I find it interesting here that you use the term "choice."
Tom Riddle was a victim of the society he grew up with and I think its fair to say that he was failed by the system. He learned early on in life that it was every man for himself and I too, like one of the posters above believe for a kid to wonder, "Are you from the asylum?", at his age has already some serious issues. One, he knows what an asylum is at age eleven. Two, he has probably been told/threatened that he may be sent to one. His early exhibits of magic must have earned him a reputation as being "wierd" and therefore misunderstood. What I find interesting is that while Harry exhibited magic when he was scared or angry in self-defence, Riddle's early magics manifested as causing harm.
Snape/Riddle/Harry all had seriously traumatic childhoods. While Snape and Riddle devoured every book in sight and became accomplished in their knowledge, Harry chose to belong to the world he was meant to be a part of. I suspect Snape and Riddles' motivations spurred from self-defence and want of power to be feared so no-one would ever harm them again. Harry chooses to live, to belong.
I often wondered what made Harry so special and could not accept Dumbledore's explanation of love. But now, when the dynamic is drawn, I find it more than satisfactory that Harry has a higher capacity for love than Snape or Riddle. In the face of all that they have endured only Harry has not succumbed to being a victim becasue of it.
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Tom Riddle was a victim of the society he grew up with and I think its fair to say that he was failed by the system. He learned early on in life that it was every man for himself and I too, like one of the posters above believe for a kid to wonder, "Are you from the asylum?", at his age has already some serious issues. One, he knows what an asylum is at age eleven. Two, he has probably been told/threatened that he may be sent to one. His early exhibits of magic must have earned him a reputation as being "wierd" and therefore misunderstood. What I find interesting is that while Harry exhibited magic when he was scared or angry in self-defence, Riddle's early magics manifested as causing harm.
Snape/Riddle/Harry all had seriously traumatic childhoods. While Snape and Riddle devoured every book in sight and became accomplished in their knowledge, Harry chose to belong to the world he was meant to be a part of. I suspect Snape and Riddles' motivations spurred from self-defence and want of power to be feared so no-one would ever harm them again. Harry chooses to live, to belong.
I often wondered what made Harry so special and could not accept Dumbledore's explanation of love. But now, when the dynamic is drawn, I find it more than satisfactory that Harry has a higher capacity for love than Snape or Riddle. In the face of all that they have endured only Harry has not succumbed to being a victim becasue of it.