OoP: I'll do it: In defense of James

[bibphile]

No: HPFGUIDX 62678

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Jenserai Bariman" 
<jenserai at h...> wrote:
> Darrin:
> >But her attitude towards Snape certainly changed. After he dropped
> >the "mudblood" on her, she insulted his underwear AND called him
> >Snivellus and said she wouldn't bother trying to help him any 
longer.
> >(I doubt that last one came true, since James made a point of 
keeping
> >his future spats with Snape away from her.)
> >
> >Perhaps Lily didn't fully get what Snape was about until he 
dropped
> >that "mudblood" on her.
> >
> 
> Me:
> IMHO he wanted to lash out and said the first hurtful thing that 
came to his 
> mind. She was especially stung because he hadn't ever showed signs 
of racism 
> before and retaliated.
> 
> -Jens

I can certainly buy this theory.  Snape was humiliated.  He hated 
that he needed anyone to come to his defense (expecially a 
Gryffindor) so he lashed out.  

Don't get me wrong, I don't think Snape was a sweet person.  I think 
he had a generally nasty personality.  However, I just don't see him 
as racist.  We've never seen him taunt anyone about their bloodlines 
before.  Of course, he could have changed since his time as a 
student.  But I think that if he'd expressed such views before Lily 
wouldn't have been surprised by his insult.

I know hatred of muggle-borns is part of DE philosophy, but I really 
thin Snape joined the DE more for power than for philosophy.

That said, Snape was dead wrong and I don't blame Lily one bit for 
her reaction.

bibphile