him on 
some level I probably don't even "get" why other people don't. I mean, 
I really do, of course, because everybody likes different characters, 
but you know, I like him because he's the best character.;-)

-m (who hopes the "imo" is obviously implied)