We all make choices in life--big or small, simple or difficult, significant or trivial, we make choices all the time that affect the course our lives take. One thing we do not have a choice in, however, is the family that we are born into. Our ancestry can have a huge impact on who we become, even though we have no say in the matter. Though some people choose to rebel against their "family tradition," whatever it may be, in many cases that is easier said than done. One character in the Harry Potter series to whom this applies would be Draco Malfoy.
Born into a long line of dark "pureblood" wizards, there is a great deal of pressure placed upon the youngest Malfoy to live up to certain expectations, and in the sixth book, those expectations become a matter of life or death. When Voldemort assigns him the task of helping a group of Death Eaters enter Hogwarts to wreak havoc, and makes him personally responsible for murdering Albus Dumbledore, Draco's troubles quickly become much more serious than the normal teenage woes of his classmates. He knows full well that if he does not accomplish the tasks Voldemort has laid out for him, he will be killed (which is likely to be Voldemort's true intention, to get revenge upon Lucius for failing to secure the prophecy in Order of the Phoenix). At first, he seems to be excited and proud that Voldemort has made him a Death Eater at such a young age, and has "trusted" him with such a difficult task. However, he soon realizes that maybe he is not meant to succeed in this mission, and it is far more difficult than he may have realized. Though he rejects Snape's help and maintains that he has things under control, his attempts to murder Dumbledore become more and more feeble, and the stress he is feeling becomes clear through his physical appearance. Finally, when Harry finds him sobbing in the bathroom and Malfoy immediately attacks him, this gives a clear indication of how vulnerable and emotionally drained he is--showing a weakness to an enemy certainly hurts one's pride, and Malfoy flies off the handle in a desperate attempt to keep up appearances. Harry also learns, though, that Malfoy has been confiding in Moaning Myrtle throughout the year, indicating that he feels both stressed and alone. Finally, Malfoy's mission comes to a head and the task of murdering Dumbledore is actually upon him...and he doesn't do it. He claims he will, but as Dumbledore points out, he wouldn't have stood there putting it off for so long if he really intended to do it. So what does this say about Malfoy? Why would he take on such a task and chicken out at the last second?
In the first few books, I always saw Malfoy as the bully and Harry as the victim (though Harry was able to defend himself rather well). However, looking at the series as a whole, it's interesting how behind every bully there is often a bigger bully that pushed them to act the way they do, and that it is possible to be both bully and victim at the same time. After the very telling conversation between Lucius and Draco in Bourgin and Burkes in Chamber of Secrets, it is clear that there is a lot of pressure on Draco from his family, especially his father. Unfortunately for him, Draco was born into a family that is set in their prejudiced, evil ways. Though there are examples of other characters, like Sirius, that rebelled against their less-than-wonderful families, this is not an easy path to choose. As an adolescent, we often parrot the views of our parents and act in a way that reflects our upbringing, which certainly explains the way Draco acted earlier in the series. However, his actions in the sixth book hint at the important theme of "choices" that is consistent throughout Rowling's books. It is possible for people to change, especially as they grow older, and I believe that Draco is a character that had the potential for change. I've always been sorry for the fact that he wasn't given just a few more seconds at the top of that tower to consider the offer of Dumbledore's help, because I would like to believe he'd have taken it if the death eaters hadn't arrived. I do feel sympathy for Draco's character, because although his own choices did get him into a lot of the trouble he faced, in a way he was predisposed to those negative choices. We all make mistakes when we're young, and it's unfortunate that he fell into such an awful path--it's almost like he was a victim of his upbringing. (SPOILER ALERT) The choices he makes later in the series indicate that there is some good deep down inside him, and I pity him for the fact that his goodness wasn't nurtured. Perhaps his character shows the importance of making the right choices when given the opportunity, even though doing what is right is not always what is easy.
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