What *is* the attraction - Slytherins? & Character interpretation

[kiricat2001]

No: HPFGUIDX 68061

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "jenny_ravenclaw" 
<meboriqua at a...> wrote:
> Okay.  I have been reading many posts written by people who just 
drool 
> over Draco, Lucius and Snape.  People think they're sexy!  People 
want 
> to marry Lucius! They might even want to run their fingers through 
> Snape's hair!  What is the deal with this?
> 
> I would really like to know why people find these three so 
attractive.  
> Is it their dark and dangerous ways?  The mystery?  Is it that 
Aryan 
> thing that is clearly going on with the Malfoys?  What *is* it?  
> 
> Give me some canon to back up why you find Draco so dreamy, Lucius 
so 
> lucious or Snape so sexy - things they've said, their behavior, 
body 
> language - anything, because I just don't get it.  Telling me movie 
> Draco is a cutie doesn't count; I want it straight from the books.
> 

Well, Jenny, I can't help you since I am not at all enamoured of any 
of those gentlemen.  I certainly wouldn't want to get up close and 
personal with any them. 

I appreciate Snape as a very interesting character. I don't like him, 
probably never will, but I'm glad he's around.  The two Malfoys 
aren't fleshed out enough for me to have any strong feelings for 
them, other than to view them as being painted as bad guys.

But, this leads me to another thought. Obviously, we've all read the 
books, and we have our favorite characters.  Some of us are so 
convinced of our favorites' essential appeal that we will excuse 
their questionable behavior, and roundly condemn the same behavior 
when we see it in those characters that we're not so fond of.  

There is also evidence that JKR has given in interviews that reflect 
on at least some of the characters and how she sees them.  I'm going 
to use Snape as an example.  In a 1999 interview JKR called him, and 
I quote, "a sadistic teacher."  

(Here's a link to that interview. http://www.quick-quote-quill.org/ )

We have had frequent discussions about Snape's teaching methods, 
whether they work, are they unfair to non-Slyths, etc.  People have 
proposed that Snape has to be pro-Slyth to keep his cover with the 
DEs.  Or, that by being mean, he's teaching a life lesson to students 
in how to deal with real life, which can be filled with unpleasant 
experiences or people.  Or that he's toughening up those weak kids. 
Or, that he really is a mean, rat bastard. 

And, that leads to my questions. Should an author's stated assessment 
of a charcter (or at least part of a character's make-up) dictate the 
reader's reponse to that character?  If the reader has a different 
interpretation to what the author has stated, is s/he willfully 
ignoring the author's intent to paint a character's personality in a 
certain way?  Or, if a sizable portion of the author's readers does 
not agree with the author's assessment of his/her own characters, 
does that mean the author hasn't written the character well enough to 
get the point across? 

Granted, we all respond to a work of fiction or a work of art in a 
way unique to ourselves.  We bring our own experiences to how we 
interpret a painting or a book. In the Potter books, I suspect that, 
once we've established feelings for the characters, pro or con, we 
will keep those initial feelings.  And, we will be more willing to 
forgive our favorites for their errors and mistakes, while crucifying 
those characters we dislike.

Marianne, just rambling away...