Snape's Destiny/JKR quotes (or Snape-aholics and Siriophiles)

[arrowsmithbt]

No: HPFGUIDX 105443

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "curly_of_oster" <lkadlec at p...> wrote:
> 
> Me (Lisa): 
> Huh???  Clearly I have spent at least some time in a very different 
> HP fandom than you have. :-)  Seriously, though, in HP fandom I have 
> encountered just as many Snape fans who "like" him in exactly the 
> way you're describing "Siriophiles" liking Sirius as I have 
> Snape fans who find him a fascinating if deeply unpleasant 
> *character*.  And by the same token, I know of a number of fans of 
> Sirius who would never in a million years describe him as "cuddly."  
> Some of them don't even think he's a particularly nice person.
> 
> But not everybody does seem to "know" these things.  I have seen it 
> argued that Snape treats everyone equally, for example.  I've seen 
> it stated as fact that he has such a strong "moral code" that he 
> would save you even if he hates you (based entirely, as far as I 
> could see, on the counter-cursing the broom episode in PS/SS).  I've 
> seen it argued that his behavior in PoA has nothing to do with 
> nursing a grudge against Sirius, but was rather *all* about 
> protecting the students.
> 

Kneasy:
All true, but I was painting with a broad brush. Generalising in order
to make a point. For every character in the books there's a spectrum
of opinion, or more  accurately a bell curve - and what goes on at
the lower percentile points has to be seen to be believed sometimes.
Plus a number of posts are intended to be provocative; you know, "it's
quiet on the site, let's rattle somebody's cage; see if we can get a
lively thread going." Done it myself often enough. There's usually
somebody that'll bite if you dangle the right bait. Doesn't mean that
I'm committed to  the views expressed - just that I enjoy indoor
blood sports.

As for 'liking' Snape - my own view, and it's also an impression I get
from others, is that the word 'appreciate' is more apposite than 'like'.
Could be wrong though.

> Lisa:
> Personally, I agree that Snape is an interesting character, that he 
> adds a lot to the books, and that there is clearly more to him that 
> we have yet to learn.  However, I also think that wanting to know 
> about/thinking there is a back-story and motivation for certain 
> actions (say, his treatment of Harry and Neville, to use one of your 
> examples) is no more valid than theorizing that he's treating them 
> that way simply because he is a bitter, nasty man.

Kneasy:
Both opinions are valid, so far anyway. But theorising about motivation
is much more entertaining than taking him solely at face value and 
writing him off as a social or emotional failure and leaving it at that.
Ain't no fun there. Dunno  about you, but I'm constitutionally incapable
of accepting anything at face value, especially since JKR admits to 
*enjoying* throwing clues and red herrings into the pot. Never could
resist puzzles, and hers are particularly well disguised. Keeps the old
grey cells ticking over.