Kreacher: Nutty Or Not?, Is he stark raving mad or faking it? |
 Oct 19 2006, 09:02 PM
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Mischievous Manager  Posts: 5,524 Joined: 9:14am February 16, 2006 Location: Behind the sofa, watching Doctor Who   |
Lots of emphasis is put on Hermione's treatment of Kreacher versus Sirius' in Order of the Phoenix. But who's right? Is Sirius right that Kreacher's just as sane as anyone else, and that he's putting on an act? Or is Hermione right that he's disturbed and should be treated kindly?
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Oct 19 2006, 09:27 PM
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Official Singer of the Sorting Hat Song  Posts: 6,606 Joined: 3:12pm July 22, 2005 Location: Lost in Hermione's beaded bag  |
Well, I think you only need to look at Sirius himself. Is he disturbed? He's very much a Byronic hero: moody, troubled, arrogant, cynical, self-destructive, and at odds with his family's past. It's a miracle he broke free of his parents' domination and became the Marauder he did.
Then look at Kreacher. He wasn't born free, but has be subject to the same tyrannical prejudice. His subordination to the Blacks is complete and absolute; he can ony define himself in terms of Sirius' parents' worldview. And when Walburga dies, he spent years alone (again, not unlike Sirius) while his master was in Azkaban. His only company would be his mistress's portrait. (Shiver) Needless to say, even though Kreacher is disturbed, it does not excuse his behaviour, but should only temper our reaction to it. He does require kindness. In HBP, we see slight changes in Kreacher after he's been at Hogwarts a while. He has gone a long way to accepting Harry as his master. And I don't think it's an act. Still, abused creatures never fully recover. I suspect we will see a tormented and confused Kreacher in book 7. His habit of thinking out loud, his disoriented attactment to Walburga Black, his solitariness all set him apart from others. He's definitely nutty; not to be trusted. Harry must show him kindness, but be very precise with his commands. Once Voldemort is defeated, Harry can free Kreacher. But I'm not sure what would happen to him. There are not likely to be any bad Blacks left at the end of book 7 and Kreacher is likely to have a worse identity crisis than Winky. It's impossible to send a wounded creature back into the wild. It just won't survive. -------------------- Come the words that bubble
Up through broken laughter, Sweeter than spring-water, "Gods, I am so happy!" |
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Oct 19 2006, 09:30 PM
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#3
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Quality Quidditch Supplies Test-Flyer Posts: 1,273 Joined: 5:55pm October 4, 2005 Location: Moominland |
While it would sure make for an interesting story line, I think it is more likely that Jo drew him to show to what a maniacal extent do some of the pure-blood population hate the muggleborns. He seems like too flat of a character to have a personality interesting enough for him to be faking his feelings.
This post has been edited by Aornis: Oct 19 2006, 09:32 PM -------------------- "You can't fool me, there ain't no sanity clause!" -Chico Marx  ex Room 101 l I Survived the Corner Café l ex Room 13 l ex Chamber 7 Avatar and Sig by me |
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Oct 20 2006, 06:16 AM
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#4
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Mischievous Manager Posts: 5,524 Joined: 9:14am February 16, 2006 Location: Behind the sofa, watching Doctor Who |
Good point about his being a wounded "Kreacher", David.
I have to admit I posed something of a trick question. I think he's both faking it (i.e. not nuts), but ALSO in need of kindness. My main reason for thinking so is the amount of cunning and forethought it would have taken to twist Sirius' orders in order to sell his master out to the dark side. Could he still be nutty? Yeah, I think he could, or at least deranged -- he obviously buys that pure-blood rubbish hook, line and sinker. But I'm not convinced that's so much because he himself is nuts as because it's all he's ever heard from his beloved mistress. You can look at any similar prejudiced situation in history and find in addition to those who actively perpetrated that message of hate people who were basically indoctrinated. It doesn't absolve those people of their part in the hate, mind you, but it would perhaps explain how Kreacher can be both sane AND hateful. So that said, that nutty muttering he keeps doing? I think he absolutely intends to be overheard. It's his way of being able to make his views known and his displeasure without having to disobey orders. -------------------- |
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Oct 20 2006, 07:20 AM
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#5
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Official Singer of the Sorting Hat Song Posts: 6,606 Joined: 3:12pm July 22, 2005 Location: Lost in Hermione's beaded bag |
QUOTE(becky920 @ Oct 20 2006, 11:16 AM) [snapback]981561[/snapback] So that said, that nutty muttering he keeps doing? I think he absolutely intends to be overheard. It's his way of being able to make his views known and his displeasure without having to disobey orders. I don't think Kreacher freely betrayed Sirius. He did use the "Get Out" command to flee to a place of purebloods. And it was most likely incoherent ramblings that gave Sirius away. He was unable to betray the location or other secrets he was sworn to, but he was evidence enough in himself. It would be a small matter to reason out what was going on. Again, Kreacher is much like a discontented dog that doesn't want to go for a walk, or go this way or that. He is sluggish in his thinking and so rooted in the Black Family prejudice that thinking in any other way is a painful struggle. (I've certainly met many people who cling to their old ways long after they make no sense and seem very put out at having to learn any new tricks.) -------------------- Come the words that bubble
Up through broken laughter, Sweeter than spring-water, "Gods, I am so happy!" |
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Oct 21 2006, 12:53 AM
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Flesh-Eating-Slug Catcher Posts: 176 Joined: 2:32pm May 12, 2006 Location: Godric's Hollow. |
i'll have to agree with Hermione here...he might be a bit odd to all of us but we also have to look in-depth what has lead him to this..
