We have come to the final book in reading our nightly bedtime Harry Potter reading to our 2yo. Generally I love this book and think it ties things up nicely. However, there are also many instances in which JKR’s retcons fall pretty flat – get ready, because I have thoughts! Let’s start with the beginning, though.
The leader of my Harry Potter bookclub, Becca, hit the nail on the head with a comment that Voldy criticizing Bella feels like someone kicking a puppy. Well that’s just it, isn’t it? Animal cruelty is a trait often associated with psychopaths. Moreover, and I didn’t realize this until looking into it just now, “IATC (Intentional Animal Torture and Cruelty) is sometimes used to coerce, control and intimidate women and/or children to be silent about domestic abuse within the home. ”
So my read is that Voldy lashes out A. because he is a cruel psychopath, B. to keep Bella under his heel, and C. to help control his other sycophants.