Why didn't DD reveal Voldemort's identity? Some Tigana spoilers

[dumbledore11214]

No: HPFGUIDX 186911

> Magpie:
> I can see some sense in it too. It's not as illogical as for instance (imo) Voldemort's plan in GoF, for instance. But it's just I would never buy it as Dumbledore's actual motivation, because being Dumbledore he'd jump on this reason because it was the one that led him keep the secret. I can't imagine him giving the alternative any fair consideration--he probably wouldn't even realize he wasn't. The choice where he keeps the secret is always the obvious choice for Dumbledore since he, personally, feels safer, more secure, happier, whatever when he's got more knowledge than everyone else. I think the whole idea would inspire a general unease in him he could easily tell himself was about other people rather than his own issues.

Alla:

You know, I thought about it and I realized that this motivation alone while as you said pretty well established in canon is just too ugly for me if that makes sense? And yes, you are probably completely right and I am just deluding myself, but I still want to believe that there is SOME sort of goodness left in Dumbledore. And to me to keep such secret just for the sake of keeping secrets while so much good could have been accomplished by NOT keeping this secret IMO is just ugly.

I mean, again I totally agree that it is established in canon, his need to keep secrets, but my thing is Dumbledore is not really a one trick pony, no? I mean, not always at least lol. I am just saying why can't he have two or three or more motivations? People do have complex motivations, no? And yes, sure, sometimes there is a part of motivation for doing something that is in our subconscious is the one that we do not want to even confess to ourselves, but at the same time there are also motivations which are good and we think we act according to them even if it is not the whole truth.

In Tigana for example when prince releases the wizard from binding he says that he realized that there are limits as to how far he is willing to go even for the cause (Ugh, hate him lol).

So, all nice and good, I however think that the real reason he did so is because he realized that the guy whom he enslaved is a great guy who will join their cause anyway (guess what? He does) and accordingly I thought that this prince has a tendency to lie to himself, you know? I thought it was pretty well established in the text that he wants to see himself, NEEDS to see himself as a great person, etc.

That was my interpetation, still is of course, I am not saying that those were Guy Gavriel Kay's intentions necessarily.

What I am trying to say is that I thought that Prince was lying to himself and to us readers as to his motivations. But then I had a discussion with Zgirnius about this book (we both love it and we talk a lot lol) and she pointed to me that who says that Prince cannot have ALL of those motivations. He does not need to spell them all out, no?


Does that make sense what I am trying to say?

If I do not find the reason for keeping a secret to be plausible, I will say so and the one that Pippin originally suggested that it will backfire on Dumbledore and other half bloods I found to be incredibly implasible. But this one? I think it makes sense, and even if as you said Dumbledore will just lie to himself and this is not really a reason, I am just thinking, why can't he have several reasons?

But I do realize that I am probably deluding myself.

JMO,

Alla

Oh believe me, it is not like I thought of Dumbledore's character