Why Snape doesn't have to be human

[melclaros]

No: HPFGUIDX 107563

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "pippin_999" <foxmoth at q...> 
wrote:
> Jim Ferer stated in a recent post that Snape is an example of 
> someone with social phobia. I agree with this, but I think the 
> social phobia stems from a basic  lack of empathy. It would be 
> hard to function in a social situation if you couldn't pick up on 
> what other people were feeling. Snape reveals this in OOP:
> 
>  "Well then, you'll know [Harry']'s so arrogant that criticism 
simply 
> bounces off him" --OOP ch  24. If this is a sincere statement, 
> then Snape is unaware of the effect his criticisms have on Harry.



Preface:
Snape is NOT A VERY NICE PERSON. What follows is NOT an apology or 
excuse for anything he might have said or might say in future.

However,
>  "Well then, you'll know [Harry']'s so arrogant that criticism 
simply bounces off him" --OOP ch  24.

The way I read it is a purely sarcastic comment along the lines of 
many, many other sarcastic comments Snape has made. The lines about 
Harry's head not being allowed in Hogsmead for instance, and his 
entire conversation with Umbridge when she demanded veritiserum.

Snape, from what we've seen has little or no problem getting along 
with his fellow staff. In fact, in PS/SS, Quirrel states that "he 
made himself unpopular" when demanding to referee the Quidditch 
match. It stands to reason that one has to have *some* 'popularity' 
in 
order to lose same. 
He's certainly popular when he  makes his 1st appearance at 12 
Grimmaud in OoP.
You don't have to be nice, or even well-liked to be popular, look at 
Martha Stewart.


> 
> If you think the mystery is *why* Snape has so little empathy for 
> Harry, and that the solution to Harry's Snape problems is for 
> Snape to become more empathetic,  then making him  
> non-human is a cop-out, and I can see why people would find it 
> disappointing.


Making Snape non-human would be a cop out for ANY reason. (Including 
the 'he's not really dead' at the end for those who don't want to 
deal with THAT distinct possibility.) He's so beautifully complex 
that throwing in, "oops, non-human!" would have thousands of readers 
hurling their books back at Ms. Rowling.



> 
> Non-human origin would then simply be an elegant way of 
> stating that Snape was born  the way he is, and there isn't much 
> Harry can do about it.


And for the life of me I don't see why it's necessary to have an 
excuse. He's he way he is because that's how he is. Yes, there have 
been events that have shaped him and made him worse or better than 
he was the day he was born, and I personally would be interested in 
reading his full biography. But it has NOTHING to do with this 
story. The day we stepped into the story, Snape was Snape as we see 
him. Basically, Harry (along with the readership) just has to DEAL 
WITH IT.


> 
> I think that this bears very deeply on JKR's thinking about 
bigotry 
> and prejudice. It is always easier to empathize with 
> people who are like us.


Snape IS like us. Well, ok, I shouldn't speak for all of us but none 
of us are perfect are we? I don't think there's anyone here who 
doesn't posess a single trait that someone else wouldn't dearly love 
to change. Why the hell can't Severus Snape just be a flawed 
character--a delightfully nasty flawed character--and get on with 
it? JKRowling seems to have no problem with that approach so far.


Melpomene