Snape and purity of blood

[M.Clifford]

No: HPFGUIDX 71581

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Echa Schneider 
<echa_schneider at m...> wrote:
> 
> On Tuesday, July 15, 2003, at 05:31 AM, T.M. Sommers wrote:
> 
> > Here is my take on Snape:
> > He was a typical Slytherin, and shared Malfoy's and Riddle's
> > views on bloodlines.  He joined the DE because he agreed with
> > their program of restricting magic to 'purebloods'.  However, he
> > has some scruples.  He had no problem with tormenting muggles and
> > muggle-borns, but he objected on principle to killing.

I think this is quite close to the mark TM. I agree with your not-
neutral!but-disciplined!Snape POV. I suspect that Snape does harbour 
sensitivity. I think the "heart on the sleeve comment" in OOtP is 
cannon in support of it. In a small way I differ because I believe 
the discipline was learned in his adult life. Meaning, I think he may 
have been less cocky than other Slytherin in his youth and more 
senesitive but, perhaps did, once, manage to justify torture of 
muggle-borns to himself in some way. I agree that he most probably 
didn't enact any of it himself, though. 

> 
> Snape, while a despicable human being, has never, to my 
recollection, shown any sign of being a racist. Purity of blood, in 
fact, seems rather unimportant to him - look at his treatment of 
Neville.
If anyone can provide any examples of Snape implying that he believes 
purebloods are superior, I would be interested to see it. It's 
possible that I overlooked it.
> 
> Echa

Indeed Edna,
Apart from the *perhaps* 'fleeting' indiscretion against Lily in the 
pensieve when Snape was a young man, there has been no direct 
implication of prejudice against blood by Snape in the books, as I 
recall it. 
I read into it that he must maintain a professionalism a a teacher, 
as well. So I can not say for sure that he has no prejudice existing 
in him as an adult.

Valky