he jus wants to leave this house...to run away from these bounds where he's beeen stuck due to Sirius and his god-son,Harry.. the house he used to reside on that has also been a hide-out and HQ for the Order ..he used to be happy with Sirius's mother more..but now he's not.... i feel him to be lonely,upset and mis-understood.... -------------------- http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r301/Ho...yofuntitled.jpg
Dumbledore's Army is Voldemort's Boggart |
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Oct 22 2006, 11:43 AM
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#7
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Monster Book Stacker Posts: 385 Joined: 2:37pm February 21, 2006 Location: Studying potions |
I have a very distinct feeling that Kreacher was the one who had to drink that potion in the cave the first time around and that his odd behavour is a long time effect from that. So both Hermione and Davidenglish might be right. That would absolutely be regarded as maltreatment and makes his actions not of his own doing. I don't think he was such a pleasant piece of work before that either, but not as nasty as he is by now.
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Oct 22 2006, 11:53 AM
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Cauldron Bottom Measurer Posts: 116 Joined: 6:17pm October 21, 2006 Location: Shlupping my too-heavy-to-be-legal backpack somewhere, probably |
QUOTE(Aornis @ Oct 19 2006, 10:30 PM) [snapback]981316[/snapback] He seems like too flat of a character to have a personality interesting enough for him to be faking his feelings. I agree with Aornis. I think Kreacher has always just been like the furniture (well, very obnoxious furniture...) in the Black house while Sirious was there. By this, I mean that sadly, he is no more than a plot device. And honestly, wouldn't spending a decade in a house with Mrs. Black drive you to insanity, too? --------------------  Said Ravenclaw, "We'll teach those whose intelligence is surest." |
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Oct 22 2006, 01:27 PM
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#9
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Disgruntled House-Elf at The Leaky Cauldron Posts: 446 Joined: 3:58pm September 3, 2005 Location: In the laundry room at Hogwarts, trying to scourgify Snape's dingy greys, into tidy whiteys! |
QUOTE(davidenglish @ Oct 20 2006, 07:20 AM) [snapback]981598[/snapback] QUOTE(becky920 @ Oct 20 2006, 11:16 AM) [snapback]981561[/snapback] So that said, that nutty muttering he keeps doing? I think he absolutely intends to be overheard. It's his way of being able to make his views known and his displeasure without having to disobey orders. I'm sure this is a crazy theory, but I have often wondered if Kreacher wasn't really Bellatrix's instead of Harry's. I wonder if Bella had given orders to Kreacher to act as if he was Harry's. A planted spy for the DE's once Sirius had passed away. In HBP, hardback pg 52 when Kreacher is protesting, he states, "Kreacher belongs to Miss Bellatrix, oh yes, Kreacher belongs to the Blacks, Kreacher wants his new Mistress, Kreacher won't go to the Potter brat, Kreacher won't, won't won't--" I wonder if what he was saying was true but was bound by magic to follow Harry's orders. His thinking out loud could be his struggle with the magic that might be forcing him to do what he doesn't want. -------------------- I don't give a gust of stinking chihuahua flatulence!
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Oct 22 2006, 01:46 PM
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#10
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Poor Kreacher is the product of the family he grew up with. To make it simple all his life he has heard one side of the story and at his age whatever that is, how long do they live? A few kind words are not going to change him into some nice House Elf.
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