The alienated Slytherin, Crackin'

[Tabouli]

No: HPFGUIDX 35115

Laura (quoting me):
>>It's an abusive childhood making him bitter and vengeful, it's being victimized in high school, it's being sorted into Slytherin and feeling alienated from the Good Side, it's joining the DEs and building up to a moral crisis, it's feeling marginalised and betrayed and self-loathing and jealousy, etc.etc.etc.!!!<<
>
> The point is, that someone who is in Slytherin probably *belongs* there, and is most likely happiest there, among people who are most like themselves on some innate level.  I have a hard time seeing Snape as disappointed with his assignment to S. House, neither do I see him feeling alienated or among the minority there.  Keep in mind that the qualities associated with the house (cunning, ambition, etc.) are all qualities that Snape has in spades - and are also NOT inherent "evil" qualities, to boot.  He would not have enjoyed being a Gryffindor anymore than Ron would have enjoyed by a Slytherin.  Or, imagine Snape in Hufflepuff - surrounded by cheery, friendly types - *talk* about bitter. ^_~ He would have been miserable.<

No, no, this wasn't what I meant at all.  I wasn't talking about whether Snape would have been happy in Slytherin, I was talking about Slytherin, as a house, feeling alienated from the rest, and Snape sharing this feeling with his housemates.  I mean, look at Quidditch, even... Gryffindor versus Slytherin, and Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw immediately take Gryffindor's side!  Look at Hagrid, badmouthing Slytherin before Harry even gets to Hogwarts!  Look at the reputation of Slytherins for going over to the Dark Side!  Look at Salazar himself, already marginalised by the other three at the very founding of the place because of his pure-blood views!

Nope, from what I see, I wouldn't be surprised if there's a strong in-group "us against the rest" attitude in Slytherin house,  a sort of "we Slytherins have got to stick together because everyone's out to get us" feeling.  Which, perhaps, is quite fitting for a house whose identifying characteristic is being ambitious.  Everyone else is a Rival in the quest for triumph.  Really, when you think about it, it isn't surprising that so many Slytherins go "bad" under the circumstances, is it?

Hmm.  I wonder what made JKR choose the qualities she did to identify the houses?

- Courage
- Ambition
- Diligence
- Intellect

... why these four qualities?  Obviously you can't get completely mutually exclusive qualities, but you could get less overlap than those four.  You could Sort on the basis of predominant interest (not ability, interest) instead of character, like... er... er... (Tabouli wracks her brains)...

- Sporty (competitors/players?)
- Intellectual (thinkers?)
- Artistic (dreamers?)
- Practical (doers?)

Well, maybe not.  I suppose it has to be character, for plot purposes.  I'll keep musing...

As for the definition of "to Crack", I would say something like "to cease to resist or break down when under pressure" or "to comply with demands you would normally refuse as a result of torture" or some such.  For example, let's say poor beleagured Ron got targetted by V, and copped a Crucio.  "Join me, Weasley, and the pain will stop.  Resist me and prepare to live the rest of your life in agony!  Ha ha ha..." etc. (true Evil Overlord stuff).  Ron would "Crack" if he broke under Crucio and decided that joining V was better than spending another 120 years in agony.

In typical good/evil black/white heroic fiction, of course, Ron, being a Good Guy, would choose a life of agony rather than betray his allies, and if he "Cracked" it would reveal him to be a despicable coward with secret Bad leanings ("THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED!  DIED RATHER THAN BETRAY YOUR FRIENDS" etc.).  In real life, however, it's pretty unrealistic.  Perhaps I'm a shameless wussy poltroon, but I don't think my resistance would last long in the torture chamber...

Tabouli.




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