Alternatively, and in hindsight, we might see the tension between them in this scene as evidence that they really are incompatable personalities -- Lucius the calculating Malfoy, always looking for the main chance and willing to make accomodations for his own advantage; and Draco the Black, cherishing the pure flame of his rivalry and resentment!
Hee! I love that so much-the pure flame of his resentment. yes. It's funny because I just re-read chapter 15 and 16 in GoF and that's the book where Draco says Lucius considered Durmstrang for him, when really he seems to belong at Beauxbatons. They're just like Draco, including bursting into tears when they're not chosen as Champion.
But yeah, because it's always been a question: Draco seems to adore his father and want to be like him, so why doesn't he ever obey him? It makes sense if you think they're very different personalities who, however much they love each other, can't effectively speak to each other. Narcissa may just understand him more. For instance, there's the interesting little detail that Malfoy gets regular sweets packages from home. Usually that would signal him being spoiled like Dudley and therefore a glutton, but Draco is thin. So I can totally see Lucius thinking that Draco needs to just go to school and be a man, where Narcissa understands that he needs care packages--not to spoil him, because it's not about the food--but to make him feel all loved and stuff. Would Lucius have got where Draco was coming from in HBP as much as Narcissa seems to? I'm not sure.
um, I don't remember -- nothing bad happens to him in the sequels, does it
They turn him into George Hamilton, which is pretty bad.;-)
But no, I think he's just sort of there all the time. Though he seems to be more part of the family than Snape, it's true. You're right, too, that Snape had to be a little annoyed at the the vow. He's ready to take it, obviously, but it's interesting that it's Narcissa who makes him do it and not Bellatrix, who's the one who supposedly wants his loyalty tested. Though being a Slytherin I guess Narcissa knows she needs to give him that extra push. Phineas says Slytherins are brave but always choose to save their own skins--vows must sweeten the pot that way.
Actually, what Phineas says is sort of misleading. I'm loving the essays on Draco as Existentialist on hp_essays, and it just occurs to me that for people who are supposedly all about saving themselves Slytherins certainly seem to get themselves into UV situations a lot. Being a DE is one big UV. They seem to just need to trick themselves into thinking they're not really pledging their life to pledge their lives.
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Re: Part 1
Date: 2005-09-09 08:30 pm (UTC)Hee! I love that so much-the pure flame of his resentment. yes. It's funny because I just re-read chapter 15 and 16 in GoF and that's the book where Draco says Lucius considered Durmstrang for him, when really he seems to belong at Beauxbatons. They're just like Draco, including bursting into tears when they're not chosen as Champion.
But yeah, because it's always been a question: Draco seems to adore his father and want to be like him, so why doesn't he ever obey him? It makes sense if you think they're very different personalities who, however much they love each other, can't effectively speak to each other. Narcissa may just understand him more. For instance, there's the interesting little detail that Malfoy gets regular sweets packages from home. Usually that would signal him being spoiled like Dudley and therefore a glutton, but Draco is thin. So I can totally see Lucius thinking that Draco needs to just go to school and be a man, where Narcissa understands that he needs care packages--not to spoil him, because it's not about the food--but to make him feel all loved and stuff. Would Lucius have got where Draco was coming from in HBP as much as Narcissa seems to? I'm not sure.
um, I don't remember -- nothing bad happens to him in the sequels, does it
They turn him into George Hamilton, which is pretty bad.;-)
But no, I think he's just sort of there all the time. Though he seems to be more part of the family than Snape, it's true. You're right, too, that Snape had to be a little annoyed at the the vow. He's ready to take it, obviously, but it's interesting that it's Narcissa who makes him do it and not Bellatrix, who's the one who supposedly wants his loyalty tested. Though being a Slytherin I guess Narcissa knows she needs to give him that extra push. Phineas says Slytherins are brave but always choose to save their own skins--vows must sweeten the pot that way.
Actually, what Phineas says is sort of misleading. I'm loving the essays on Draco as Existentialist on hp_essays, and it just occurs to me that for people who are supposedly all about saving themselves Slytherins certainly seem to get themselves into UV situations a lot. Being a DE is one big UV. They seem to just need to trick themselves into thinking they're not really pledging their life to pledge their lives.