Why do readers love Snape? (and Draco/ Snape comparison)

[jchutney]

No: HPFGUIDX 33382

Great thread!  Forcing me to delurk!  

Eloise wrote:
[quote] What really intrigues me, though, and perhaps some of you 
other Friends of Snape out there can help me out on this one, is just 
*why* do some of us have sympathy for this horrible man, want to find 
excuses or reasons for his behaviour, whilst most of us seem to feel 
nothing but antipathy for Draco, who is after all only a child.... 
[/quote]

I think this is an age thing and a Fanon/Canon thing.  I'm older 
than Draco but younger than Snape so I find I enjoy both characters 
very much.  But they are both different kinds of mean and 
Draco "seems" to be heading in a darker direction than Snape.  By 
the end of GoF, Draco talks about how sorry Potter will be that he 
didn't join the Deatheaters whereas Snape seems ready to risk his 
life to fight them.  There are numerous example of Snape's goodness 
but only one (maybe) of Draco's.  In GoF, the trio come across Draco 
while the Deatheaters are out.  Draco is of course nasty to them but 
he also warns Hermione to keep her bushy head down.  If he truly 
wanted Hermione (and by extension Ron & Harry dead) he wouldn't have 
warned them.  Either he's a very inept villain (which is certainly 
possible) or he does have some decency deep deep down. Also Fanon!
Draco has many "reasons" for his bad behavior.  I think it's 
easier for a 12-year old to understand why someone might behave badly 
than it is for us.

Also Draco seems motivated entirely by envy, a very unattractive 
quality.  We don't know exactly what motivates Snape, so are free to 
speculate


Anavenc replied: 
[quote] Snape is not only sympathized with, but much, much more. A 
large part of HP fandom consists of people who are simply infatuated 
with him. Meanwhile, it seems like JKR so far hasn't planned on 
readers loving him--at least not yet :). She keeps repeating in 
interviews that Snape is horrible... So, I guess, my question is: why 
readers so badly want Snape to be different from the fellow we see in 
Rowling's books? [quote]
 
Snape is incredibly rude.  Maybe this is a British thing – I don't 
know.  I think in America we have made the mistake of equating 
rudeness with maverick behavior with coolness.  Snape's good 
qualities do not negate his nasty way of addressing the kids, 
especially Potter and Longbottom.  It is unkind to make people feel 
stupid when they don't know something. Also reading aloud from 
Witches Weekly regarding Hermione's "love life" was beyond cruel.  
In muggle America, you're talking million-dollar lawsuit! Either the 
fans gloss over this fact of his rudeness or they see it as a symptom 
of his unhappiness.  IRL, I would be enraged by someone that rude but 
fiction allows us the luxury of looking at the big picture.  You 
realize that you're sophomore Chemistry teacher's teaching method 
was only one aspect of his person.  

judyserenity replied:
[quote] First, a confession.  I developed a huge crush on Snape by 
Book 2 -- or maybe it was by the end of Book 1.  [/quote]

I didn't realize I loved Snape until GoF.  It was a slow process 
from loving to hate to just plain loving so I feel like I understand 
why JKR call him horrible AND why you all think he's so great.
Also I love JudySerenity's analysis!  Snape does have all the good 
qualities she mentions.  

I think what makes him such a great character is that he seems to be 
struggling with who he is.  We really don't know what to expect with 
Snape whereas we can expect Hagrid to be a cuddly airhead, Dumbledore 
to be twinkly noble, etc.  The more a character surprises us, the 
more we become interested.  

Also, I think that Snape has elements of all the kid characters, not 
just Draco.  Brainy and know-it-all like Hermione, picked on like 
Neville, sarcastic and emotional like Ron, and (IMO) like Harry he 
sees Dumbledore as a surrogate father.