Sympathy for the Devils ... Snape, James, etc.

[minetourjunkie]

No: HPFGUIDX 68387

Hey all, thought I'd weigh in on the a bit of character debate I've 
found facinating ...

I'm a bit behind on reading posts though, so apologies if you said 
some of this or I forget who to quote... also, I wrote this last 
night and then my computer crashed before I could post it ... arrgh.  
So I'm trying to remember things ... and trying not to repeat 
previous ideas, but it's so hard not to thrown in your two cents ...

First, Snape: Thoughts in Brief.

* Snape and Harry: Who's at fault?  No one.  No, I'm not wimping out 
and refusing to assign blame: I'm saying it's a human relationship.  
Blame isn't what it's all about.  Who spilled the milk?  Someone gets 
the blame.  Why don't these two people get along?  Not about blame.  
If it can be, it's not a very complex relationship, is it?  Ok, 
simple relationships can definately be boiled down, but I don't think 
this one is simple at all.

* Why do we like Snape (and I do): Well Alan Rickman, who I love, 
isn't really why.  I will admit to being introduced to the 
Potterverse through the first film and part of the draw for the film 
was Rickman's presence ... but the character is a seperate entity for 
me.  Besides, great actors play characters I don't like all the 
time.  But as for liking Snape, well, I find him interesting.  
Besides, sometimes you just like the "bad guy".  I mean, who doesn't 
love Darth Vader?

* Snape is Evil: No, I don't think he is.  Mean?  Petty?  Sulky? 
Unable to Let It Go?  You bet.  But does that mean he's Evil?  No.  
Even if he is on the Voldemort side, he isn't Evil (note the 
caps...).  I actually don't think he is on the side of the bad guys, 
and not because of Dumbledore either.  I agree with whoever said he 
hates Harry et al. but something happened to make him hate Voldemort 
more. 

James and the world's most famous grey undies:
The raging debate on whether or not teenage boys are mean: yes they 
are.  Should we condone it, no.  Does it happen, you bet.  Should we 
assume James and Sirius are terrible people because of that one 
pensive scene?  Heck no.  And I got bullied like mad in school.  
The "they're only 15" argument is totally valid here.  Not because 
being young excuses their behavior, but because this is but one piece 
of their lives.  We don't know what happens before or after this 
scene, a point which has already been discussed, so I won't.   And 
who among us wasn't an idiot in one way or another when we were 
younger?  Maybe not a bully, but are you the same person you were 
back then?  I know I'm not.  

Sirius:
I've posted my opinion on him - I love the guy and don't think his 
behavior is unjustifiable.  But I did want to point out a curiosity 
I'd noticed: in narrative, Sirius is "Black" in PoA and "Sirius" in 
the other two books.  A nice, subtle way for JRK to change Harry's 
relationship (and so ours) to him without ever really saying 
anything.  

(oh: someone mentioned a theory that lupin and sirius were 
together ... can anyone point me in the direction of that thread?  
I'd never thought of it, but am facinated to read the discussion...)

James and Lily:
Ok, I don't like to just hate an idea, but he forced her to marry 
him?  He gave her a love potion?  No, I'm with all the folks saying 
she loved him.  Again, one incident in a pensive does not an entire 
sketch of a relationship make.  The various reasons her opinion may 
have changed have been outlined by others, but change I'm sure they 
did.  Not everyone has love at first sight.

Le Summary:
What is my point of all this?  Well, anyone notice that a lot of us 
are reacting to the pensive just like Harry did?  Like it's some sort 
of evidence that James was only a git and Lily didn't really love 
him?  

And what I'd tell Harry is what I'll tell you all now: nobody's 
perfect.  See, when people die, especially in a case like Harry's 
where he's never met his parents, they can get diefyied.  James sure 
has: the end of GoF has a lot about Harry trying to live up to his 
perfect father.  Does being a bit of a git when you were 15 make you 
Evil?  No.  It's actually surprised me how many people want to write 
James off after that scene.  

JKR is making people here.  And none of us are perfect.  Heck, I'm 
glad she gave James flaws like this: otherwise he'd have been a goody 
two shoes who I wouldn't have liked all that much.  And that's why I 
like Snape too: he's intelligent and mysterious, two things that make 
me infinately curious about what he's doing.  Someone (sorry I forget 
who) pointed out that there's a lot of hate heading Snape's way but 
everyone loves Hagrid and that person didn't know why.  I agree: 
Hagrid's a lovely guy, but that's it.  He's a Big, Lovable, Guy.  And 
I couldn't care less about reading about him.  (Wait!  Save the hate: 
I do *like* Hagrid.  I'm just not interested by him anymore.  Like 
Harry, noticing he's not really a great teacher, we're growing beyond 
him.  It's loyalty that's left.)  Someone else pointed out that we're 
all ready to defend Snape but not Umbridge.  Well, Umbridge is much 
more 1D, isn't she?  Plus, man, she's annoying.  Hem hem!  We aren't 
given any reason why she may be the way she is.  With Snape, we are 
asked to at least question it.

So, I'm glad James and Sirius aren't Good.  And I'm glad Snape isn't 
Evil (oh come on, even if you hate him, you felt bad for him in that 
pensive scene)  I'm glad JKR is making things difficult for us.  
There's nothing I love more than some grey areas.  Which I guess is 
why I find the discussion facinating: a lot of people seem to feel 
they should come down on one side or the other.  Why?  Why can't 
James have been a git who did good things?  Why can't Snape as well?

To me, this book - nay, series - is about growning up.  And part of 
growing up is realizing that adults aren't either perfect or evil.  
Harry's realizing that about not only Snape and James, but 
Dumbledore, Hagrid, Sirius, everyone.  The good guys make mistakes, 
the mean guys do things right (Snape I mean).  A World of Grey folks.

Cheers,
Sarah
- who, coincidentially, began an Alan Rickman-fest in her living room 
before that discussion had started; last night: Dogma.  
"I am the Metatron!"