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#21
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Re: Narcissa Malfoy: Character Analysis
I agree. I think if Draco was indeed dead, it could have done either way at that point. I think, as you say, she was fed up with Voldemort's antics and saw the events that transpired as chance to vanquish him.
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#22
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Re: Narcissa Malfoy: Character Analysis
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It was interesting to see how she handled everything. Draco took his cues from his mother. She kept cool and nonchalant. She was good at not betraying her emotions. I think Narcissa was all for the pureblood mania but not when it came to massacreing everyone, causing a giant bloodbath, and having her home turned into Voldermort's own sadistic playboy mansion where muggles were tortured for fun. I think the las straw was when her child's life was being threatened. She was a supporter of Voldemort until her son's life was on the line. I also don't think Narcissa was some weakling. Like she was too weak to stand up to people or let her opinions known. She comes from a family that seems to have a long line of strong women. Bellatrix was insane but she could hold her own and it took mega cajones for Andromeda to live her life the way she thought was right. No, Draco may have been afraid of his father, he may have revered him but it was his mother he worshipped. His mother did have influence and power. Mind you it was she who saw to it that Draco went to Hogwarts and NOT Durmstrang. She was the one that had to protect her son in whatever way she thought was necessary since her husband couldn't. She was the one that kept her head on straight. I think that everyone believed that if there was anyone who had a chance in hell of destroying Voldemort once and for all it would be Harry. I think that Narcissa had lost the naivete of her youth and realized that Voldemort's plan was just insane. I think that that Narcissa didn't tell Voldemort the truth was because she wanted Voldemort gone just as much as everyone else and if Harry could find a way then by all means let him. I don't think Narcissa was evil just prejudiced but Belltrix....now that woman was jut plain EVIL. She is one of those people who deserves to stuffer for all eternity in the innermost circle of hell.
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#23
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Re: Narcissa Malfoy: Character Analysis
I agree that Narcissa was prejudiced, but was never fanatical about it. I don't think she was ever a Death Eater, or supported Voldemort for his own sake, like Bella.
In the first war, I'd say she supported, or at the very least, didn't object to Lucius becoming a Death Eater because, at the time, it was the winning side. It was probably more of a strategic move for her, to bring their family more power or status. I expect she wasn't too happy Lucius was putting himself in so much danger, though. Plus it was in support of all that she was raised to believe in. But the second time around, her family had already turned their backs on Voldemort. They weren't expecting him to come back, when he fell they were scrambling to get back into the ministry's good graces. And Voldemort is definitely not the most forgiving of masters. I think the most important thing for Narcissa was the preservation of her family. She was doing everything in her power to get them all out of that mess alive. |
#24
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Re: Narcissa Malfoy: Character Analysis
about Narcissa knowing or not knowing that Sirius wasn't the traitor of the Potters...
Severus Snape does NOT know it before the end of PoA. He knew, and told DD, that someone close to the Potters was a traitor, but not who it was exactly. Sirius was the one known to going and take the position of Secret Keeper. The rest was a logical deduction on ANYONE's part, in my opinion. The way Draco taunts Harry at the beginning of PoA shows (to me) that he is truly persuaded that it was Sirius who was responsible for the death of Harry's parents, and Draco is usually well informed by his parents (at the beginning of OotP, he is aware that Sirius is a dog Animagus, too). I think the Malfoys were always on the same level of information as Severus, more or less - apparently, the main Order source of infos on LV for some time indeed was Severus talking to Malfoy sr and passing on the material. So - no, Narcissa didn't know that Sirius had been in prison being innocent. But note - if she had truly been anykind of devoted to Voldemort, she SHOULD have regarded him as some kind of hero for serving Voldemort so faithfully, a family member to be proud of. From what we see, she wasn't. Draco doesn't boast - did you know, that's my mum's cousin. Just like he's clearly never been told why on earth auntie Bella was in prison - when Neville attacks him after making a remark about mental asylums, he is genuinely mystified. I'd say Narcissa was embarrassed by all of her family, Andromeda as much as Bella, or she would have talked more about them to her son.
