Question for Snape Bashers

[huntergreen_3]

No: HPFGUIDX 102231

Shaun Hately wrote:

>>The point is that *within a particular school*, these practices are
often *not* seen as abusive. It doesn't matter much if they would
be in the outside world - that's not relevant to considering the
attitudes within the school. Snide comments from a teacher, cruel
comments from a teacher *are not* considered to be abuse - but
rather may be seen as a normal part of school life.
[snip]
*If* all the teachers were like Snape, things might actually be a
bit different - but it's the fact that he is one among many that
means he doesn't have a huge impact on the culture of the entire
school. They have lots of teachers who are 'odd' in some way.

So the fact that these children do not rebel against what is
happening isn't a sign that they are not independent - it's simply
a sign that what they are experiencing isn't, in their view,
serious enough to warrant rebellion.<<

HunterGreen (jumping into the thread a little late):
And that's just it, its accepted: Snape's sort of cruel sometimes, 
that's just the sort of person he is. I know every person who's gone 
through school (unless its an oddball private[US]/public[UK] school) 
has had at least one teacher who was a complete jerk. I went to a US 
public school in a liberal area, and there were still times when I 
heard teachers make 'not so nice' comments. (yes, that's not the same 
thing, but considering my background versus the school system in the 
WW its at about the same severity). I wasn't a thick-skinned person 
(especially in my teen years), but it never bothered me, because you 
consider the source. If someone known to be cruel says something 
cruel, then it doesn't have a lot of meaning, then does it? 
Its like how Harry feels in PoA after Lupin talks to him about 
sneaking to Hogsmeade. Snape might have been crueler, but Harry 
himself (in the narrative) says that Lupin made him feel far worse 
than anything Snape said. 
I just don't buy that Harry is being "abused" by Snape, he doesn't 
show any signs of it, it doesn't bother him. Neville on the other 
hand, you could make a case for, but that's because Neville is 
already weak and unsure of himself to start with. IMO, what his 
grandmother is doing to him is far worse than anything he has to 
endure from Snape. Snape may be making it worse, but in those terms, 
Neville is practically abused by McGonagal, he's certainly timid and 
scared in her class at times as well (and no one acuses her of being 
abusive).

>>When they felt things had gone too far - the students showed how
independent they were.

The students at Hogwarts don't rebel against Snape - because what
Snape does isn't really worthy of it.

*But* they do rebel against Umbridge - because she crosses the
line. She *does* violate the cultural beliefs of the school. And
that is what creates a reaction.<<

And I think that's the point Del was trying to make earlier in this 
thread. What Snape is doing is cruel, but you'd never see him force a 
student to cut open their own hand for six hours, nor would he ever 
consider using an unforgivable curse against a student. What Umbridge 
is doing reveals how Snape's 'horrors' are little more than "kid-
stuff". He's unfair, and I think that's what readers respond to more 
than anything else. The unfairness is not abusive(its not nice, but 
its not going to give anyone nightmares either), but that's what 
calls all this attention to Snape.  In the context of the Harry 
Potter world, what Snape is doing is not abusive (in order for his 
actions to be 'abusive', there have to be people who are abused... 
and despite all his cruelty, Harry/Ron/Hermione seem quite fine), 
even if we as outsiders don't understand it, doesn't make it abuse.