Why did Barty Crouch Jr join Voldemort?

[catmcnulty]

No: HPFGUIDX 189743


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "doctorwhofan02" <doctorwhofan02 at ...> wrote:
> doctorwhofan02:
> This is how I understood it. It is pointed out that Winky, the
> house elf was set to look after him when he was found to be alive
> in The Goblet of Fire. I would presume that, that is probably
> how he was raised (being looked after by someone other than his
> father). And it does seem that any way his father rather ignored
> him as a child. My way of thinking is that he could not please his
> father or get attention from his father no matter what he did and
> concluded that if he could not get his father's attention by being
> good, he would be bad and join Voldemort (oh I'm sorry He who must
> not be named). It is common with children and teens. Bad attention
> is better than no attention, so that is what I read into it. Very
> good subject, I wonder if anyone else has an opinion on it.
>

Greetings All and doctorwhofan02!

The development of a despot:

 The orphanage: At the orphanage Tom Riddle received no affection. He prided himself in being different and "special" (even if he didn't know why) He elevated his own feeling of worth by torturing, intimidating and bullying the other children.
 
At Hogwarts: Tom Riddle developed a very effective technique in gathering followers. He flattered teachers and excelled in developing his "specialness."
 Dumbledore noted that there was a certain "dark glamour" around him and his followers. And that Tom was never caught in blatant wrong doing at Hogwarts. But the dedicated friends (a precursor to Death Eaters)all enjoyed that "power" by association with the charismatic Tom Riddle. The group of Hogwart hellions was a motley collection of "...the weak seeking protection, the ambitious seeking some shared glory, and the thuggish gravitating toward a leader who could show them more refined forms of cruelty." (HBP US version Page 362)

 After Hogwarts:  It was not only by intimidation and glamour but enticement and manipulation. He gave to others what they lacked and dearly wanted...Power to the powerless, attention to the neglected, etc. 

With that being said...I think that Barty Crouch Jr. desperately wanted attention from his father and he never received it. Granted Jr. got 12 OWLS and Sr. bragged on it ... but not to Jr. So, obviously Jr. couldn't get attention by doing good so, Jr. decided to get attention by being bad ... Sr. was very involved with his job and by "acting out" Jr got his father's attention (not his approval but...) like you observed ... even BAD attention is attention.

Now -- just look at the various members of Harry's generation that fall into the various catagories and would be easily enticed to the "Dark Side": Draco (wants father's attention and approval), Patsy Parkinson (attracted to potential power) Crabb & Goyle (Draco's thuggish stooges), etc.
Look at Stan Shunpike a weak one wanting protection and power by association... Now you might observe that he was under a spell when he attacked Harry in DH ... but think also of his boasts to the veela at the Quidittch Match. (You could compare him to Regulus in that he got in so far and got scared ... and as Sirius observed "No one stops being a Death Eater.") 

What other characters would have likely become a Death Eaters or at least Voldemort followers (like the Black family with their pure-blood mania)if Voldemort had won?

Just thinking...
Cat