Marietta's Real Crime

[mary_j_59]

In the discussion about "The Centaur and the Sneak", Dracasdiablo made a very interesting point. She stated that Marietta was a bad friend to Cho. After thinking about this for a while, I have to admit that I actually agree. The quotes that follow will, I hope, make clear why I think this.

Comments

[condwiramurs]

Nice analysis, and I think you hit on a very important point.

The thing that gets to me about the Marietta/Hermione thing - enough that I've purposefully not let myself get very involved in the discussion on the other thread - is the framing of the argument in false terms: evaluating the morality of what Hermione did soley on the basis of whether or not we can consider Marietta "a traitor." There's the issue with the "traitor" part that you've dug into here, but there is also a bit of an assumption (in the other discussion/s) that Marietta's guilt or innocence is the only variable that matters in determining whether or not to criticize Hermione. That upsets me.

Let's say, for argument's sake, that I side with the "Marietta should never have said anything!" crowd (I don't - my take is much closer to yours - but for argument's sake). Even taking that stand I still have to criticize Hermione for her utter lack of empathy or respect for basic human rights. The set-up was unfair and impractical, given that there was no mention made of the consequences beforehand and did nothing to prevent telling. But it's also grossly out of proportion, cruel and unusual punishment, and Hermione's assumption that she has the right to do whatever she likes to another person without remorse because of her 'cause' disturbs me deeply. It's clear to me that to Hermione, as to many of the other characters, people only really count as people if you like them.

This comes through in her treatment of Umbridge also. I'm not talking about the choice to go into the forest - that I can understand and see good arguments for, on the whole. It's her behavior afterward. I don't care what someone has done, you *do not* laugh at another human being's trauma. Especially trauma you caused, however justified it was at the time. That steps over the line from defence of self to simply seeing another person as a lesser being. I see the same dynamic at work in her RE Marietta. I think we know where to find the next quasi-sociopathic dictator of the WW.

[mary_j_59]

Thanks, Condwiramurs. I agree with with you here, also. The lack of empathy Hermione displays in both these instances is appalling.

[lynn_waterfall]

Yes. This comes out more with our discussion of Umbridge (who obviously is at fault). I've been focusing on discussing Marietta, rather than Hermione, but this is an important point in any discussion of Hermione's behavior with her jinxed list.

[condwiramurs]

Yes, thanks. I tend to think about it in terms of an ethics of justice vs an ethics of revenge - and the HP books really IMHO come down on the side of an ethics of revenge. I ought to do a proper post on the subject, but time, arg.