[HPforGrownups] Re: Snape and respect

[Shaun Hately]

No: HPFGUIDX 51019

On 29 Jan 2003 at 21:38, Tom Wall thomasmwall at yahoo.co wrote:

> In other words, Harry gets enough preference. No
> need to extend it to Potions class too.

You know, I might have been able to accept the idea that Snape isn't just cruel or mean, 
except for one thing.

Let me explain.

I had teachers that were rather 'Snapish' in many ways. Some were quite cutting etc. I 
didn't like them, but I could respect them, because I knew that deep down they were 
trying to do what they felt was right. I don't believe they were necessarily right about that 
- but the beliefs seemed sincere. They were trying to do the right thing by the kids they 
taught.

And so, reading the HP books, I could give Snape the benefit of the doubt - I could 
conceive he might genuinely have the best interest of his students at heart, even if it 
wasn't apparent.

Then he lost me. Page 263 of Goblet of Fire (Australian printing). The incident with 
Hermione's teeth.

"'Malfoy got Hermione!' Ron said, 'Look!'

He forced Hermione to show Snape her teeth - she was doing her best to hide them with 
her hands, though this was difficult as they had now grown down past her collar. Pansy 
Parkinson and the other Slytherin girls were doubled up with silent giggles, pointing at 
Hermione from behind Snape's back.

Snape looked coldly at Hermione, then said, 'I see no difference.'

Hermione let out a whimper; her eyes filled with tears, she turned on her heel and ran, 
ran all the way up the corridor and out of sight."

That lost me. That was a totally blatant act of cruelty. Try as I might, I *cannot* find a 
justification for it. There could be no educational purpose to it. None whatsoever. The 
pause in which he looked at her, means it can't be dismissed as spur of the moment - it 
was deliberate cruelty.

I could to an extent understand it if it had been Harry - I might have been able to put that 
down to personal animus (which while disgusting if a teacher allows it to influence their 
relationship with a student is at least understandable), or to his need to 'maintain a 
cover'. But not with Hermione. I mean - even Ron seemed to think Snape would deal 
with this - he forced Hermione to show Snape what had happened. Ron knows what 
Snape is like - but he still expected this to be dealt with. Snape's response was a total 
betrayal of everything a teacher should be.

He didn't need to make a fuss. He could have handled it precisely the same way he did 
with Goyle's boils - a calm instruction to go to the hospital wing.

But he was a teacher facing a child with a medical issue. She was 'panic-stricken', had 
'let out a terrified cry.' While some things can be put down to teaching style, etc, there is 
only one acceptable response in that situation.

And Snape failed.

Absolutely and totally.

I personally think kids owe adults respect. I think pupils owe their teachers courtesy, and 
respect - I'm old fashioned in that regard. But Snape lost all that right at that point. 
Understand that - I think he lost something I more or less assume is a basic right. That's 
how revolted, I was by that incident.

I could accept everything else. But not that.

Yours Without Wax, Dreadnought
Shaun Hately |webpage: http://www.alphalink.com.au/~drednort/thelab.html
(ISTJ)       |email: drednort at alphalink.com.au | ICQ: 6898200
"You know the very powerful and the very stupid have one thing in
common. They don't alter their views to fit the facts. They alter
the facts to fit the views. Which can be uncomfortable if you happen
to be one of the facts that need altering." The Doctor - Doctor Who:
The Face of Evil | Where am I: Frankston, Victoria, Australia