What if other teachers behaved like Snape?

arrowsmithbt arrowsmithbt at btconnect.com
Mon Jun 14 11:55:29 UTC 2004


No: HPFGUIDX 101183

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "darrin_burnett" <bard7696 at a...> wrote:
> 
> Funny, I have yet to see Snape save Harry's life, at least on his 
> own. He held off Quirrell's curse for Hermione, but Snape did nothing 
> to save Harry in PoA. Harry was in no danger.
> 
>

Kneasy:
At least three other posters have tackled you on this one. Good. That'll 
help postpone  RSI a bit longer.
 
> > Snape *punishes* 
> Harry? Some scathing comments, usually, (though not
> > always) when Harry has done something particularly brainless, or 
> marks docked; marks, by the way that don't matter. How many exams has 
> Harry  failed? Zero. None. And the OWLS (which do  matter) are marked 
> by external examiners and everybody knows it. How many detentions has
> > Snape given Harry in 5 years? Care to guess? Wow! That really is 
> some expression of hate! Snape is much more complex than a seething
> > cauldron of Potter-ophobia. He's not nice (thank God) but he is
> > interesting.
 
> darrin:
> I'm glad you thank God for not nice people. Gives me a pretty good 
> perspective on what I'm dealing with here.
> 
>
 
Kneasy:
Splendid! A confirmed sighting of someone confusing fantasy with
reality! I'll paraphrase DD "Kneasy is much too old and clever to allow
such feeble taunts to hurt him." Get real. Some of us have seen real evil, 
real prejudice, real fanaticism and we don't confuse it with fantasy. 

 
>darrin: 
> Ohmygod. Where to begin.
> 
> * Attempted murder of Harry with the Dementor prank in PoA.
> 
> * Repeated attempts to get Hagrid fired.
> 
> * Attempts to maim Harry before Quidditch matches
> 

Kneasy:
Attempted murder? A couple of teenagers in a sheet?
That's attempted murder? That's a novel interpretation.

Getting Hagrid fired - it's not only  Slyths that think he's no good,
some of the students from other Houses do too. Does that make 
them evil as well?

Attempts to maim Harry - don't  recall those. Be a bit more specific
and I'll address your points.

> darrin: 
> Sure, we need villains. It just seems more useful to consider them 
> villains, rather than picked on ickle wittle good boys and girls who 
> are just trying to survive the nasty Gryffs.
> 
>

Kneasy: 
Not something I've ever done; pointing out that Harry and his little 
chums aren't as perfect as some posters would hope by comparing
behaviour between Houses does not equate to blameless Slyths, no
matter that some  would wish to believe that it's the point at issue. 
But carry on interpreting posts that  way if you wish, it's vastly 
entertaining. 
  
> darrin: 
> Lack of proportion? Hmmm, you took the words right out of my mouth 
> when you posted about how bullied the Slyths are. And stick around on 
> the list. You'll see plenty of whining.
> 

Kneasy:
Bullied Slyths? Not my point at all, as you probably realise, but see little
advantage in admitting. It's an old tactic for those with a dodgy case to try
and polarise opinions to the extremes, hoping to provoke an equally
unbalanced response that can then be jumped on. Rarely works for long 
though, especially when dealing with characters that aren't presented in
clear black and white but in varying shades of grey.
  
Sorry that you feel that you have to whine to get your case across. 
A reasonable, balanced presentation of your  case would be preferable, 
but obviously you know best how to advance your arguments.





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