Unreliable narrator (Was: Snape's stalling)

[nkafkafi]

No: HPFGUIDX 117487



> Pippin:
> Perhaps we should also distinguish between the character's 
> words and actions, and the reader's perception of those words 
> and actions. 
> 
> It seems to me that what I shall call Fanon!Lupin is as much the 
> product of reader speculation, conjecture and outright disregard 
> of canon as that admittedly noncanonical beast Fanon!Draco.
> 
> By Fanon!Lupin, I mean the adorable werewolf cub, who 
> <snip list> 
> Whereas canon Lupin: <snip a longer list> 
> I realize it's very unconventional to make a sympathetic character 
> the villain, especially in what some of us think of as a children's 
> book. In that sense, considering Lupin as a potential villain 
> requires a subversive reading. But JKR has said all along that 
> her bad guys are not conventional black hats.

Neri:

At the risk of repeating my repetitions of myself, I must maintain 
that my analysis of the night of the MoM battle raises at least as 
much suspicion against Snape. And I didn't even use Snape's words 
against him, as you did with Lupin. All the suspicions I raised 
regarding Snape's actions during that night are based on hard canon 
or, at the very least, DD's words (like "Snape realized you saw 
Voldemort holding Sirius in the DoM"), words that DD say while 
*defending* Snape. The suspicions I raised against Snape are not 
based on any "unreliable narrator", since they don't follow Harry's 
suspicions (which the narrator tells us are only backlash of Harry's 
own guilt feelings) but instead uncover canon facts that Harry didn't 
notice. And, needless to say, these suspicions do not fit with Fanon!
Snape, which seems to have more fans (in HPfGU at least) than Fanon!
Lupin and Fanon!Draco together. And still, although it were several 
months since we analyzed Snape's actions and timeline during that 
night, no one has based an ESE!Snape theory on it. 

So basically, what you have against Lupin is a list of disturbing 
suspicions, similar to the list of disturbing suspicions I raised 
against Snape. Most items in both these lists can be explained as 
honest mistakes of the character or as mistakes of JKR or with all 
kinds of speculative excuses and fanfiction, but in the end the 
question whether you would believe such ESE theories comes down to 
simple trust: do you trust this character or don't you.

Neri