Manners (was Re: Snape and Harry)

[Wanda Sherratt]

No: HPFGUIDX 79941

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "melclaros" <melclaros at y...> 
wrote:
> Absolutely! The sad part is that as far as the lesson goes 
> is "Professor Snape, Harry". You know, I might be able to manage 
> Harry never apologising--or never thanking Snape for the various 
and 
> sundry services he has rendered. But I would just ONCE like DD or 
McG 
> or SOMEONE (besides that Hermione who rattles on so endlessly no 
one 
> even listens anymore) to say, "Look, next time *think* before you 
go 
> suspecting--or worse accusing--*anyone* of anything. You've been 
> wrong every time so far. What does that tell you?"
> This is an adult issue. Harry has had a lousy upbringing but I'll 
bet 
> dollars to donuts if he was taught NOTHING else he was taught to 
SHOW 
> respect. (Notice the word is SHOW, not FEEL.) Harry is certainly 
not 
> carrying this burden alone. But unless we're supposed to believe 
he's 
> completely stupid he should have at LEAST figured out that he 
should 
> ALWAYS call Snape "Sir".
> Actually I think he has--I adored that last little exchange 
between 
> them just as Minerva gets back from St.M.'s.  It showed growth on 
> both sides.
> 
> 
At least it was a break from his incessant lying.  I think even 
Snape was a bit impressed that Harry would just flat out "tell the 
truth and shame the Devil", as they say - I thought it was an 
improvement that he'd just tell Snape what he was about to do and 
then wait for the punishment instead of launching into another 
recitation of his wrongs.  As for the forms of address used in the 
book, there's a clear distinction between the way students talk 
among themselves and the way they have to talk to an authority 
figure.  When they're among equals, they speak of ALL the teachers 
in the less-respectful "last name only" style, whether they're good 
teachers or not.  McGonagall, Flitwick, Trelawney, Quirrell, etc.  
When they're with adults, they're expected to use the title, whether 
they're speaking directly to or indirectly about a teacher.  It gets 
a little hazier when we consider how adults address each other; for 
the most part, I think the formality is preserved in public.  
It's "Professor Snape" and "Professor McGonagall" when they meet at 
the end of OotP, with the students present.  Even when they don't 
like each other, they don't demean each other in front of the 
children: so Arthur speaks of 'Lucius Malfoy', and Lucius speaks 
of 'Arthur Weasley'.  Even face to face they use their given names, 
to at least preserve the appearance of politeness.  I think it's 
important, and it's a matter of maintaining standards of civility.  
There's no question of anyone "deserving" or "earning" their title; 
it's used because it would be barbaric not to.  Civilized people are 
obedient to the rules governing their society.  I think this is why 
Dumbledore keeps correcting Harry when he disses Snape; bringing up 
children properly involves civilizing them, and Harry has to learn 
that his opinion, about Snape or anyone else, is not the deciding 
factor in how he has to treat them.

Incidentally, I notice that Sirius refers to "Snape" and "Malfoy" 
throughout.  Does anyone else?  I think Lupin speaks of him 
as "Professor Snape", at least when he's counselling Harry to work 
hard at Occlumency.  This is one of the reasons why I never liked 
Sirius much; he seemed to me, with all his blokeyness and 
enthusiasm, to be reinforcing the part of Harry that needed to be 
disciplined.  He should have been reminding Harry of the proper way 
to address his teacher, not raising guffaws by demonstrating how he 
was such a pal and just one of the lads by talking the same way.

Wanda