Voldemort can't love because his conception wasn't out of true love?

I'm not sure that that *is* what Rowling is trying to say... that a child of a coerced love, so to speak, will live a loveless life, himself, I mean. At least, I don't think that she's making any sort of blanket statement.

What I think she's trying to do is to carry on this theme that runs through the series about how doing things to a person against their will is among the worst things you could do. You do see it with the unforgivables-- the Imperius curse is unforgivable because you're forcing your own will onto another person without their permission. And, of course, choice plays a HUGE role in this series. We all know the line, "It is our choices, Harry, far more than our abilities, that makes us who we truly are." And we could sit here and have a whole separate discussion about choice as a factor in this series (ex. Voldy chooses Harry instead of Neville as his enemy).

So with Merope and Tom Riddle Sr., I think Rowling is taking this theme of coercion as one of the worst crimes against a fellow human being and running with it. I don't believe that she means that any child of a loveless union will grow up loveless, themselves. I think she's taking Voldy and using him as an extreme symbol of the danger of a loveless life--because, remember, love plays a huge role in the series, too. What you mention about him not being able to love because he grew up without parents and a loving environment is part of the symbolic package. She makes the conditions of the conception a factor because Voldy is an extreme case, and that matters because his feelings about his father, who abandoned Merope as soon as he found out she was a witch (if I remember correctly) also have a huge impact on how his own feelings towards muggles and muggleborns, and wizard superiority, develop. He takes Harry to his father's grave for his "resurrection" to show his superiority over his muggle father.

I definitely understand what you're saying, and maybe my answer is partially an excuse as well as an explanation because I seriously doubt that JK Rowling would do what you fear she's doing. But hopefully my answer provides another perspective. To me, the Potter series is something to be looked at as a whole, because several themes run through all of the books.

While I don't know if that is the sole reason as to why he can't love - I'm not JK Rowling, so I can't say if it is or not - but if it is, I have to say I agree and that that is a terrible message. My grandmother was a rape-baby and she could love - as well as the millions of children who were conceived through loveless relationships are loveless.

Even if the reason has to do with that and the fact that he never received love growing up - that's still a terrible message. Too many kids grow up being abused, neglected, or bounced around from foster home to foster home, but can still love. Sure, maybe it could be harder for them to trust, but they still have that emotion.

Also, if the potion was the case, people shouldn't say that "it's okay, because Voldemort never knew his family's love" because neither did Harry. His parents loved each other when they conceived him, but he grew up with his aunt, uncle, and cousin who hated him. I know he met friends and people who loved him when he was 11 - but that's still long enough to cause any psychological affects. If growing up in a loveless house is what made Voldemort unable to love, then Harry should be unable to, too. While I don't know if the whole "love potion" thing is real, if it is, then yes - it simply had to do with the love potion.

Hmm yeah I can see your point there. But Voldemort's environment also would have influenced how he was towards others. Harry points out that he has never known love. He has no clue of what love is and he views it as a pathetic weakness. Voldemort grew up in a children's home and wasn't taught how to use his magic properly because he was among muggles who were frightened of him. When he was taken to Hogwarts it was too late and he'd already discovered dark magic. He liked torturing people because it gave him a good feeling and he held a position of power. I think this comes down to the fact that he had no control over his own life and now being the 'Dark Lord' he has ultimate control. This is why Harry is such a threat to him.

Maybe I'm thinking too deeply but there you are haha.

Hope to have helped

I think it's simply a way of mirroring the loveless relationship between Merope and Tom Sr. and the loveless nature of Voldemort himself. I don't think she was saying/suggesting anything about children of rape being different than, or inferior to, other children. His parents' past was a way to explain his hate of muggles, and his pureblood obsession. Remember that Voldemort is an extreme character who is completely irredeemable and remorseless. I'm pretty sure that having normal parents who loved each other wouldn't have made much of a difference with him. He was literally pure evil, and his past didn't make him that way, he simply was that way. He was evil and without remorse before he even know about his parents' loveless relationship.

She did also say that if he grew up loved that would've changed things, but he didn't he grew up in an orphanage, whereas kids that came from rape or something would probably still grow up loved either my their mothers or be adopted.

Harry grew up without love from the Dursleys, but was still fine because his parents loved each other, it wouldn't have made sense if JKR said it was just because Voldemort grew up in an orphanage.

Apart from that, I'm not really sure what you're going on about. JK Rowling made an evil character who isn't real, and said it's because he grew up without love and his parents weren't really in love. What else is there?

Hmm, I actually liked the idea of that. I mean, evidence from human psychology proves that some humans really can't feel certain emotions due to certain things in their brain not being developed properly. Maybe the love potion messed with his brain receptors for love.

Also, the human psychology of love and nurturing. This ties in with Harry's love--what Lily died to give him. Newborns and infants need to be nurtured and loved and cared for. Harry, luckily, got the full force of his parents love before they were murdered. It develops a babies brain. It is essential. There was a study we did in human psychology that showed infants who were NOT given love and care and nurture at that age grew to have deep mental issues. They often rocked back and forth when alone (the same thing happened when baby chimps are left alone at a young age) and acted in odd behavior. This, as Dumbledore explained to Harry, is what separated him from You-Know-Who. Tom grew up in the orphanage and they never cared for him and nurtured him as a parent should

I'll be back later with a more in-depth answer (:

That was never officially confirmed by J.K. Rowling, so I don't give it much thought. Sure, the way that he was raised without any love is probably a huge factor, but I don't think that it's that black and white. Rowling likely knew this, so that's why she didn't delve into it directly.

I disagree. Voldemort never received love from his parents, or any at the orphanage. At Hogwarts, I think he would have received some love. For instance, Horace Slughorn - he adored Tom, and therefore gave Tom a certain kind of love. I doubt Tom would've accepted it, however, because at Hogwarts, he was mainly looking for ways to make himself immortal, right? I think he thought that love was pointless, and that a life without love was the best. "Your mother died to save you. If there is one thing Voldemort cannot understand, it is love. He didn't realize that love as powerful as your mother's for you leaves its own mark" - Dumbledore to Harry.

While Voldemort was born under the influence of love potion, he also never knew the love of either of his parents or either of his families. His father left his mother while she was pregnant and his mother died giving birth to him, even when she had the ability to save herself. So, while he was conceived outside of natural love via a love potion, he also never knew it growing up. The children of rape or a one night stand would have most likely grown up with the love of at least one parent, so they would have known about love from their families while they were growing up.

Hai Preet, Recently I have read this, very good quot and its explanations. But afteral we are all human beings, we may have our own limitations and handicapes. we can just try for being a state like this. To error is human and to forgive is Divine. So let as hard work to make this life beautiful.