Tur-bans or Too-Much (was Re: Ask the Question)

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 84687

>I said: 
> > To begin with, I want to know what she [Rowling] meant by saying
(in answer to
> > why she made Quirrell rather than Snape the villain in SS/PS), "I 
> > know all about Snape and he'd never put on a turban." (Huh? Does 
> > that mean he'd never let another person manipulate his will by
> > getting literally or figuratively inside his head? If not, what the
> > heck does it mean?)
>

 Mschelle in Au said: 
> Well, the psychological implications of Quirrel's choice of headwear 
> are interesting, especially given turbans were popular with the 
> more 'mystical' set circa 19th century (AFAIK) such as mediums, and I 
> do wonder if JKR had that in mind when devising the character of 
> Quirrel who was a link (a medium if you will) between LV and life and 
> death.
> 
> However, I think JKR's comment above was more a general humorous 
> observation about Snape's aesthetic sensibilities in that Snape would 
> most likely think a turban (a) served no useful function and (b) was 
> self-indulgent posturing (harkening back to their use by mystics 
> within a western context and not a comment on those cultures where 
> such headwear has a different meaning). 
<snip>

Well, okay. But my point is that "Snape wouldn't wear a turban" is a
strange response to "Why did you make Quirrell the villain (in SS/PS)
instead of Snape?" I think she wanted to get around the question so we
wouldn't know whether Snape is a villain or not (he's clearly not THE
villain in SS or any of the five books we've read so far, but he's
still very mysterious and she seems to want it that way). But aside
from personal tastes in clothing (haberdashery), what does "Snape
wouldn't wear a turban" really mean? That Snape wouldn't allow
someone/something inside his head that necessitated the wearing of a
turban? I understand why she wouldn't just come out and say "because
Snape isn't a villain," but why not just say, "I needed an expendable
villain who won't reenter the story. Snape is a key character who
can't be eliminated from the plot"? The turban has nothing to do with
the question as far as I can see.

Carol, who thinks Rowling's answer was very Snapey (mysterious and
elusive)