Snape the Control Freak (WAS: Official Philip Nel Discussion Question #2

[marinafrants]

No: HPFGUIDX 37706

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., elfundeb at a... wrote:
>  I can't imagine any career less suited to Snape's temperament 
than being a 
> Death-Eater.  Becoming a DE requires you to become completely 
subservient to 
> Voldemort.  You must grovel at his feet like a "most devoted 
servant"  (look 
> how Crouch Jr. grovels obsequiously even when Voldemort isn't 
around, not to 
> mention every DE summoned to the rebirthing including the usually 
swaggering 
> Lucius Malfoy who thanks Voldemort for his mercy - ugh!) and wait 
for 
> Voldemort to reward or punish you at his whim.  I can't imagine 
Snape 
> willingly engaging in this type of self-humiliation.  But he 
must've done it, 
> at least for some period of time. 

<snip some good stuff about Voldemort using Muggle-killings to give 
his DEs the illusion of control>

> What amazes me, though,  is how he could ever have been persuaded 
to join 
> them in the first place.  Could he not have known what it would be 
like, that 
> their only purpose was to serve Voldemort?  Did Voldemort lure him 
with false 
> promises?  

I think Voldemort must've had a really good recruiting pitch, 
individually tailored to each person he was trying to pull in.  We 
know Tom Riddle was charming and good at manipulating people.  When 
dealing with arrogant aristocrats like Lucius Malfor or resentful 
control-freaks like Snape, I'm sure he didn't say "come and be my 
faithful, groveling servant."  He would've figured out what they 
wanted, and promised them they could have it, and he must've made 
those promises *really* convincing.  Snape, no doubt, was offered a 
place where he would be respected and appreciated, where his talents 
would win him the advancement he deserved; not to meantion a new 
world order where obnoxious Gryffindor jocks who try to feed people 
to werewolves get the punishment *they* deserve.  None of that "he's 
a popular Quidditch jock, so we'll let him get away with attempted 
murder" nonsense.

Marina
rusalka at ix.netcom.com