Judgments about Snape-lovers

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 115149


Casey wrote:
> <snip> In the overall view of the books though, Snape is the
underdog. Harry is the hero, and by association so are Ron, Hermione
and Neville. Snape is the one hated and mistrusted. That qualifies as
an underdog to me. <snip>

Carol responds:
I agree with you, and would venture to guess that your view is
something like what Matt had in mind when he used the term. (Matt,
please correct me if I'm wrong.) To expand a little, I think that some
readers (I'm one) tend to develop an an attachment to certain
characters that they think other readers will dislike or undervalue or
misinterpret, seeing the character as somehow in need of defense or
protection--but only if they are not not really evil or not wholly
evil. (I've yet to see anyone regard Voldemort or Umbridge with this
sort of affection.) Boromir in LOTR or Shylock in "Merchant of Venice"
are examples of such hero-villain "underdogs." Or the character could
just be a good guy who's underappreciated, like Starbuck in "Moby
Dick," who gets (IMHO) nowhere near the attention from critics that he
deserves. Some HP fans latch onto Sirius or Molly or even Ron for
similar reasons, if I'm not mistaken--*not* that these characters are
evil, but they have faults and consequently they have both detractors
and defenders who feel a need, even a compulsion, to protect them from
their detractors, just as Snapefans rally to Snape's defense.) Even
historical figures who have been the victims of smear campaigns can
fill this "underdog" role (as members of the Richard III Society can
testify).

Maybe "underdog" is not the right word for what I'm trying to
convey--a sense that a favorite character is "picked on." ("Poor Ron!
Always second to Harry, always in somebody's shadow. Why does
everybody criticize him?") Anyone have a better word for this concept
or phenomenon or whatever it is?

Carol, wondering if Kreacher has any defenders or only detractors