April 30, 2008
The Crouch Family
As far as I know, Barty Crouch Sr, Barty Crouch Jr, and Mrs. Crouch don’t have any Wizard Rock bands named after them. The story of their family is tragic and I think that Mrs. Crouch’s story: dying alone in Azkaban to allow her Death Eater son who her husband sentenced to life imprisonment is one of the saddest stories in the books. But it also makes for some incredibly rich thoughts about her character and the character of her husband and son. Stuff that I think most of us have done little talking about. Is it because it’s just so sad and disturbing? What gives?
Michelle
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I think its because her character story ended. She did a wonderful thing for her son and died for it, but then she was gone and could no longer affect things.
Now you mention it I think I may just start a band to fill the hole…possibly invent more to her story. It is sad and disturbing, which is what make it powerful.
andrew
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Very cool Michelle. Although I would question whether she did a wonderful thing for her son. I think she did something that was heroic in a situation where there just felt like there was no way to be heroic. Because her son was sick. He was addicted to something that made him act in a way that was twisted and sociopathic. And how do you deal with that as a mother? Of course her instinct may have been to sacrifice herself for her son. And in her own way, I think we can look at her compassionately for doing this and look at her with love and admiration for being willing to do this.
On the other hand, her son ended up having his soul taken away from him. Had he remained in Azkaban that may not have happened. Of course, she could not have predicted this nor should she be blamed for it. Doing so would be so unfair and judgmental when here is a woman that deserves our compassion!
But it does bring up more questions. Her actions were not thought out. Yes it seems they were from the heart and they were from love. But how many mothers lost their sons on account of her son’s actions after being freed? How many children like Teddy Lupin were orphaned? And this is what makes Mrs. Crouch’s position so interesting. On face value she meant what she did out of love. But how do you love someone who is acting so desperately who sees decency as a predictable vulnerability that is there to be exploited? Who sees a fascist killer and dictator as someone to idolize and do everything for? How do you love someone like this? And as their mother how can you not love them any way?
But then to a cosmic point: Mrs. Crouch helped fulfill the Prophecy by sacrificing herself. Her actions though loving were reckless and caused unspeakable damage, but they also lead to a prophecy fulfilled. To the end of Voldemort. And to the rebirth of the Wizarding World.
And in the final analysis, how we look at Mrs. Crouch need not be through harsh judgment but with soft eyes full of compassion and love.
andrew
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There are other questions. Who was this woman that allowed herself to be married to an image seeking social climber like Barty Crouch Sr? A man who made his career on crushing those he considered as moral filth? Did she enjoy the public spotlight? Did she want to be the wife of a politician or did she regret that? How did she feel that her husband had not paid any attention to his son? And did she? What was her childhood like? How did she feel about being a parent?
There are so many questions here that we can explore. But setting her dilemma to music is a bit different than most Wizard Rock. It seems to me like it’s more similar to Les Miserables.
TINA
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No. The wizarding world highly reflects the the SAHM(stay at home mom) Molly, Narcissa, and Crouch(I assume) were not bread winners.They never get the opportunity to express how shitty this role can b.
Their plot hits home. I would not die for the sanctity of my 4 children in such an instance(they turning evil) I would regret that I had not taught them well. It would be a horrible conclusion.
just saying. self sacrificial to a certain point, mamas. be true to yourselves.
missy
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i wanna take time to address the question that andrew asked about ms. crouch marrying barty. i think with all the circumstances and all that we know about her life that she might have married out of selflessness. what if she couldnt find it in herself to break this man’s heart and leave him alone. maybe he loved her so intensely that she felt she couldnt leave him and crush him so she accepted his marriage proposal and hoped for the best and in turn became pregnant and just wanted to provided for her child a life with both parents and a happy home. but when nothing worked out right and her son turned evil she was left in a feeling of despair and heartache. that she might have caused this evil just by tryin to do the right thing and not break anothers heart just because she had the power to do so. i think she went into azkaban not only to save her child (because a mothers love is truely unconditional not matter how much the child messes up) but as an escape to the prison she had created for herself. i feel she married mr. crouch because she was a woman with an incredible heart and couldnt break his and she saved her son to save her sanity after seeing what all her decisions however good intended backfired on her. she would rather die in azkaban than deal with the life she created for herself that started in a selfless act. but this is all assumtion since none of us are ms. rowling and dont know the true meaning behind the character but it would definetly be an interesting question for ms. rowling. i know im curious.
Alice
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Like says Missy, we are so ignorant, and we can just ask ourselves questions, knowing we’ll never really know what’s the “truth”…
I mean… okay, mrs crouch, and all the others are from rowling’s head, but they are real to us… So… even if one day, she tells that… erm, let’s see… mr crouch had a horrible childlife, how could we deeply change our idea about him?
I would like to say “Life is…”, but it’s not really life, right? So… “reading HP is…” making mrs crouch a different person for each of us…
I dunno if it’s frightening or great, to be so “alone”.
Kathy
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A little scenario, including a bit of Devil’s Advocate:
Mrs Crouch may have married Barty very young. She may have looked up to him as a brilliant, powerful man who wanted to make the world a better place in his own way. She may also have known a side of him not shown in the books–after all, we all see things in our mates that other people are never allowed to see. She may have felt that she knew his true self, the self that felt terrible about stepping on her foot and that only smiled in just such a way for her. At the same time, it’s possible that her sacrifice for her son was not so truly sacrificial. Is it possible that she couldn’t live with Barty after what he did to Barty Junior? That she couldn’t forgive him for condemning their only child, no matter what he had done? Plus, she had to know that releasing Barty, Jr, to his father’s care would only be another form of imprisonment. Was she, in a way, punishing both of them? And is it possible that this whole thing, as with most human actions, is complex to the point where right and wrong become indistinguishable?
Phew. I need to lay off the caffeine.
sophie
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HARRY POTTER IS AN INSPIRATION!!! i spend my entire life reading it and i want you lot to know you do keep doing an amazing job!!! woooo you lot rock. i love harry 2008…x
LuisaTownsend
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