The Mother Who Lied
On May 2, 1998, Harry Potter was declared dead by a woman who had everything to lose and only one thing to gain: reunion with her son. In J. K. Rowling’s famous series Harry Potter, Narcissa Malfoy plays two important roles in the protagonist's life, one being a seemingly devoted follower of the “man” who stole the lives of his parents and countless others; The second being the mother of Harry’s worst enemy: Draco. Her one redeeming trait comes when she saves his life and betrays her master by pronouncing Harry dead when he clearly was not. It was in that moment that the course of the battle changed, and it was her decision that led to the eventual defeat of Voldemort. But why make the decision? Why would Narcissa, after years of remaining loyal to the Dark Lord, turn on him at the most pivotal moment of his murderous career? The answer is a simple one, and will be discussed throughout this essay. Narcissa Malfoy is a mother, and a mother will do anything to know her child is safe.
While readers of Harry Potter often regard Narcissa as a cold and obedient character who turns away from the suffering of others by Voldemort’s hand and quietly supports her husband, she is anything but. Fiercely protective of her son and clever as much as she is cruel, Narcissa Malfoy goes to great …show more content…
She defies her husband, Lucius, only on the matter of their son and his safety. In The Goblet of Fire, Draco mentions that his father intended for Draco to attend Durmstrang. This decision was likely because of its reputation involving the Dark Arts. However, Narcissa insisted Draco stay closer to home in Britain, and evidently got her way. Though the high-class and traditional society Narcissa belongs to expects her to obey her husband, her desire to hold Draco within arms reach shows her willingness to argue for her
On May 2, 1998, Harry Potter was declared dead by a woman who had everything to lose and only one thing to gain: reunion with her son. In J. K. Rowling’s famous series Harry Potter, Narcissa Malfoy plays two important roles in the protagonist's life, one being a seemingly devoted follower of the “man” who stole the lives of his parents and countless others; The second being the mother of Harry’s worst enemy: Draco. Her one redeeming trait comes when she saves his life and betrays her master by pronouncing Harry dead when he clearly was not. It was in that moment that the course of the battle changed, and it was her decision that led to the eventual defeat of Voldemort. But why make the decision? Why would Narcissa, after years of remaining loyal to the Dark Lord, turn on him at the most pivotal moment of his murderous career? The answer is a simple one, and will be discussed throughout this essay. Narcissa Malfoy is a mother, and a mother will do anything to know her child is safe.
While readers of Harry Potter often regard Narcissa as a cold and obedient character who turns away from the suffering of others by Voldemort’s hand and quietly supports her husband, she is anything but. Fiercely protective of her son and clever as much as she is cruel, Narcissa Malfoy goes to great …show more content…
She defies her husband, Lucius, only on the matter of their son and his safety. In The Goblet of Fire, Draco mentions that his father intended for Draco to attend Durmstrang. This decision was likely because of its reputation involving the Dark Arts. However, Narcissa insisted Draco stay closer to home in Britain, and evidently got her way. Though the high-class and traditional society Narcissa belongs to expects her to obey her husband, her desire to hold Draco within arms reach shows her willingness to argue for her