Authorial choices (was: Why ole Snapey is a vamp )

[jwcpgh]

No: HPFGUIDX 88257

<snip>
Pippin:
> > Still, one might think that  Snape would prefer to blame his  
> > upbringing rather than his nature. But what if he knew no reason 
> > to?   What if the "child-abuse" explanation for Snape's behavior 
is valid, but neither Snape himself nor any one else in the WW has 
> > any idea of it? 
<snip>

> Kneasy:
> You look for psychology; I look for plot threads -  the placement
> of characters in situations from which consequences arise.
> You may argue this is what you are doing; laying the psychological
> groundwork for character  development. Largely irrelevant, says I.
> Harry was placed at the Dursleys for a *plot*  reason -  protection
> against Voldy, not to highlight the differing effects mental trauma
> have had on himself and Snape. That, if it has occured at all, is 
a  very minor by-product and not essential to the plot. 
<snip>

Laura:

Reluctant as I am to disagree with the venerable Kneasy, I think 
he's trying to oppose two things that are not mutually 
inconsistent.  When an author creates a successful work of fiction, 
plot and character are inextricably intertwined.  The characters 
have to be convincing for the plot to work, and the plot can't make 
the characters act out of character, so to speak, or we won't 
believe in them.  If the author only wants to tell a story without 
creating convincing characters, you have something like "The Da 
Vinci Code"-fun story, not a realistic or interesting character in 
the whole thing, imho.  And I'm sure we could come up with examples 
of books in which the characters are fascinating but the plot 
doesn't take them anywhere.  

JKR uses both plot and character to great effect, I think.  Her 
characters always stay "in character" and by doing so advance the 
plot.  No way was Snape suddenly going to start listening to reason 
in the Shack-we'd never believe it, and the plot needed him not to.  
It might have been nice if Harry had accepted the need to be kept 
ignorant of some information concerning LV or the need to learn 
Occlumancy in OoP, but do 15 year olds forgive and forget?  Not 
likely, folks.  Sirius's death was sad and painful (to some of us, 
anyhow) but it was totally in character, and a direct result of 
behavior that was totally in character (leaving GP without DD's 
permission, that is).  Moaning Myrtle in CoS is another great 
example of a character whose behavior is an essential plot device.  
I'm sure we can come up with many more.

So I don't think Kneasy or Pippin is entirely wrong in his or her 
approach-it's a matter of taste and interest, I'd guess.  I really 
don't think, though, that JKR sees her characters as mere plot 
devices.  They are as real and important to her as they are to us-
she's not the only one who cried at Sirius's death.  Okay, Kneasy 
cheered, but...in our house, many tears were shed, and not just by 
the 15 year old girl.

Laura, who thinks that Snape is as much a vampire as he is a drag 
queen (think he knows "It's Raining Men"?)