Humans *are* "beasts", again, in the medieval sense. It just means humans are animals. The more common way of saying it is "humans are creatures".
And, no, Riddle is not a composite beast. As I said to Jodel above, the definition I was going with was the one that comes from the Latin "monstro" - to show. A sign, a wonder, a portent, and, from that, a freak of nature.
I obviously disagree with you about Snape - for many reasons, which I go into elsewhere. The one thing that would cause me to throw all my "Potter" books out the window in disgust at Rowling's cheap, shoddy storytelling is Snape being proved evil and on Voldemort's side. It literally makes no sense. I have some hope she won't disappoint me where Snape is concerned*, but very little about Riddle. I do not expect her to humanize him at all. But we'll see.
BTW, I disagree with you - again - about Harry's knowing that his parents loved him. Yes, he did know it, but it was because they actually did love him. Petunia and Vernon certainly never told him so! Riddle *knew* his parents didn't love him because they didn't. His mother might have, if she hadn't died; his father just didn't.
And lack of love - the failure to bond in early infancy - by itself, with no other injury, causes permanent brain damage - or can do.
*You'll note I'm not 100 percent convinced. It would simply be bad writing, on many levels, but she could make Snape evil.
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And, no, Riddle is not a composite beast. As I said to Jodel above, the definition I was going with was the one that comes from the Latin "monstro" - to show. A sign, a wonder, a portent, and, from that, a freak of nature.
I obviously disagree with you about Snape - for many reasons, which I go into elsewhere. The one thing that would cause me to throw all my "Potter" books out the window in disgust at Rowling's cheap, shoddy storytelling is Snape being proved evil and on Voldemort's side. It literally makes no sense. I have some hope she won't disappoint me where Snape is concerned*, but very little about Riddle. I do not expect her to humanize him at all. But we'll see.
BTW, I disagree with you - again - about Harry's knowing that his parents loved him. Yes, he did know it, but it was because they actually did love him. Petunia and Vernon certainly never told him so! Riddle *knew* his parents didn't love him because they didn't. His mother might have, if she hadn't died; his father just didn't.
And lack of love - the failure to bond in early infancy - by itself, with no other injury, causes permanent brain damage - or can do.
*You'll note I'm not 100 percent convinced. It would simply be bad writing, on many levels, but she could make Snape evil.