Snape and respect

[marinafrants <rusalka@ix.netcom.com>]

No: HPFGUIDX 51034

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "pippin_999 <foxmoth at q...>" 
<foxmoth at q...> wrote:
> --- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Shaun Hately" 
> <drednort at a...> wrote:
> You know, I might have been able to accept the idea that Snape 
> isn't just cruel or mean, except for one thing.
> <snip>
> > Then he lost me. Page 263 of Goblet of Fire (Australian 
> printing). The incident with Hermione's teeth.
> >
> 
> I agree the incident is revolting, if you think of Snape as the 
> teacher of a  a fourteen-year-old school girl. But Hermione made 
> herself something else when she followed Harry past the 
> Trapdoor in Book One. Hermione is a fourteen year old soldier.  
> 
> She shouldn't have to be. But she is...and if something like that 
> happens when she's facing an adult Death Eater, she'll die while 
> she's covering her teeth and snivelling.  What Snape did was 
> cruel--but if it saves her life, it will be worth it. 

I'm sure that's the rationalization Snape would give if some 
confronted him about this.  But he'd be lying through his teeth (or 
maybe just deluding himself, I'm not sure).  His cruelty did 
absolutely nothing to enhance Hermione's ability to keep her head in 
a crisis.  Nada, zilch, zip.  She did not come out of that 
experience calmer, braver or more confident, nor should anyone have 
expected it of her.  Cruel treatment at the hands of adult authority 
figures does not make children tougher and more competent, not 
matter how much cruel adults in question might like to justify 
themselves that way.

> 
> Most people in the wizarding world treat Harry, and probably 
> Neville, too, with kid gloves. If Snape weren't harsh with them, 
> they would probably think that every adult in the wizarding world 
> was their friend. 

I don't see most adults in the wizarding world treating Harry with 
kid gloves.  Molly Weasley, maybe, but that's it.  McGonagall, who 
favors him more than most other teachers, still thinks nothing of 
docking him fifty points and sending him on detention to the 
Forbidden Forest.  Trelawney fortells his doom on a regular basis.  
Lupin guilt-trips him to hell and back for his outing to Hogsmeade.  
Dumbledore sets him up for confrontations with Voldemort.  And 
that's not even counting how the villains treat him.  Nor does Harry 
have any trouble recognizing that people like Lucius Malfoy, 
Gilderoy Lockhart and Reeta Skeeter aren't his friends.  Do you 
really think that if Snape hadn't been mean to him, Harry would be 
falling into their arms?

Nor have I noticed anyone treating Neville with kid gloves, either.  
His grandmother intimidates him, his uncle dangles him out the 
window, McGonagall is quite harsh with him when he loses his 
password list in PoA.  I really don't think he'd be in any danger of 
becoming too trusting if Snape actually treated him like a human  
being.

> So I think Snape is just as harsh as he appears to be, but not 
> without purpose.
> 
> Pippin

I think Snape's "purpose" is really just an excuse.  He's harsh 
because he likes being harsh.

Marina
rusalka at ix.netcom.com