Snape's misanthropy--Who Dies?--the Art of HP Happiness

[JayKay]

No: HPFGUIDX 26616

Hello, I've been lurking for a while now, and I
thought I'd toss in my 2 knuts on a couple of things.

--- meboriqua at aol.com wrote:


> I would call Snape an equal opportunity bigot - he
> seems to hate just 
> about everyone equally, whether pure-blooded or not.

I'd call him a misanthrope rather than a bigot. I
think his hatred stems from something other than
prejudice; it seems--to me, anyway--the kind of
dislike that blooms out of bitterness and anger,
either because of past experiences or because of
self-loathing.


*~*~*

--- Rowena Grunnion-Ffitch wrote:

>    A 'beloved character' is supposed to die and
> return
> as a ghost in OoP, is that right?
>    If it is I bet on Snape as the victim. He is
> definitely beloved, (if not by Harry et al) and as a
> spy in Voldemort's camp he will be most at risk. And
> since ghosts are not happy people...
>    Another possibility is Dumbledore. In the
> traditional hero story the mentor figure always
> dies,
> disappears or is otherwise unavailable to the hero
> who
> must then face the final crisis alone, (Merlin,
> Gandalf, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Kosh) however book five
> seems
> a little soon for this.
>    Most likely it's somebody nobody's even thought
> of....

My predictions are that Dumbledore *will* die before
the end of the series, Prof. McGonagall will become
Headmistress, and Harry will end up the DADA
instructor. However, I don't think Dumbledore will die
in book 5. It's too soon, and he's too integral.
Traumatic Mentor Deaths usually happen towards the
end, and we're still too close to the middle of
events.

If the clues are that the death will involve someone
whom it will be very difficult for JKR to kill and who
is a big supporter of Harry, it could be a number of
other people (although I'm *muchly* relieved that
Lupin is out of the running based on the source cited
earlier today that he'll play a role in #7): 

Hagrid
Prof. McGonagall
Any of the Weasleys, including Arthur and Molly
Colin Creevy 
Sirius Black

Personally, I'll find it more gut-wrenching than I can
possibly express if it turns out to be Hagrid. I love
that gentle half-giant...

*~*~*

On the subject of character happiness: 

I'm approaching this from what may be a slightly
different perspective than most here, because I'm a
Buddhist. 

>From this perspective, Dumbledore would make an
excellent Buddhist. In fact, he seems to be a highly
enlightened being already. He is a calm, centered
individual who is working towards peace for all. His
focus is on the greater good. 

However, despite he has seen and fought against great
evil, he has not let it make him bitter or angry (in
this, he's a direct contrast to Snape). He changes
what he has the power to change, and seems to accept
the rest as being out of his control. He hasn't lost
his ability to find pleasure in simple things like
warm socks and lemon drops. He takes his happiness
where he can find it, and his mindset is what allows
him to find it most anywhere he looks. He also seems
very alert and mindful, and very compassionate. If
asked, I'd be willing to bet that Dumbledore wouldn't
say he hates Voldemort, but that he feels sorry for
him. He doesn't seem to let anger take root or fester
within him, and that is an excellent way to remain
happy.  

Lupin is another character I would say reflects
Buddhist ideas. Despite bearing an affliction that,
for now, knows no cure, he doesn't give in to anger or
despair. He has learned to accept his situation as it
is and has made peace with it. I don't think he's
reached Dumbledore's level of being able to find
happiness everywhere, but he seems content, which is
remarkable progress considering the burden he bears
and will likely continue to bear for the rest of his
life. He suffers greatly, but he hasn't allowed it to
take away his inner peace or compassion. I think
that's why he was able to be polite and even kind in
the face of Snape's snarkiness, and to believe in
Sirius's innocence so quickly. He's learned the
concept of forgiveness and compassion, and he lives it
even with people who treat him poorly or whom he
thought betrayed him. 

Harry seems reasonably happy in that he knows how to
immerse himself in the moment. He lives with the
threat of Voldemort hanging over him every waking
moment, but he doesn't allow that to paralyse him. He
can still take pleasure in Quidditch. He's able to
focus on the here and now rather than let himself get
caught up in worry about the future. 

Snape, on the other hand, is not happy, and I doubt he
ever will be unless he decides to make changes within
himself in order to facilitate his own happiness. I
think characters like Dumbledore, Lupin and Harry know
in varying degrees that we make our own happiness; if
we look outside ourselves for happines--in work,
money, other people, etc--we're doomed to
disappointment. Snape will continue to be miserable
until he decides he's tired of it and releases the
anger and bitterness he's been nursing for so long. 


JayKay, sending her first post


=====
"People think it's fun to write fanfic because you get all those readers.  But they forget the negative side, which is the psychosis." ~~Deep Fanfic Thoughts 
http://www.certando.net/vali/deepthoughts.htm

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Get email alerts & NEW webcam video instant messaging with Yahoo! Messenger. http://im.yahoo.com