Good Person turned Evil / Marietta / Chapter 14

[dumbledore11214]

No: HPFGUIDX 188578






> Alla wrote in <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/188539>:
> 
> << I do not believe that a person who became a traitor for example would have become one if he did not have it in him. I do not believe that a person who became a member of the gang of murderers and torturers would have become one if the person did not want to. >>

Catlady:
> I do not agree with you. I consider myself more of a headline reader than a news junkie, and still I have been presented with many, many examples of what people are willing to do when in fear of death. 
<SNIP>

Alla:

To be honest I am not hundred percent sure how what you wrote necessarily translates into disagreement with what I wrote. 

My first question is how the fear of death shows itself in Peter's treachery and Snape's joining Voldemort?

Oh sure Peter talks all of that "he was taking over and I was afraid" thing. But if we are talking about fear of death, we have to mean real and imminent fear of death, are we not? Because then we can brush away so many nasty deeds as being done in fear of death IMO.


Now, if there is evidence in canon (which I do not remember any, but I am always happy to correct myself) that Peter was tortured or was really really threatened, like putting the gun to its temple and saying join or die, that sure would be a different story for me.

And I would think differently about Snape's joining too in that case.


And of course for all your examples, which I agree were done under imminent fear of death there are examples of people dying rather then becoming killers themselves.

Of course again, I think we should look at every case individually and when scared kid is forced to become child soldier, basically enslaved, I would only feel pity for him. But when a grown person thinks OH, Hitler will kill me one day if I do not join (while nothing of that would necessarily happen) and decides to go help Natzis execute jews at Babiy yar, then sorry, no, no alleged fear of death would make me think of that person as anybody else but somebody who deserves to rot in hell forever.


Anyway, all my rambling notwithstanding, I am not sure how imminent fear of death is even relevant to my point about person turning bad if person does not want to. I guess I just do not see it as a real choice, you know?

I mean, as I said I know about many heroes who died rather than serve enemy, but surely the fear of death does not really mean that person is turning bad, especially if person tries later to correct what she did, to atone for it, etc?

JMO,

Alla