Positive image of James. Was: Re: Snape and Lupin's Character Arcs

[M.Clifford]

No: HPFGUIDX 119412


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "dumbledore11214" 
<dumbledore11214 at y...> wrote:
> 
>  Alla previously :
> James is not a historical figure for Harry, he is just his dad and 
> I  believe that he has a right to have good thoughts about him 
> until he finds about his faults on his own without someone who 
> is so bitter that cannot forgive dead man and therefore feels the 
> need to deprive his son of positive image of his father.<
>
Valky:
So true Alla. And I would say JKR would agree because she narrates 
sympathetically to Harry in his younger years, emphasising the faith 
Harry keeps in the words of Hagrid and Dumbledore that his parents 
were *both* admirable people.
At this point the reasons for Severus' enmity is unknown, and his 
directing it at Harry is uncalled for.
In OOtp Harry discovers for himself the flawed human side of his 
father and is able to empathise with the Potion Master's anger, at 
last. 
In the early years, to Harry, it appeared that SS bad feeling toward 
him was due to Snape having some warped idea of who Harry was 
without any rationality, Harry learned to live with this idea to a 
degree and became somewhat comfortable with an assertion Snape's 
mind would remain a mystery.
The revelation that Harry's father actually *was* arrogant in the 
literal sense, has changed that. Now, Harry has to come to terms 
with the fact that his torment in potions class was a legacy left 
him by someone he trusted deeply. AND he has to come to terms with a 
new misgiving he has about Snape. That he *can't see* that Harry is 
*different*. Before 'Worst Memory', Harry did *not know* he was 
different to his father. He comfortably assumed that his father's 
school persona was much a mirror image of his own, and so it is safe 
to say he assumed that Snapes anger at James was unfounded. Now that 
he knows he is clearly quite different, he can only wonder why Snape 
chooses to tar him with the same brush as a bully. And hate it, no 
doubt.


 
> Pippin:
> I don't see how anybody who remembered what James had 
> been like before seventh year could have had a positive image of 
> him. Even Sirius thinks he was an arrogant little berk. 

Valky:
And Lupin asserts Snape never wasted a chance to curse James, and 
that James shouldn't take *that* lying down.
For some reason many *do* have fond memories of James the Boy. He 
was considered to be more a larrikin/lark than anything else, by the 
teachers at the HogsHead in POA, which is good evidence to the 
argument that James taunting of Snape was making light of something 
that many people could relate to as fearful thing, such as Dark Arts.



Pippin:
I know you think that Snape joining the DE's proves he was a bad 
person all along and deserved whatever happened to him.
> 

Valky:
I hope you don't mind me jumping in here, Alla, but Pippin, Alla 
LOVES Snape. I have seen her show her claws in defence of him many 
times, so I really doubt you're right.


 
> Alla:
> 
> Oh? This is because of ONE scene? I certainly disagree. It will be 
> interesting to hear the testimony of some other people who knew 
James before his seventh year. Sirius thinks that he was a berk only 
when they talk about Snape.
>

Valky:
I just gave two other references to testimonies above, I am sure 
there will be more in book six too.