Snape as teacher

[naama_gat at hotmail.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 11979

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., pbnesbit at m... wrote:
> --- In HPforGrownups at y..., Zarleycat at a... wrote:
> > --- In HPforGrownups at y..., sashibuya at h... wrote:
> > 
> > > snip
> > > Heh. As I understand it, he doesn't like teaching, but does so 
to 
> > >pay the bills and maybe for the lab space (I see him as one of 
> those 
> > >star researches at a university, hired at great expense, who 
> doesn't 
> > >like undergrads). Or there could be some other, yet to be 
revealed 
> > >reason for Snape to teach while not liking it. Perhaps there is 
a 
> > >real shortage of qualified Potions experts? He has a secret 
sense 
> of 
> > duty? 
> > > All plausible, but non conclusive conjectures. 
> > > 
> > > Of course, we're assuming here that Snape doesn't like 
teaching. 
> > > Anyone want to argue the reverse?
> > 
> > I think Snape has a generally low opinion of his students. In 
> Harry's 
> > very first Potions class in SS, Snape tells the students how he 
can 
> > teach them all sorts of things, assuming the kids "aren't as big 
a 
> > bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."  However, 
perhaps 
> > Snape is simply brilliant at what he does but finds it 
frustrating 
> > that:
> >  1) most students want to get the immediate satisfaction of 
waving 
> a 
> > wand to get a result, and are impatient with the slower methods 
of 
> > Potions brewing, or;
> >  2) it's rare for Snape to have students who appear to have a 
real 
> > talent for Potions, and thus, he feels he cannot truly pass on 
his 
> > knowledge.
> 
> 
> I agree with this assessment.  Snape seems to have a real gift for 
> Potions (which I gather is rare) and he seems to me to be a 
> perfectionist.  I think that he likes teaching, but is perhaps 
> frustrated that no one in his classes seems to have the patience or 
> the talent to measure up to his rather exacting standards.

I have to disagree here. This line of resoning would explain 
(although never justify) his behaviour to Neville. But, if it were 
true, then Snape would have ADORED Hermione, who is a wonderful 
student - talented, knowledgeable, interested. Instead of which he 
actively represses, ignores and insults her.  I think he's simply 
twisted, bitter and mean, and he vents the crap he has inside 
whenever he deals with inferiors. IMO, the whole "dunderheads" spiel 
is no more than a reationalisation of his sadistic (yes - sadistic!) 
impulses towards his students. 

I think Allan Rickman will do him perfectly!

Naama