[Fwd: Re: [Snapefans] In praise of Snape]

[Amanda Lewanski]

No: HPFGUIDX 11623

I cross-posted this because I finally bestirred myself to type out some
things about Snape in response to a cross-post of Bob's Snapefans
message. Lotsa you older guys have heard ALL this before, but I thought
I'd treat you newbies to Amanda's Take On Snape (you lucky dogs!).

Luv,
Amanda

-------- Original Message --------

bob.mornington at wanadoo.fr wrote:

> As a way of introducing myself, here is the text of something I
> recently posted to HP4GU which to my surprise and disappointment
> didn't seem to provoke any reactions from anyone.

In some defense of HPforGrownups, please realize that we've discussed
loads of Snape stuff (grins guiltily). He's the only character with his
own spinoff group (of which I am aware). So there's a certain amount of
burnout operating.

> Well, just to throw the cat amongst the pigeons, I should like to
> propose the following: All the characters in HP are mono-dimensional
> cardboard cut outs with one notable exception, Snape, who is the only
> multi-facetted character amid all the HP personae.

I don't know that I would put this so starkly. He's certainly, to my
mind, the "grayest," i.e., the most complex. But so far the only
character that stands out as a cardboard cutout would be Lockhart. It is
JKR's genius that she is able to write characters which are so very,
very close to sheer caricature, but which are nonetheless somehow very
acceptable as real people. I have found, as the books have progressed,
that even those characters which seemed fairly unidimensional have
gained facets of personality. I think it has to do with Harry's
maturation and the commensurate maturation of his perception and
understanding, since we (with a few notable exceptions) see almost
exclusively through his eyes and point of view.

> Is he good?

Yes.

> Is he bad?

Yes.

> Is he nice (though strict)

Not really

> or is he nasty?

Very much so.

> Does he ultimately work for Harry's good, or for his downfall?

I believe he is ultimately working for Harry's good, perhaps a little
more directly than most people think. I think the scene in Snape's
office, after the mud-throwing incident at the Shrieking Shack, is very
revealing. It *can* be read as simply Snape really, really wanting to
finally get Harry expelled. But there's a layer I sense of Snape's very
real irritation at Harry continuously putting himself in danger, and
ignoring those who try to protect him. Snape does not particularly like
Harry, but he also honestly does not want to see him hurt. It is this
scene, also, wasn't it, which has the tantalizing hint that Snape was
the one who warned James, too, and felt ignored?

I also felt that Snape was quite justified in being angry, later in the
Shrieking Shack, that none of the students he honestly thought he was
saving was showing any gratitude at all. Based on only the information
he had at the time, he *was* saving their bacon and it must have been so
very frustrating that they not only didn't appreciate it, they were
working against him!

[New note in forwarded message] I also noticed that Sirius made no
effort to conjure a stretcher for Snape, when Snape was out cold, and
let his [Snape's] head bump on the tunnel roof, but when Snape was
transporting Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Sirius up to Hogwarts, *he*
brought them in a more civilized fashion.

> Isn't Harry's ultimate quest to measure up to Snape's uncompromising
> moral standards and (pedantic) exactitude?

Okay, here you have made a leap I'm not following. I agree that Snape
has uncompromising moral standards; I have posed before that he has a
very strict internal code. It is all his own, though, and allows the
little nasties he does--I've likened it to Edmund's attitude (in Prince
Caspian, I think) where "he fully intended to back Lucy up, but was
annoyed at losing a night's sleep and was doing everything as sulkily as

possible." Snape has a serious case of sulking, but he's fully committed
to the good guys. And I think the reason is that Voldemort somehow
transgressed that internal code, did something unforgivable (in Snape's
eyes). But where are you getting that Snape and his attitude have
anything to do with Harry's ultimate goal?

> At the end of the day, either you land up sloppy or you become Snape-
> like.

Very very much too black and white for someone who loves grey
characters. There's any number of choices in between.

> It's matter of choice.

That seems to be a main theme of these books. I had an English teacher
once who said that the basic theme of all books boils down to "Justice
vs. Mercy," and she's almost right, but there's a few big basic themes
besides that. I think Dumbledore was JKR's voice, stating that it is our
choices that define us, in the book that showed so clearly that both
Harry and Voldemort had started similarly (NOT just alike, you
detail-analyzers, you!), and had made vastly different choices to bring
them into close to polar opposition.

> I'm looking forward to future HP books where the Snape – Harry
> reconciliation will occur.

I don't know that Snape and Harry will be reconciled. JKR's made it
pretty clear that she allows interpersonal conflict on the same side, in
fact expects it of a side where you are allowed to think and have
opinions. I think Snape will be reconciled with himself--with his past,
whatever it is. He will only be reconciled with Harry in that he will
finally allow himself to see Harry as himself, rather than the "walking
mass of associations" that Harry has been to him thus far (at least, I
believe, until the end of book 4--I believe the "unreadable expression"
on Snape's face has much to do with the fact that he's having to
reassess quite a few things, Harry himself included).

Okay, not as in-depth as I'd like (holding hands over ears from groans
of disbelief), but there's you the answer I promised.

--Amanda


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