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#25
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Re: Narcissa Malfoy: Character Analysis
Narcissa managed to do something that I thought impossible in DH, keeping the entire Malfoy family alive. I would've put money down that the Malfoys would be killed.
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#26
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Re: Narcissa Malfoy: Character Analysis
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![]() "Mr. Moony presents his compliments to Professor Snape, and begs him to keep his abnormally large nose out of other people's business." "Mr. Prongs agrees with Mr. Moony, and would like to add that Professor Snape is an ugly git." "Mr. Padfoot would like to register his astonishment that an idiot like that ever became a professor." "Mr. Wormtail bids Professor Snape good day, and advises him to wash his hair, the slimeball."
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#27
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Re: Narcissa Malfoy: Character Analysis
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What you say about Narcissa being a lot stronger than expected - I was so glad that she was shown like this. Bella was strong, Andromeda I believed to be strong long before actually seeing her because of the strength she proved when abandoning her family for the sake of Ted Tonks - I would have found it strange if Narcissa was the 'black sheep' of that family, weak and clueless. I very much liked to read how she points Lucius what to do underneath the table in 'The Dark Lord Ascending'. It appeared SO the Narcissa that I had in my head. Visibly over the table the 'impassive' and 'deadpan', but underneath the surface she keeps her head and cold blood and prompts her two boys what the heck they're supposed to do.
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#28
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Re: Narcissa Malfoy: Character Analysis
Narcissa is a strong woman he protected her family and the she was the only one who is not afraid to voldemort and bellatrix
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#29
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Re: Narcissa Malfoy: Character Analysis
I've always thought that Narcissa was a much better character than she's been shown to be. My thoughts on the nature of marriage in the wizarding world, and the sense I get from the books, is that she married Lucius not from love, but simply because he was the most acceptable pureblood she was offered at the time. Her family didn't seem the type to accept any other sort of marriage, especially as Sirius says the 'old wizarding families' are dying out. It would almost be Narcissa's duty to 'marry well'.
That said, she was the warmest-hearted of the ones we see. I think there's a reason she went to Severus for help with Draco in the end, and a reason he responds well to her. They both have warm hearts on the inside, and must have connected at some point growing up together. Narcissa seems to love everyone she is allowed to, and even to a certain extent those she is not. She focuses her frustrated love on her son, but she does genuinely care that Lucius is locked up, and she is gentle with him, even though I don't get the sense she is his complete romantic partner. I think it is certainly her influence that Draco expresses himself as even capable of hesitation or good thoughts in the end, and perhaps even the cause of Lucius' softening to go chase after Draco in the end. |
#30
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Re: Narcissa Malfoy: Character Analysis
narcissa is definitely one of the most interesting characters in the book! she's kind of in the middle of her two sisters, but all three are strong-willed, as you've said. i think she may have been a little sad that andromeda is now estranged from them due to her marriage...as when LV taunted bellatrix about her niece marrying a werewolf and bellatrix said she'd get rid of that part of the family, narcissa didn't join in...and she subtly told draco to stay out of it.
however the self-serving malfoys definitely came out strong when bellatrix was torturing hermione and none of them really helped her. they were just seeing her and ron and harry as a way to get back into the good graces of voldy, i'm not sure loyalty was the first thing on their minds, probably just self-preservation. |
#31
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Re: Narcissa Malfoy: Character Analysis
I think it was simply that the times were so desperate that they really had to focus on their own family. I think in less trying times Narcissa would not have joined in on any torture of a student.
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#32
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Re: Narcissa Malfoy: Character Analysis
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#33
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Re: Narcissa Malfoy: Character Analysis
jk mentioned in her web chat that bellatrix married rodolphus (i think) lestrange because it was expected that she marry a pureblood. the same for andromeda and narcissa, i would bet. i think narcissa and lucius had more of an equal footing than bellatrix and rodolphus (who pretty much was nonexistent in the books compared to his wife...i guess he would have to willingly take a backseat to her obssession with LV)...i think there was love there and certainly having draco strengthened the bond. narcissa did take more of an active role in DH, lucius didn't seem to mind it when she signaled him to give LV his wand or for draco to keep quiet.
