Harry and Draco WAS: Dumbledore WAS: Re: Love and Joy vs. Hate and Despair

[June Ewing]

> Geoff:
> Perhaps my use of the word "brainwash" was too strong. However,
I think that Luna would fit the category as well and your point
bears this out. Both Lucius and Xenophilus are imparting their own
view of the world to their children and both have a strong influence
because, in Draco's case, he is a single child with very few friends
and has only his parents as role models and they are poor examples
because of their own views which they had received from Voldemort;
Luna is also a single child and has lost a parent and she has picked
> up the eccentricities of her father to a large extent.

> In these situations, if children are taught incorrectly, they may
not realise it until grpwing up and coming into contact with other
views - or not at all. If you ever see some of the programmes about
life behind the Iron Curtain which were made after 1989, many of
those taking part realised that they had distorted ideas about
morality and similar issues after the strict censoring of Western
> news stopped.

> I agree with you that the two results are different but the fact is
that we are the product of our genes, our culture and our environment
> be it good or bad.

June:
Thank you Geoff, you just said the same thing I said. We do learn
from our parents and because someone believes something that is
untrue that does not mean they are brainwashing their kids. We all
teach what we believe to be true and if we are mistaken that doesn't
mean that we are bad people, it just means that we only thought we
knew the right answer. I am sure all of us at one point have been
sure something was write only to later learn that it is wrong. The
definition of brainwashing is as follows:
brain·wash·ing   /ˈbreɪnˌwɒʃɪŋ, -ˌwɔʃɪŋ/
[breyn-wosh-ing, -waw-shing]Â 
–noun

1. a method for systematically changing attitudes or altering
beliefs, originated in totalitarian countries, especially through
the use of torture, drugs, or psychological-stress techniques.

2. any method of controlled systematic indoctrination, especially
one based on repetition or confusion: brainwashing by TV commercials.

3. an instance of subjecting or being subjected to such techniques:
efforts to halt the brainwashing of captive audiences.

Really neither parent is brainwashing their child, however they are
teaching them and in the case of  Luna's dad, he is (with the best
of intentions) teaching her to believe in creatures that don't exist.
The thing is that he believes they exist so really he is only
incorrect in what he is teaching her. In Malfoy's case, his father is
teaching him to hate and be prejudiced. That in my opinion is wrong
and that is why I believe that Malfoy was abused by his father.