Quesiton for Snapeophiles and -phobes RE Dumbledore, Snape, and Harry

[frugalarugala]

No: HPFGUIDX 114593


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Nora Renka" <nrenka at y...> 
wrote:
> I've plugged before the concept of the Ordinary Vices, and I think 
> Snape falls into that category nicely.  
   <space-snip>
> Snape's behavior makes us ask the questions: "How should people 
treat 
> each other on a daily basis?  What about cruelty that doesn't 
involve 
> anything so radical as torture?  How do we all get along, dammit?"
> 
> These are, of course, the base problems that occur *within* a 
liberal 
> society, and Dumbledore, as the leader of the little society within 
> Hogwarts, has the responsibility of trying to balance all personal 
> claims.

Which brings up the ever-nagging question why *does* Dumbledore 
tolerate this behavior. Does tolerating Snape's petty nastiness show 
us that such behavior is exceptable in the Wizarding World, or is it 
another example of Dumbledore's own tolerance? 

I've never bought the "Snape-is-TRAINING-Harry-to-function-under-
stress/toughen-him-up/whatever" theories; I think Snape is just being 
petty and self-indulgent. But unfortunately I can see Dumbledore 
thinking of Snape's behavior as a way of exposing Harry to the 'nasty 
side of tolerance'--after all, the werewolf, half-giant, centaur, 
etc. have all been personable, making tolerance of them easy. I 
really don't think Snape's behavior is supose to be seen as good, by 
any means, but I do think it hasn't reached to point (in Wizarding 
World context) that is should no longer be tolerated. 

Perhaps there's a difference between tolerance and intolerance. What 
I mean is, it's easy for us (and Harry?) to empathize with Lupin and 
hate the intolerance toward werewolves. But does likeing Lupin make 
us (and Harry?) tolerant? Or intolerant of the intolerance-towards-
werewolves? If Harry had been presented with a werewolf who acted 
like Snape, would he care about the prejudice werewolves face. Would 
he think it was justified?! 

And, yes, you can argue that being (for example) a werewolf and being 
a nasty bastard are two radically different things--Lupin didn't 
choose to be a werewolf while Snape's behavior is under his control. 
But I'm not so sure. Snape's real choice is whether or not he 
*indulges* himself or keeps it all inside. Basically, it's whether or 
not he stays in the closet about being a nasty bastard.