Beginning in the series we see
young Draco Malfoy, a young scared boy whom thinks he is already coming of age,
grow up throughout the year. He goes through different experiences and sees
different examples in front of him, whom end up shaping him. One of the first
encounters I remember is in Sorcerer’s
Stone, where I saw proof that Draco really was a “fake”. Harry and Draco
must go into the Forbidden Forest with Hagrid for detention. The group of
students who are in detention end up having to split up, and if they run into
trouble they must shoot a signal. Draco and Harry are split up with Fang
because Hagrid believes Harry can hold his own. Well there is a hooded figure
and Draco ends up screaming, like a little girl, and ends up running away, like
you’ll see him do in books to come at plenty of times. He talks a big game but
when it comes time to use his so-called skills he runs.
Draco tells Harry in Sorcerer’s Stone to pick his friends
wisely and to become friends with him. Well Harry sure follows the advice but
picks different friends, Hermoine and Ron. Draco ends up expressing to Harry
that he warned him to choose his friends wisely and that he is pretty much dumb
for not choosing Draco as a friend, Harry does not seem worried one bit about
this and I don’t blame him.
Another example I am thinking of,
Draco attends Hogwarts, which Headmaster is Dumbledore. Draco’s parents are
followers of the Dark Lord. When the Dark Lord has risen again in full form
Draco’s father is there to fight along side him against the members of the
Phoenix. Well we all know what happens and a few of the Death Eaters are sent
to Azkaban, including Malfoy’s father. Following this event in, Half-blood Prince on the way to the
train Harry sneaks into Slytherin’s area on the train to listen to what he
suspects Malfoy is up to, he hears him talking about how he is expected of
certain things. Also Harry over hears Snape talking to Malfoy in his office
when he is found sneaking around after hours attempting to break into Slughorn’s
party, which he was not invited to. Snap is telling him that he believes he is
blocking thoughts from master and that he is silly to not tell Snape what his
plan is because he is just a young boy and needs to help him, also due to the
unbreakable vow he gave to his mother about watching over Draco. Malfoy does
not end up telling him but continues to ignore his suggestions and says that he
does not need any help and he has it under control that it is just taking
longer than expected.
Well first he sees his father taken
from him under the Dark Lords nose and put in Azkaban, due to Harry Potter,
which we all know, is some he hates. Then, we see him sneaking around and
attempting to clearly do something to Harry, which is what I believe because we
haven’t reached that far in the book yet to find out what. But all these
examples are influencing Draco to go down the wrong path. The first example
would never make you believe that he is going to end up fighting along the Dark
Lord’s side but as he progresses and sees his father, he follows his footsteps
immediately following his sentencing into Azkaban. Which Draco most likely
believed he needed to step up and take his father’s footsteps and show his
loyalty to his family and to the Dark Lord. These sorts of influences happen
all the time now a days in adolescents growing up. Parents are a tremendous
amount of influence on a child’s upbringing.
I think that Draco Malfoy is an excellent character that J.K. Rowling has created in terms of development throughout the series. What is most impressive about Malfoy’s character is that he is one that we love to hate; it is enjoyable for the reader to see a character that juxtaposes Harry Potter in so many ways. Periodically throughout the series we see the subtle internal struggles of Draco Malfoy. His father’s resentment towards him for failing to outperform Harry on the Quidditch pitch, and the shame that is placed on him for allowing Hermione, an individual born from a non wizarding family, to excel past him in terms of school work. These moments of ridicule almost inspire pity in the audience towards Draco, perhaps if not raised in such a dark household he may not have been such a bad guy. But due to his quest for his father’s approval he further alienates himself from others in the wizarding community, much like many others students and family’s involved with the Slytherin house, by being so close minded. In Harry Potter the Half Blood Prince, we truly get a sense of his struggle when making his attempts to murder Professor Dumbledore.
ReplyDeleteI personally think Draco's transformation as a character (and his psychology) is vastly interesting. Draco suffers from ignorance. He, like so many young adults, cannot think for himself. Whatever mommy and daddy say goes. He refuses to think critically about anything until later in the series when is approached by Voldemort to undertake a dangerous task that will solidify where his loyalties lie (with his parents and the Death Eaters or with his school and Dumbledore). He becomes more or less traumatized by this request and I believe you begin to see a glimmer of hope for reformation in the last installment of the series. Certainly, he is changed by the end, for the better (without wanting to ruin too much).
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