The Key to Snape

[hogsheadbarmaid]

No: HPFGUIDX 113472

> Pippin wrote:
> > I was re-reading Dudley Demented yesterday, and I realized it 
> > contains the Snape fan's holy grail--a possible insight into 
> > what is going on in our potion master's greasy little head when
> > he torments Harry.
> > snip.
> > If you substitute Snape for Harry, and Harry for Dudley, it 
> > sounds like it could fit, though of course Snape's old memories 
> > are of James, not Harry. But as it's all in the subconscious 
> > anyway, and Snape wouldn't *know* that's why it feels so good 
> > to taunt Harry, it wouldn't signify.
 
> SSSusan <susiequsie23 at s...>:
> <snip> It *was* a nice analysis, and it certainly gives one pause, 
> because a lot of it strikes me as fair comparison.  
> 
> The one thing which REALLY hits me as a difference between them, 
> though, is that Harry is 15 and Snape is 35 or 36.  Putting together 
> the two points that Harry *isn't* James and that Snape is more than 
> twice Harry's age, it seems he SHOULD be able to control himself a 
> bit better than Harry, eh?  I would expect an adult to have managed 
> a little self-reflection and to have a better grasp of what resides 
> in his subconscious--especially when this same someone has managed 
> to change from being a DE to being an Order member.


barmaid's two cents:

This analysis is great and I think important.  DD thought what Susan 
thinks.  Snape is an adult and must be "over" the past.  But alas DD 
was wrong -- had not accounted for the fact that Snape had not 
cleared out all the emotional baggage of his childhood and adolescent 
years.  And why does this surprise us?  I am older than Snape and am 
still often brought up short by some habitual emotional response I 
have -- clearly rooted in some wacky childhood insecurity -- clearly 
not at all about the who and when I am dealing with here and now.  
Snape is very high functioning, but he is a dry drunk, an adult 
child, whatever psycholabel we want to use.  His issues are not fully 
dealt with -- but the fact that he seems to have chosen the "good", 
chosen to put himself under the authority of DD, gives us hope that 
over the long haul he may make it.

       --barmaid