Re: More Snape! Amanda´s at it again!

[lea.macleod at gmx.net]

No: HPFGUIDX 17467

Amanda Lewanski <editor at t...> wrote:

> lea.macleod at g... wrote:
> 
> > Amanda has brought up the Snape issue again,

...by which she didn´t mean it had been settled (I hope it never will 
;)).

Amanda says:

> I think there's a big, big difference between ignoring something and
> sublimating it. Processing something without mentioning it is also 
not
> the same as ignoring. In my mind, ignoring something of magnitude is 
the
> same thing as lying to yourself, and with all Snape's faults, I 
don't
> think he does that. I think he takes some major-league convincing to
> even entertain the notion of changing a viewpoint, but once the 
evidence
> is presented I believe he takes it into account.

Ah, that´s really not as I understood it before. It now makes sense to 
me. I probably also didn´t take into account the he was *really* out 
cold most of the time in the Shrieking shack, so he doesn´t know even 
now that Sirius was neither a murderer nor on the dark side, does he? 
I wonder whether Dumbledore was wise to ask Snape to work together 
with Sirius without explaining even those basic facts to him...

Amanda on "autopilot":
 
> No, by emotional autopilot, I meant he's not really thinking about 
his> reactions too much, or involving a deeper level of himself.  It's 
not> unemotional, just uninvolved.
> This is more what I meant for Snape. His autopilot is a mode of
> nastiness, favoring Slytherin, making snotty comments, and having a 
dour> outlook. But he doesn't seem all that involved. 
> 
> Operating on an auto-mode is easier than having to think. I think 
he's
> been doing this as a teacher for years, and especially now when 
Harry is
> here, he doesn't want to revisit old thoughts and feelings. He has
> to--the associations are too clear--and I think this is the source 
of his especial nastiness to Harry and his friends.


That makes things a lot clearer for me again (poor Amanda, please 
don´t think you have to say everything twice to be understood, it´s 
just me that always has to be told twice to understand).

But I think Snape puts a lot of effort into his nastiness. Well, much 
of it just seems to be the automatically programmed reaction, but 
especially when it comes to Harry (bullying Harry in public, that is, 
which is not to be confused with bullying Harry in private like in 
PoA), his actions are usually extremely calculated. 

I do think his behaviour towards Harry is the direct result of 
(unwillingly and painfully) revisiting old thoughts and feelings. I 
don´t think "uninvolved" is the right word in that context.


Magda points out another key scene:

>> Rather it comes when
 Dumbledore asks him to step out of the room and Snape asks "You
haven't forgotten what he almost did to me?" (or words to that
effect; I don't have the book handy).  
It's a moment of vulnerability - the first we've seen of old Snape. 
 Will Dumbledore be swayed by the more likeable Sirius and Harry into
 turning against Severus who really, really craves Dumbledore's 
approval?
 And Dumbledore comes through: "My memory is as good as it ever was." 
And only then does Snape leave.I thought it was quite a touching 
moment, actually. << >>No revelation in GoF came close to it for 
showing what Snape is like underneath.<<

I agree it reveals a lot about Snape. But somehow I never thought of 
this dialogue as touching. I rather think that at the beginning of the 
argument, Snape wants to convince the others of Sirius being generally 
dangerous, a murderer who´s in league with Lord V and after Harry - 
merely repeating what the wizarding majority thinks about him anyway. 
Only when he realises Dumbledore will somehow not be convinced, he 
comes up with "Sirius tried to kill *me* so do something!!!" So the 
argument turns to personal hatred and vengeance and that is not very 
touching but rather childish, if understandable, IMO.

>>No revelation in GoF came close to it for showing what Snape is like 
underneath.<<

I disagree again. Snape showing his dark mark to Fudge was such a 
*magnificent* gesture you can´t really compare it. It tells us so many 
things - that Snape was a DE (I didn´t believe Dumbledore´s statement 
until then) but that he has renounced the dark side,  and that at the 
same time, he doesn´t mind his own reputation (among the students, 
parents and teachers who didn´t know) being severely shaken by 
revealing his secret, if it serves a higher purpose. 

(Don´t mind me, this scene was the moment I really fell in love with 
him).


Magda predicts
>> that as much as Harry would miss Dumbledore if the old
 wizard doesn't survive the series, it would be nothing compared to
 Snape's reaction.  Harry has Sirius, the Weasleys and others for
 support.  Snape will be shattered<<

except that I´m sure Snape will already have been physically shattered  
before Dumbledore decides to face the next great adventure...