Neville/Snape Question

[marinafrants]

No: HPFGUIDX 38113

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "Laura Huntley" <huntleyl at m...> wrote:
> 
> Marina Said:
> > I don't think he's doing it just to be mean.  I think Snape has 
zero
> > tolerance for people he considers to be stupid or incompetent,
> > particularly when their incompetence presents a danger.  I also 
> think
> > he has no sympathy for other peoples' human weaknesses, and no
> > interest in excuses.  If he knows about Neville's situation, he
> > probably thinks Neville should suck it up and deal.
> 
> And this is not the definition of being mean? 

No.  Snape genuinely believes that Neville deserves to be treated 
this way.  He's totally wrong, but that's not the same as just being 
mean.

>If Snape is unfamiliar with situations where it is 
impossible/unhealthy to "suck it up and deal" or experience "human 
weaknesses" then he's a tad bit more sheltered than the other 
survivors of Voldy's first reign.  If he *has* dealt with these 
situations, the brave, strong thing to do would be to understand 
Neville - not harass him.
> 

Obviously, Snape was not sheltered during Voldemort's time.  I 
believe, however, that his own human weaknesses and failure to deal 
are what led to the worst excesses of his misspent youth, and 
overcoming those is what eventually enabled to do the right thing.  
(This is all part and parcel of SWEETGEORGIANISM, of course -- wave 
to the nice folks, George!)  Because he tends to project his mindset 
on everyone else, he doesn't grasp that for some (most?) people, 
occasionally giving in to their weaknesses is okay and even 
healthy.  *They're* not going to run out and become DEs because of 
it.


> And what about Harry?  If anyone maintains a "stiff upper lip" 
despite his problems, it's Harry.  And yet Snape attacks him the 
same as Neville.  Harry may not hand him so much easy ammunition 
(poor Neville is just a walking target for Snape), but it's the same 
cowardly viciousness in Snape that targets him as well as Neville.
> 
> And Hermione -- she's anything but weak, but that doesn't keep 
Snape from being dastardly towards her.
> 

He doesn't attack Harry and Hermione for the same reason he attacks 
Neville.  There was a whole thread on Snape and Hermione not so long 
ago, where people hashed out his motivations pretty well.  And with 
Harry, his grudge is very personal and has more to do with James and 
with Harry himself.

> In my opinion, Snape is mean -- nay, cruel -- because that's just 
his personality. <

To a large degree, that's true.  He's a misanthrope.  He doesn't 
like most people, and he feels free to act on that dislike because 
he doesn't care if most of them dislike him right back.

Marina
rusalka at ix.netcom.com