Occlumency: Relax or resist?

[cubfanbudwoman]

No: HPFGUIDX 117538


Carol wrote:
> > I think we know a great deal about how Occlumency works, and we 
> > can see when and why Harry fails or gets it right. Before the 
> > first lesson, Snape tells him what he needs to do--*not* relax 
> > but to *resist*--to protect his mind from intrusion as he did 
> > with the Imperius Curse (534). 
 
Mindy:  
> For around a year now, I have heard people say that Harry needed 
> to relax to learn Occlumency and it always bothered me.  I too got 
> the impression that Snape was telling Harry to focus on 
> resisting.  As he did with the Imperius Curse.  Harry had to clear 
> his mind to deflect that curse too.  Clear it in order to focus on 
> deflecting, really.  That does seem remarkably similar to what he 
> was supposed to do with Occlumency.  Stop letting emotion get in 
> the way and focus on resisting.  I thought Carol did quite a nice 
> job in using canon quotes to support this idea.  
<snip> 
> Here are some common complaints:  "Snape didn't tell Harry how he 
> was supposed to stop the Legilimency."  Well, I am not so sure 
> Lupid did that bang up of a job at first either.  He has Harry 
> practice without even a Boggart to start with.  Harry says the 
> incantation a few times and produces something that "looked like a 
> wisp of silver gas" (POA, Scholastic Hardcover pg 238).  From what 
> we now know of the Patronus Charm, that certainly doesn't seem 
> like Harry has mastered the defense.  Yet, Lupin then opened the 
> case and let the Boggart out.  When Harry inevitably fails, Lupin 
> says he didn't expect Harry to do it the first time anyway.  Snape 
> told Harry that the defense was similar to how he resisted the 
> Imperius Curse.  Probably not the most helpful information.  Yet, 
> is it really all that *less* helpful than Lupin's preparation?  
> Especially with Snape's follow-ups to focus, clear his mind, and 
> control his emotions, etc.
> 
> I guess I could go on, but I think I made my point.  I just don't 
> see how Harry was any better prepared to start learning the 
> Patronus Charm than he was to learn Occlumency. 
> Seems to me like the only difference was that Harry didn't *want* 
> to learn Occlumency.  
> Granted, another difference between the lessons is Harry's 
> differing feelings towards Snape and Lupin as people.  And Snape's 
> and Lupin's feelings towards Harry.
> 
> We saw Lupin teach the Patronus Charm by having Harry confront the 
> Boggart/Dementor.  We saw Snape attempt to teach Harry Occlumency 
> by confronting him with Legilimency.  BTW, we also saw Crouch!
> Moody teach Harry how to resist the Imperius Curse by confronting 
> him with Imperio.  There didn't seem to be any outrage or shock 
> from the faculty after that.  


SSSusan:
I think you've got some quite valid points here, especially on the 
relaxation vs. focusing issue and about how Crouch!Moody's approach 
wasn't so different from Snape's.  I'm sure there are others who 
will agree with you--and those who will disagree...vehemently. :-)

I was ready to say "But..." until you brought up the point that 
there is a [potentially big, imo] difference in that Harry WANTED to 
learn the patronus charm.  He sought Lupin out and asked for help.  
He never was given a fully satisfactory reason for why he *needed* 
to learn Occlumency, and unfortuantely I think that made a big 
difference, coupled w/ Harry's dislike/distrust of Snape.

But the one place I'd still argue there is a difference is that 
Lupin did at least do a bit of explaining about the *process* and 
what Harry was to *do*.  And practicing the spell a few times *was* 
important, imo.  It gave Harry a focus; it gave him a little 
confidence that he knew what approach to take.  Snape merely said to 
clear his mind and defend himself.  Huh?  I would argue that the 
first is difficult enough but the second would make no sense to 
Harry--how would the kid know how to do this?  Is there a spell?  Is 
there a certain kind of focus which is required?  I wouldn't even 
have minded Snape going at him full-force in the first lesson if 
he'd just told Harry *something* in these categories.  

OTOH you have a point that Snape did point out that it was similar 
to what Harry had done w/ Crouch!Moody and the Imperius.  I think 
that *was* valuable information which Harry would have done well to 
focus on.

I would say that Snape DID provide a nice intro, actually -- he gave 
info on what Occ. and Leg. *are* but not on their mechanisms.  He 
*did* say Harry could use any means to disarm him, so that was 
helpful.  But he didn't say what ways of "defending himself" might 
possibly work.  "[Dumbledore] wishes me to teach you HOW to close 
your mind to the Dark Lord" [emphasis mine].  So where's the HOW?

People often say, "What if there wasn't anything much specific to 
tell Harry?"  I just think that misses the point.  If there isn't 
much specific in the way of "doing Occlumency," then Snape could 
have told Harry *that*.  You know?  Say this: "Occlumency isn't 
something you learn from a book, Potter; you learn by doing.  Your 
job is to empty your mind as much as possible and to attempt to 
defend yourself."  And, okay, he did say much of this!  But he 
should have gone on and said, "You can try to do this by _____" and 
filled in the blank with a few examples.  Use of Protego?  Use of 
Expelliarmus?  Use of a new spell Harry was likely to be unfamiliar 
with?  Concentrating on a specific *kind* of thing?  

Snape at least knows what works for HIM; he could have mentioned a 
possibility or two.
 
Snape did some explication--I'll admit more of it than I realized 
before reading Mindy's comments & heading back to the chapter.  But 
when Harry *admitted* he was having trouble clearing his mind of all 
emotion, did Snape offer any suggestions?  No.  He merely said, 
*savagely*, "Then you will find yourself easy prey for the Dark 
Lord!"  How is this teaching Harry?  It's true information, but it's 
not teaching him anything.  

In short, the point that what Snape did and what Crouch!Moody did 
were quite similar is important.  But when Harry was surprised by C!
M's Imperius, he was *successful* at shaking it off.  When Harry was 
hit with Snape's Legilimens, he *wasn't* very successful at shaking 
it off.  Snape didn't recognize the difference as meaning they 
needed to stop and talk some more about the hows; he simply 
proceeded to get more & more annoyed with Harry, as if he should 
have known it all.

Siriusly Snapey Susan