EnclaveEmily

One of the most important things you learn as you grow older is that there isn't always one universally right answer, especially when it comes to personal beliefs, tastes, and how people see the world. And I think one of the clearest signs of immaturity is the inability to understand this. People who haven't really grown up tend to have this strange idea that once you become an adult, you have to act like one at all times. You can only enjoy serious, grown-up things, and God forbid you ever pick up a fantasy book, enjoy an adventure tale, or find something beautiful in a story written for children. Because apparently, that's cringe, and you should be ashamed of yourself. But isn't that itself an incredibly childish way of thinking? And this isn't exactly some new observation. Even C.S. Lewis once wrote: "When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up." It's an impressively simple quote, and one that most people can easily understand. But actually taking it to heart is an entirely different matter. And I think this is extremely relevant to the Malfoid Movement. To understand why, you first need to recognize that the beautiful, timeless values of Western culture aren't things you can only acquire by reading history books or cultural criticism. You don't need a textbook to teach you about chivalry, honor, loyalty, courage, or romance. These values are present in countless stories, whether they're written for adults or children. And in many ways, stories can teach these values far more effectively than any textbook ever could. Because there's a difference between intellectually understanding that loyalty is a virtue and actually experiencing what loyalty means through a character you've grown to love. There's a difference between reading about the importance of courage and watching someone you care about find the strength to stand against despair. And there's certainly a difference between being told that love is beautiful and actually feeling that beauty through a story. You aren't merely being told what these values are in a literary analysis textbook. You're experiencing them emotionally through the characters. And that's precisely where I think a lot of these critics completely miss the point. They look at Malfoid and see nothing more than a genderbent Draco Malfoy, a silly romantic fanfiction, or some childish internet trend. And because that's all they see, they dismiss the entire thing as something beneath them. But the problem is that they're judging the cover without ever bothering to understand the values underneath it. Which brings me to my actual point. Malfoid can simultaneously be something that isn't particularly important in the grand scheme of things and one of the most important things ever. Which is why I brought up the idea that "there isn't always one universally right answer." These two statements aren't necessarily contradictory. Will the Malfoid Movement have the same cultural influence as The Lord of the Rings, or even Harry Potter itself? Probably not. And frankly, it doesn't need to. Because its importance doesn't necessarily come from how many books it sells, how many awards it wins, or whether literary critics eventually decide to recognize it. Its importance comes from what people actually take away from it. A young person might encounter Malfoid simply because they find the character cute or enjoy the romance between her and Harry. But through that relationship, they might discover something much more meaningful. They might come to appreciate loyalty, forgiveness, devotion, sacrifice, or the courage it takes to love someone despite everything standing in the way. And perhaps, years later, when that same person decides to write a story of their own, those values will still be there, influencing the characters they create and the stories they choose to tell. And also if even a fraction of the younger generation carries those values with them into adulthood, then I would argue that the Malfoid Movement has already accomplished something genuinely worthwhile. So why do people take Malfoid seriously? It's not because they're stupid or immature. Maybe it's simply because some are actually more grown-up than others or have better EQ, so they can see through the cover and appreciate the value instead of being a stunted man-child who can only like things that society deems "acceptable to a man."