One last try (re: Parenting Harry (was: Re: I don't like him much))

[Renee]

No: HPFGUIDX 120279


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "dumbledore11214" 
<dumbledore11214 at y...> wrote:
> 
>
> Renee:
> 
> And this is probably where the miscommunication arises, because 
here 
> we're exchanging the level of the storyline, the history of what 
> happened to one Harry Potter, for the level of the narrative and 
the 
> techniques used to make the plot work and bring about the desired 
> effects. 
> 
> Alla:
> 
> Could you clarify, please?

Renee again:
What I was trying to say was, that discussing Snape as a character 
and discussing him als a plot device with a certain function in the 
story are two different things and can lead to very different 
assessments. If one poster talks about Snape's flaws as a person and 
criticises him for his behaviour and another poster is trying to 
assess his function in the narrative and values the role he's been 
assigned to play, they'll end up misunderstanding each other. When I 
read your exchange with Eloise, I thought I saw that happening.   

> Renee:
> snip.
> 
> In a way, Snape *is* the `bad parent', disguised as a teacher - 
just 
> as in many fairy-tales the `bad mother' (= every mother's 
necessary 
> unpleasant side) is disguised as the evil stepmother. 
> 
> 
> Alla:
> 
> Sure, I have NO problem, calling Snape "bad parent" with the 
emphasis 
> on "bad". This mixture of fairytale and more and more exploration 
of 
> real issues is another problem we  encounter in OOP analysis.

Renee again:
It seems to me this problem is related to the change in tone of 
OotP. Suddenly the right way to approach and analyse the series has 
become an issue as well, in addition to the analysis itself.