The great personal sacrifice (was Snape (still): a reply to just criticism)

[Edblanning at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 33895

Elkins wrote

>   Until Rowling proves me wrong, I will 
> continue to operate under the assumption that even while 
> conspiring to betray them, Snape retained a strong personal 
> affection for many of the DEs, and that when they got 
> themselves slaughtered by Aurors or shipped off to Azkaban, 
> it really *hurt* -- even (or, rather, *especially*) when it 
> happened due to the information he was secretly passing along 
> to Dumbledore.  It is terribly common for real-world spies 
> to engage in just this brand of cognitive dissonance.  One 
> might argue, in fact, that the ability to maintain such a 
> schismed perspective is the hallmark of a successful agent.

And I foolishly replied

> 
> > For instance, Elkins takes quite a different stance on 
> > Snape, which I, from my pro-Snape stand point, dislike but accept
> > as just as likely as my own.
> 

Hi, Elkins

You know, I realised before your reply that our takes are actually quite 
similar. ('which goes to show that the best of us must sometimes eat our 
words')

Your view of his still liking  (I wonder if it is in him really to like 
anyone?) his former DE companions is of course entirely consonant with my 
desire to see a consistent character throughout both DE and *reformed* stages 
of Snape's career.
I have long speculated on the nature of Snape's great personal sacrifice. It 
couldn't have been anything that Voldy deprived him of directly,or the spying 
game would have been up. It makes much more sense if it is this, the 
necessary betrayal of an individual or individuals for whom he still feels... 
I don't know...?a sense of allegience ...perhaps something more? It is quite 
possible that someone (family even) was in a position to doubt his loyalty 
and had to be eliminated. I don't wish to speculate too much further, for 
fear of becoming melodramatic! (Although,could we have the patricide theme 
appearing again?)

Regarding 'conversion', yes, I guess there's a sort of conversion of the 
mind, but inside, I think he's thoroughly conflicted, a kind of good/evil 
struggle going on that parallels what the series is about.

Susanna wrote

>.I ... just wanted to ask Elkins (was it you who wrote that in the first 
place?) about >the somewhat enigmatic statement that “Snape would be a flat 
character, in case >he had turned away from Voldemort because of a 
conversional experience”. Did I >get that right? And if I did, what did it 
mean? Or, to re-formulate: What could, in >your opinion, have caused Snape to 
change sides, if not an event or a series of >events that made him open his 
eyes? It might be a worn-out pattern, I agree on >that, but I don’t see many 
other possibilities. To assume that one fine day Snape >woke up and said to 
himself: “Well, today is my 3rd DE anniversary and what’s >enough is enough, 
so let’s change sides” doesn’t strike me as a particularly well- >motivated 
decision, from the psychological POV. 

My answer to this, if I may be permitted to butt in, is that it is all part 
of  the then very young  (from where I stand, anyhow) Snape trying to find 
his own path. 

Hypothesis: Young master Snape comes from Dark wizarding family, perhaps 
being already groomed to join DEs ( all those curses he knew), but is 
curious, intelligent and questioning by nature. At school, he questions his 
upbringing. Under Dumbledore's influence, he questions what the 'Light' side 
is all about. Perhaps he sees both sides and is conflicted about where he 
belongs, perhaps he has already intellectually decided for the light side, 
but Voldy makes him an offer he can't refuse (I have already speculated that 
this involves a degree of recognition that I feel canon suggests he craves 
but that in canon,at least, he doesn't get). Whatever, in those days you had 
to take sides and Snape, I feel, is a character who would regard sitting on 
the fence as cowardice. But he is young and how many of us at that age really 
know ourselves? So he gets involved with the DEs, but somehow it just isn't 
right, he knows it isn't for him. Now this is a pretty major mistake so what 
can he do? Integrity (I do think he has this) would demand that he changed 
sides, something that he has the courage to do.

Lots of young adults do take time to find their own path. For many people, it 
takes the form of experimenting with different religions, life styles or 
political stances. One of my husband's college friends was a radical 
left-winger and is now a staunch Conservative. I myself experimented with 
radically different forms of Christianity, belief and unbelief before finding 
what felt right for me (and I'm still conflicted!).

I don't think he needed his eyes opening, I think he went in to the DEs with 
his eyes fully open, but not yet knowing himself well enough to realise that 
was not where he belonged. His change of loyalty could be as well explained 
by a growing self-knowledge as by realisation of what he'd got into, 
something he surely knew from the start.

Eloise,  who is trying to stop talking about Snape, but finding it very 
difficult.

 






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