Character Sketch: Severus Snape

[naama_gat at hotmail.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 12170

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "Neil Ward" <neilward at d...> wrote:
owever, this


> 
> (5) The old chestnut: Was Snape in love with Lily?  Are his 
feelings against
> Harry rooted in jealousy of or rivalry with his father?  Was Snape 
`Malfoy'
> to James Potter's `Harry'?
> 

I have a kind of theory about Snape's particualr hatred of Harry. Its 
not exclusive of all the other theories, just another dimension to 
their relationship.

OK, here goes:

As I see it, Snape's personality or psyche is organized around what 
must have been an enormous crisis - his conversion from evil to good. 
That, you might say, defines him to himself. He is somebody who used 
to be evil, and chose to be good (that is, join the side of 
goodness).  
How would Harry Potter seem to him (aside from being James' son)? 
As a baby he faced Voldemort and vanquished him. Without thought, 
without excruciating soul searching, without the self doubts and self 
hatred Harry became the icon of goodness. He received goodness as a 
birthright. And he did nothing for it. He hadn't suffered for it.
For a person who has struggled so hard to become good, it might be 
very galling to see somebody who is good, and famed for it, without 
any struggle, any agony. For me it explains better than all the other 
theories the intensity of Snape's hatred for Harry. It also explains 
why he is always so ready to believe the worst of him. Snape has a 
vested interest in finding Harry in the wrong, because it would prove 
that Harry doesn't have that innate goodness that everybody believes 
he has. 

I hope I've made my point clearly. I've been reading posts for hours 
now and getting really tired. I'd love to hear comments on this.

Naama