JKR's description of Snape

[adamjmarcantel]

No: HPFGUIDX 70063

Here is another direction to take the Snape discussion (oh yeah, 
they will keep going if I have anything to do with it!): JKR 
describes Snape as a "sadistic and cruel teacher who abuses his 
power."  Putting aside your own personal feelings on Snape (love 
him, hate him, indifferent), do you think JKR does a good job of 
developing Snape as "sadistic and cruel?"  The only reason I bring 
this up is because apparently everybody but me has read this 
interview (I only started reading the series a month and a half 
ago...I know, I'm fashionably late) and yet we all seem to have 
different takes on Snape's character.  I purposefully left out 
the "abuses his power" part because there really is little 
disagreement about that.  Ok, so -- Snape as sadistic and 
cruel: "well done JKR!", "E for Effort", or "I don't see it"  My 
vote: E for effort.  Now that I know she was going for sadistic and 
cruel, I can somewhat see it.  But I think there is way too much 
gray area and semi-justification for Snape's attitudes (not 
necessarily his actions) to say that she has done a good job to this 
point in making Snape sadistic and cruel.  She proves that she can 
make someone sadistic and cruel (Umbitch), so I don't see why she 
couldn't have done something similar with Snape.  Ok, now it is your 
turn.  I'm curious to see where this discussion (if anyone cares) 
will lead.

Adam, who hopes he is not going to be burned at the stake as a 
blasphemer for criticizing JKR