What does Narcissa Malfoy's name say about her character?

Question

Many of the names in the Harry Potter series are chosen so as to reflect some trait of their character. For example: Sirius Black the black dog, Remus Lupin the wolf, Severus the severe teacher, Luna Lovegood the eccentric but caring friend, and so on.**Narcissa** Malfoy's name seems to suggest that she's full of herself, but as far as I can tell, the main motivation driving her in the books is to protect her *son*, not herself. She sacrifices a great deal for Draco, even essentially betraying Voldemort for his sake in the end - surely "maternal" would be a better way of describing her than "narcissistic".**Why, then, the name Narcissa? What does this say about her character?** Is there a narcissistic side to the way she's portrayed in the books which I've missed?

Answer 1

Hi there!

I really love the name "Narcissa." It's a great way to make you judge a character without ever really meeting them. The second you hear that name, the word 'narcissist' crosses your brain, doesn't it? I'm sure you already know who Narcissus was, but to help my own answer, I'll give you the 6 word summary: Narcissus died flirting with his own reflection.

While Narcissa did not share Narcissus' direct fate, it is clear that she was only selfless when it came to her own son. And since her son shares and, in a sense, REFLECTS her DNA, her interventions and actions can still be interpreted through the same scope Narcissus' loving his reflection.

In one sense, yes, Narcissa is more keen on protecting her son than herself. However, from a Darwinian perspective, protecting her child IS protecting herself. Draco is her only child. If Draco dies, there would be no one left to continue her line, and considering that most of her family had died without reproducing, it would not be long before the Black lineage died out completely. (Her maiden name was "Black," according to Pottermore.) And, considering that she's both a Malfoy and a pureblood, she was more than likely raised to believe that pure blooded wizards were better than mudbloods and muggles, so losing a pure blooded line would be disgraceful.

I could go on for hours about Narcissa's name, but since I'm not Rowling, it would just be speculation. The beauty of your question is, you can Tweet J.K. Rowling or explore Pottermore for more deep and accurate answers. Considering she made her fortune on Harry Potter, she would probably be more than happy to answer you!