[HPforGrownups] Re: Snape's greasy hair, Snape's upbringing, Snape's summer holidays, Snape's pet gerbil....

[The Crashing Boar]

No: HPFGUIDX 74617


  From: Little lama 


  --- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Lady Macbeth" 
  <LadyMacbeth at S...> wrote:
  > Deb Said:
  > >>> Snape has greasy hair, and so did the man in the creepy store in
  > Knockturn Ally.  ... Maybe there is a meaning to the greasy hair, 
  other than just neglect.
  > Rowling has not mentioned anything about him that suggests he is
  > neglectful about his appearance in any other way, that I can think 
  of....

  > Lady Macbeth:
  > ... I sympathize with Snape's harassment about his "greasy hair" 
  because it's a problem I suffer with, and it has NOTHING to do with 
  not washing it.  <snip> whether he is a spy or not he exhibits signs of a great deal of 
  stress, and possibly also depression (walking the halls at night, 
  sudden mood shifts, explosive temper).
  > It's entirely possible that simply having less-than-healthy 
  lifestyles for most of his life can attribute to his hair's condition.

  Me:

  My pet theory is that greasy hair is for Snape what untidy, sticking-
  up-at-the-back hair is for Harry -  a magically induced 
  characteristic that some particularly powerful wizards are just born 
  with, which can't be controlled.  After all his hair must be 
  excessively greasy or JKR wouldn't keep referring to it constantly!  
  Maybe it can be temporarily tamed with a lot of trouble and expense 
  for special occasions, like Hermione's hair was for the Yule Ball, 
  but Snape's appearance is unimportant to him and he can't be 
  bothered.  (I think JKR has actually hinted at some self neglect on 
  his part, his yellowish teeth have been mentioned, but there could be 
  other causes for that too)<snip>>>
  ----

  Something occured to me reading this thread.  Snape has put a lot of effort into his appearance.  His walk and style of dressing are cultivated to intimidate and keep people at a distance, his way of talking and body language likewise.  We are getting our description of his faults from Harry's POV, which is highly predudiced.  However, Snape has physically got very close to Harry (and others), looming over them and getting his face close to them, but no one has ever suggested that he smells - either from some kind of body odour or any kind of masking scent.  Unattended greasy hair and teeth would generate an unpleasant smell, and I doubt that Harry & co. would fail to make comment to the fact.

  Before someone suggests he uses some magical means to mask any smell, if he took the effort to notice a problem and then do something about it, it would make as much sense to mask/fix the bad appearance of his hair and teeth instead.  Which leads me to think that the outward appearance of his hair and teeth are either being exaggerated by the adolescent students, there is little or nothing Snape can do to improve their appearance (like Harry's hair, which grows to his usual length and shagginess within 24 hours of being cut, as mentioned in PS), whether through innate magic or a result of the potions, or else they are another aspect of his carefully cultivated image (but don't ask me why he'd want them, I haven't got a clue!)
  I personally lean towards a combination of the first two.


  Dawn


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