Snape's hero complex
kiricat2001
Zarleycat at aol.com
Sat Dec 4 14:01:00 UTC 2004
No: HPFGUIDX 119237
--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "curlyhornedsnorkack" wrote:
> If Snape is suffering from a hero complex, it could explain a lot of
> things about him: his pride, his thirst for recognition and respect,
> his actions towards Harry and the Marauders, why he joined and left
> the death eaters, his willingness to risk his life to fight
Voldemort,
> possibly why Dumbledore trusts him, and why he wasn't allowed to be
> DADA teacher. (I write "hero complex", a boring old cliche for
Harry's
> "problem", on purpose.)
>
> The following are some proofs of his works as a hero. When Snape
was a
> student, he worked to expose a werewolf, and to expell some school
> bullies at his own risk. In SS/PS, Snape is the only teacher who
works
> in the background to save Harry and the stone. In POA, Dumbledore
> relies on Snape to be in charge of searching for Sirius in the
> building. In the shrieking shack, Snape thinks he is saving Harry's
> life from Sirius. And of course, Snape has risked his life to spy on
> the Death Eaters. (The recent message 119077 mentions examples of
how
> Snape has been a force for good.)
Marianne:
Well, I have a few issues with these. Snape, as a kid wasn't working
to expose a werewolf - he wanted to know where Lupin went. In SS/PS,
other teachers were involved in putting in place the series of tests
that one had to pass through to get to the Stone. And, we also have
evidence that Snape had grave suspicions, if not actual knowledge,
about what was going on with Quirrel, but there's no evidence that he
went to DD to let him in on that. In POA, everyone was involved with
searhcing the building for Sirius.
No argument from me on the spy thing.
Curleyhornedsnorkack:
> I've always had a problem imagining Snape as a realistic character
> because I can't envisage how a grown man could have so much hatred
for
> a child, because of something that happened in the past, especially
a
> child orphaned before he even knew his father. I think the problem
is
> that something current is bothering Snape, and that is that Harry
is a
> rival Hero who is more successful.
<snippages >
But Harry has all the
> glory, almost from birth, for something for which he isn't really
> responsible. It't just not fair, and Snape hates it when people
don't
> play by the rules. The degree to which Snape seems to fixate on
> Harry's celebrity indicates to me that Harry's fame is what bothers
> him most.
Marianne:
There's something to be said for this. I think, if this is really
what motivates Snape, it shows a gigantic blind spot on his part
where Harry's concerned. Snape seems incapable of seeing beyond
Harry's celebrity. He reacts to the perception of "famous Harry
Potter" rather than to Harry the kid. Snape may very well thirst for
respect and acknowledgment of his gifts and what he has done in the
past towards defeating Voldemort. He may feel he has never received
due recognition. But, what he doesn't get is that Harry does not
react in the same way. Harry's encounters with Voldemort have been
things he's undertaken because he thinks he has to do them at the
time. He's not doing them to be famous or lauded or recognized or to
get an Order of Merlin. There may very well be a hero-thing going on
with both characters, but I think Harry is much more reluctant to see
his actions as achievements worthy of public praise.
Maybe what gets up Snape's nose is that he *does* recognize this
about Harry, but hates that, in comparison to himself, Harry's
motives are more self-less. Harry knows someone is in danger and he
reacts - he goes to save Ginny in CoS and Sirius in OoP. He may be
too impulsive in how he goes about it, but he does it because he
thinks it must be done. He doesn't seem to have the hunger for
recognition and respect Snape has.
Marianne
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