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#34
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Re: Narcissa Malfoy: Character Analysis
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#35
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Re: Narcissa Malfoy: Character Analysis
I see where you're coming from, yes, but still. When you look at the real world, you'll see that the majority of marriages takes place between people of equal standing. Rockstars will marry top models, the count of LaLaLand will marry Lady Whatshername, why, even the number of teachers and doctors married to other teachers and doctors is way above the average.
Sure, Narcissa was surely expected to make her pick among a certain class of wizards, but Hogwarts offers plenty of young people from old families. Even Harry, modest-'I'm just Harry'-Harry is a pureblood descendant of one of the Peverell brothers. Why people think she accepted Lucius rather than truly loved him - nah, I still don't see that in the books. This is the family willing to die for each other. Narcissa jeopardises her own life when acting against Voldemort's orders, turning to Snape. Draco, who we know to be struggling, still wants to rather try and confront Dumbledore (and expecting this one to kill him - because that's what the Death Eaters would do in such a case) than risk his parents' life. Narcissa and Lucius go into the last fight without wands, caring for nothing any more but for the life of their child. Lucius begs Voldemort for Draco's life ('The Elder Wand', p. 515), Narcissa is ready to lie to the greatest Legillimens ever in order to get to her son. And when they communicate, "beneath the table her slim fingers closed briefly on his wrist" (p.14). I found the tenderness of that touch in that gruesome scene very touching. She doesn't elbow him, she doesn't give him a little push. She must have her hand somewhere in the vicinity anyway, it's almost as if they were holding hands underneath the table for comfort and support. That's no union of convenience. Most of all, I think it is this genuine, true love for each other that got them through the story in the end. JKR has all her major villains killed, defeated or otherwise dealt with, the Malfoys literally stick out, and they haven't done something heroic either. Why does she allow the man who was willing to have the Chamber of Secrets opened, why does she allow this man to survive? I think the message is in a way that love saved him. True love, not the 'we got used to each other in time' kind of love.
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#36
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Re: Narcissa Malfoy: Character Analysis
Hmmm. I suspect part of our differences here is that I don't really think 'true love' is any more valuable a concept than simply love. Love is love, to me, I don't think that anyone is predestined to love only one person. Some people certainly do, but I don't think it was the case with Narcissa-if only because we see her love for Draco so much more than her love for Lucius. Still, we can see inklings of the love the two bore each other, such as when Lucius went along with Draco going to Hogwarts instead of Durmstrang. I simply don't think theirs was a union of compatibility, if only because Narcissa seems so much more 'good' than Lucius.
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#37
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Re: Narcissa Malfoy: Character Analysis
![]() because she appears like a person capable of true, genuine feeling and care, I don't think she would have settled for less in her marriage. According to the official Black family tree Lucius and Narcissa were probably in the same year. They're very close in age in any case. Draco was born when Narcissa was 25. Now I don't think 25 is an age to become desperate for marrying. If one hasn't found the right partner yet - in Narcissa's case, 'right' would be both a rich pureblood and someone she truly loved - there's still plenty of time to continue searching.
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#38
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Re: Narcissa Malfoy: Character Analysis
Oh, hmmm, nice on the timeline. And an interesting thought...according to what I'm thinking, that would mean that Narcissa didn't marry Lucius until after Voldemort's disappearance. Perhaps she did indeed grow to love him, but did not want to marry him until after the Death Eater aspect was removed. That would tie in with what I think we see of her character, and also why she goes along with a lot of Lucius' prejudices-he would then have already compromised his previous values greatly in order to win her love.
Or perhaps I'm reaching too far... |
#39
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Re: Narcissa Malfoy: Character Analysis
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#40
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Re: Narcissa Malfoy: Character Analysis
I think Narcissa did know about the diary, at least insofar as it containing instructions for opening the Chamber of Secrets. Lucius had to have talked about it at home, or how else would Dobby have known?
I don't believe she knew precisely what the "monster within" actually was, though. We also can't forget how instrumental she was in passing Kreacher's information to Voldemort in OotP, but like most everyone else, I thought better of her in DH. She really grew on me.
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