Snape, the "Deeply Horrible Person"

[Jo Ann]

No: HPFGUIDX 94358

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "cubfanbudwoman" 
<susiequsie23 at s...> wrote:

> Jen wrote:
> > A: It's very hard to choose. It's fun to write about Snape 
because he's a deeply horrible person.  [JKR interview]

> > This seems like a *very* strong negative characterization to me. 
> > It also doesn't seem particulary consistent with the canon we 
have so far. Snape is presented as complex, bitter, angry, etc. But 
> > I've never seen his behavior as "deeply horrible" in the way of, 
> > say, LV's behavior.
> > 
> > Since we only know what JKR has given us so far, but she carries 
> > with her the full knowledge of each character's past and future 
> > actions, I tend to think of these interview comments as either 
> > subtle slip-ups or JKR subtly manipulating the way we see a 
> > character (for the future *Bang* value!).
> > 
> 
> Siriusly Snapey Susan:

> I keep thinking back to a report made [I believe in Newsweek] 
before 
> the SS movie came out, about how JKR had said some things to Alan 
> Rickman which no one else knew so far and which helped him in his 
> portrayal of Snape.  <SNIP> Yet, would most people 
> agree with me that Rickman's Snape has seemed *less* "deeply 
> horrible" than the written Snape?  I wonder what that means, then?

I recall someone mentioned another JKR interview (apologies, I can't 
remember the details of who/when) in which she was asked whether 
Snape might ever fall in love, and was puzzled by the question, 
asking why anyone would *want* to be loved by him.

This struck me as a terribly sad question to ask about anyone (even a 
fictional character.)  It also seemed to me exactly the kind of 
question that a teenage boy like Harry might ask--and, as well, 
didn't really answer the interviewer's question.  It was as though 
she was trying to avoid the issue of whether Snape is capable of 
loving someone, steering things back to how other people feel about 
*him.*

Now please bear with me from here on, because I'm finding it very 
difficult to express what I'm thinking in clear and concise terms...

Based on all of the preceding, I can't help but wonder whether JKR is 
intentionally biased against Snape, interpreting her own facts about 
him in the worst possible light, even where it might be possible to 
do otherwise--because she is writing the series entirely from Harry's 
POV, and Harry loathes Snape.  Would she be sabotaging her own 
ability to see through Harry's eyes, if she got too attached to a 
character that he hates?

Whether we're talking about one of us reading the books, or Alan 
Rickman trying to portray him in a movie, we're free to take any fact 
that JKR supplies us with and put whatever spin on it we want to.  
We're third parties, as neutral or as biased as we choose to be.  I 
realize I could absolutely be wrong, but I don't think that JKR 
herself really has that luxury.

So it seems to me entirely possible that JKR writes (or talks to 
Rickman) with the conviction that Snape is a horrible person, and 
because that fact is self-evident to her, she interprets her own 
words as supporting it...whereas that fact comes across as clear to 
some of us, but not to others, because for whatever reason we didn't 
pick up the "horrible" impression from the beginning.

On another tangent, I also wonder whether the phrase "deeply 
horrible" is in reference only to Snape's personality, or to his 
story as a whole...not only his thoughts and actions, but also 
perhaps the things that have happened to him?

Oh, and while I'm on the subject, a question.  There seems to be some 
debate as to just how ugly (or not) the man actually is--Mr. 
Rickman's influence aside--and I can't remember: has the word "ugly" 
ever actually been used canonically to describe Snape?  Maybe another 
instance of something JKR considers so self-evident she doesn't come 
right out and say it, thus leaving us all sorts of room for 
debate?  :)

Sorry for the ramble, I've been chewing over this stuff for some time 
now...

J. Spencer

...who likes Severus very much, and thinks he is trying hard to be a 
good guy, but has a sad feeling he may not have it in him.