"All was Well"
I consider that, in years to come, this particular phrase will be discussed and dissected by people more educated than I, and will (if Potterfiction stays as popular) be considered to be one of the greatest literary lies ever. For me it ranks along with "All animals are created equal" and will - just as that phrase was shown to be a nonsense -lose ( Read more... )
1. Lack of Ethics.: The trio had previously made us painfully aware that they’d take the easy choice instead of the right one any time of the day, but I guess I was still hopeful. I thought they would realize that, more important than the whole kill-my-parents thing, what made Voldemort really evil was the fact he had no respect whatsoever for anyone else. After all, if he wanted to live forever, that was his problem. He could try it. But he sacrificed people’s lives for it, because he thought his wishes and ideas were more important than anything else. I know there’s more to it, but I say that the fundament for his evilness was his inability to relate and respect other people.
Just like Dumbledore. Just like Harry. Just like Ron and Hermione. In the last book, we saw Hermione steal memories because she thought she knew best, Harry using Crucio because he was annoyed, and I’ll save Ron for the last because he’s the creepiest. Now, the Crucio was in a villain, and the memory thing was full of good intentions, but, let’s think about it, the Death Eaters also thought they were in the right side. It may be hard to relate to their motivation (pureness of blood, or whatever) but it doesn’t change the fact that, in their POV, the Order were the bad ones. Or, at least, the ones standing in the way (and if you pretend that the battle at the ministry was more than narrative fail, the fact that they used stupid charms against children show they were being more ethical than Harry in the last book, but I won’t even go there. I’m not ready for this kind suspension of disbelief yet).
Point is, the Death Eaters killed people. The heroes aren’t exactly there yet, but they got the rationalization for it down to the letter. And they already covered two of the Unforgivables. They also have the prejudices, even if directed at another group. They have the firm belief that everything they do will be automatically right. Gallant, even. And that’s why I think the driver’s license was the creepiest thing ever. Wizards have brooms, and flying stuff, and are know fro their ineptitude to understand the muggle’s devices. Driving a car is a serious business, it can be dangerous, and the least you can do if you really want to drive is learn how. Unless, it seams, you’re Ron, because then you just have to want it. And use the magic to cheat. You want it, you take it. Simple as that. And if you have to charm someone who can’t defend himself then all the better. After all, we all know how harmless these kind if charms are.
This is bullying in a larger scale. And it is Voldemort’s way in a slightly smaller scale. And I won’t quote Vimes because everybody else did it first. I’ll just say that Ron didn’t had a god reason in the first time.
(550 words! And I still have another point to make! I’ll break this thing in two parts)
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An old saying has it that "The Road to Hell is Paved with Good Intentions." People mean well, people think that they should be in control of others, people believe they need to Take Up the White Man's Burden (Kipling), that they need to parent the know-nothing children of the world, that they alone have the answers and so must rule For The Greater Good, but all this does is lead the people who believe this down their own road to Hell, and in the case of people who actually do get to rule over others, then dragging those innocents they rule, along.
Sometimes I wonder why old sayings aren't taught more. There are a lot of truths in them.
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