Snape's Destiny/JKR quotes

[lifeavantgarde]

No: HPFGUIDX 105157

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> > > Stefanie writes: 
> > > YAY! Someone as interview-nuts as me! I did the same thing 
> with  both  Snape and Lupin to try and glean evidence of a not 
> ese!Lupin Xo) <<

> Pippin:
> Of course I also have an archive of Lupin quotes. <veg> 
> 
> > Stefanie:
> > 
> > > I gleaned from this (and I know "Snapeguements" go on for 
> pages and pages in this group) the very exact quote "this 
> particular teacher does abuse his power" -- I think in this JKR 
> basically denotes Snape's teaching method's as cruel. He's not 
> trying to mould young minds in a tough manner...he's abusing 
> power. The end.<
> 
> Pippin:
> 
> Why is that the end? I agree JKR wants it understood that Snape 
> is a cruel and abusive person. Okay, but does that have to mean 
> he can't be loyal to Dumbledore? 
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Stefanie:
I don't think this quote can be used as a pull either way as to 
Snape's loyalty. I simply was using it to illustrate JK's concrete 
belief that Snape's teaching methods aren't "tough love." They're an 
abuse of power and an abuse of the students.

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> Pippin:
> I suppose the question is, if he's against Voldemort's abuse of 
> power, why doesn't Snape do more to keep his own behavior 
> within acceptable bounds? But the thing is, there's nothing in his 
> environment to tell him his behavior isn't acceptable. McGonagall 
> also uses intimidation and verbal abuse ("abysmally foolish") 
> and inspires terror in some. Despite her reputation for fairness, 
> she clearly does favor her own House.
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Stefanie:
Problem is, this "abysmally foolish" quote was used only towards 
Gryffindors (as it was pertaining to "Which person, which abysmally 
foolish person wrote down this week's passwords and left them lying 
around?" in PoA) There's no sign of House favoring there. Also, in 
this situation, it *is* fair for her to say this -- aaand doesn't 
reflect on her behavior in a classroom as this is not in a teaching 
situation. In this situation, Hogwarts is obviously in danger of 
penetration as there has already been an attack on the Fat Lady. 
Leaving a list of passwords around *was not* smart (McGonagall 
doesn't know that Crookshanks filched the list from what Neville 
thought was a safe place). And in further defense, it appears that a 
student almost got knifed by a then-notorius murderer. A bit of a 
stressful situation, no?

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> Pippin:
> Whatever his faults in our eyes  or in the eyes of his creator, 
> Snape has the respect of his colleagues, the confidence of his 
> boss, and the honor of leading Slytherin House. 
-------------------

Stefanie:
Again, while I want to take Dumbledore's trust as gold, there have 
been situations where he hasn't placed his trust in the right person 
at all. While this very well may not be the case in Snape's case, it 
cannot be dismissed as invalid in his situation. Even in interviews, 
JKR has only confirmed that "Dumbledore believes his story." Not 
that it's true or not.

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> Pippin:
> He's not popular 
> with non-Slytherin students and the feeling is mutual, but it's 
> clear from Phineas's attitude that neither popularity nor an 
> affection for students is  required of the Hogwarts staff. So I 
don't 
> really see that Snape would be tempted to rejoin Voldemort 
> because he can't control himself. He can--just not to our 
> standards, which are not being imposed on him.
-----------------

Stefanie:
Again, I don't use his teaching methods as reasons for his possible 
untrustworthiness...I have other things for that ;o)

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> > Stefanie:
> > > Another quote that had me staring at the screen with one 
> eyebrow  raised! "deeply horrible"? "DEEPLY"? Not a light word 
> to use. 
> Now I do believe, as JKR has stated, that Snape is a complex 
> character...One really can't argue that at all, but as to the 
> nature of his complexity? Is it really all that benign?
> > 
> > "K":
> > I really wish she wouldn't have said that. ;-) Deeply horrible. 
> What  more can she say? She still hasn't called him evil so I'm 
> hanging  onto the hope that he isn't. Not that I think she would 
tell 
> us at  this point if he were.
> > 
> > Stefanie: 
> > > Erm...Putting Snape into the category of Gilderoy Lockhart 
> and the  Dursleys? What company!
> > 

> Pippin
> IMO, this is the classic magician's trick of misdirection. Of 
course 
> JKR wants us to keep our eye on Snape and shudder about how 
> horrible he is--because Lupin doesn't bear close inspection at 
> all, at all. 
-------------------------

Stefanie:
On the contrary. If there's anyone out there who, after reading all 
five books, believes that any character doesn't deserve careful 
scrutinization, I'd be prepared to say that they didn't read 
carefully at all.

Of course Lupin deserves a close look and I have read your posts on 
the matter.

In the same vein, Snape's friendliness with Lucius Malfoy bears 
close watching; Karkaroff's being enlightened about his double-agent 
status bears close watching; his being at Hogwarts for 14 years and 
not being chastised (as far as we know) for his "abusing his power" 
(JK's words!) [IMO, a point towards him being harbored at "safe" 
Hogwarts after being exposed as a spy] bears close watching.

JK's been anything but lucid in regards to Snape...that she doesn't 
comment concretely on his loyalties, *does* bear scrutinization.