SS's cruelty

[Margaret Dean]

No: HPFGUIDX 13615

Amy Z wrote:

> Oh boy, dare I take on all these rabid Snapefans?  You all probably
> know some pretty scary potions.  Well, I can always drink out of a hip
> flask from now on.  I think Snape is good in the ultimate sense (i.e.
> is on the Right Side and will even sacrifice himself to defeat V), but
> I just can't buy the idea that he's really a nice guy.  There is no
> earthly reason why he has to treat his students so cruelly just to
> convince the world that he's a baddie.  Whenever I start to think that
> he's just a very grumpy person with an overly sarcastic sense of
> humor, I remember Trevor.  We're talking about someone who would force
> a student to kill his own pet.  

I agree with this, and it's part of why I =like= Snape as a
character.  (Not necessarily the same thing as liking him as a
person, but since I don't have to deal with him in Real Life,
that's irrelevant!)  He has definite virtues, among them courage,
competence, and a strong sense of professional ethics, but he
also has large character flaws:  he's envious, he holds grudges,
plays favorites, =hurts= people.  He is Not A Nice Person.  But
he =is= on the right side.  And I think that's a valuable
insight.


--Margaret Dean
  <margdean at erols.com>