Snuffing Out Snape (Re: Snape, the "Deeply Horrible Person")

[melclaros]

No: HPFGUIDX 94461

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Jen Reese" <stevejjen at e...> 
wrote:
 
> 
> Jen: For Snape to be redeemed in the end, he needs to be dead. I 
> can't even tell you why I feel this way. I don't hate the 
character--
> he's an interesting read, and has played an important role in 
> Harry's life and magical development, if not a particularly 
> *pleasant* role.
> 
> Does anyone else feel this way and if so, please explain it to 
me?!?


I don't totally agree but understand and I think I might be able to 
explain it this way: to my thinking, as I've said here ad-nauseum, 
what is driving Snape is less the good-against-evil fight than some 
terrible, driving, deeply personal motive. He's doing the "right 
thing" certainly, but for what reason? For JKR to pull a fast one on 
us this late in the game and say "whoopsie, he's ESE! and has been 
all along," would be completely out-of-line with the way she's so 
carefully set up her story arc so far. Not to mention it would be 
not only a profound disappointment to fans but a cop-out as a 
writing device.
What I think you might be sensing is that this motive of Snape's, 
whatever it is, is so powerful and so all-consuming, that once he 
has obtained his goal he may very well find that he has nothing left 
to live for.
That is my fear for Snape now--a fate worse than death, indeed.

Mel