OOP - Greasy haired odd kids

[dragonelle01]

No: HPFGUIDX 65936

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "fuzzywuzzybird" 
<peter.ravenhall at n...> wrote:
> I have to comment on an earlier post by 'kelly' about Snape's hair 
> (People's hair! It amuses and reminds me of an extensive post I 
read 
> once on a Buffy the Vamp Slayer message board!)
> 
> I also think it's a self-image problem going on with Snape. This is 
> because:
> 
> -It would be much too corny for him to be a Vampire.
> 
> -being pale complexioned with dark hair doesn't mean you have a 
> disease.
> 
> -Not all wizards can be Animagi in Rowling's world, surely? (But 
I'd 
> bet Snape would be a crow or raven if he was one - the long nose/ 
> oily/ dark features and all the flitting and swooping about. Hmm - 
> Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds anyone?)
> 
> -It's not difficult to wash your hair...

I agree with most everything you said, but especially had to pitch my 
voice in on the hair issue because the whole greasy hair image 
doesn't fit with my understanding of the grown-up Snape.  I can 
understand having greasy hair as a teenager, between hormones and 
everything else-- but Snape's in his mid-thirties, and I find it hard 
to believe that he doesn't know better / care enough about how others 
perceive him to bother with a little shampoo.  We have evidence that 
he's worked on other aspects of his appearance since graduating 
Hogwarts, since he no longer walks around stoop-shouldered (and his 
gait seems to have improved as well).  So what gives?

To be fair, I can think of a few reasons why Rowling would want to 
portray Snape as greasy-haired: 1) to associate him with a lower 
class (bad hygiene = lower socioeconomic status); 2) as a metaphor 
for his underdeveloped emotional capacity (greasy hair = emotional 
adolescence); 3) just to make him disgusting and unsympathetic 
towards her readers (who hasn't ostracized someone because of their 
lack of personal hygiene?) But is that fair to the character of 
Snape?  I just find the greasiness unbelievable, considering how 
sensitive Snape is to criticism/anything that would challenge his 
sense of authority.

On the other hand, the greasy hair could be a hint for future books, 
for all I know.  Maybe Voldy turns out to have his HQ in a fry 
kitchen, and Snape's greasiness will be the clue that gives him away 
as an unrepentant DE =)

Tracey