Snape and Neville

[huntergreen_3]

No: HPFGUIDX 113518

phoenixgod2000:
>>The problem is, the author has described him as as a sadist. So he
is one. People can interepret his character in other ways using fan
fiction. God knows I do with some characters (Harry/Bella shipper
here!), but in canon which is what we are discussing, Snape is a bad
teacher and a mean one to boot.<<

HunterGreen: (welcome to the list phoenixgod2000)
Well, she didn't exactly call him a 'sadist', but a 'sadistic 
teacher', which IMO, are two different things. Just because he may 
act sadistic in the classroom, doesn't mean he's a sadist. In any 
case, there's a line between authorial intent and what people 
interpret based on what makes it into the books. JKR may be very fond 
of Lupin or Sirius, for example, but there are plenty of people out 
there who dislike Sirius and the ESE!Lupin theory is rather 
conclusive (personally, I cannot stand Hagrid, the fact that the 
author likes him makes no difference). I think that's the thing with 
good literature: different people come to different conclusions, and 
those may or may not fit in with what the author intended.

phoenixgod2000:
>>I could buy the earlier explanation of frustration with students if
Neville and Harry had not demonstrated competency during their OWLS.
Their problem. It isn't with not following directions or a lack of
care in their work. Neville's problem simply begins with a S and
ends with an -nape.<<

HunterGreen:
I think we'd all agree with that. But that doesn't mean that *Snape* 
sees it that way. From his perspective (as Alex said in his post), 
Neville is simply not paying attention to the instructions. 
Obviously, that is not the case, but Snape is not looking for 
*deeper* answers.

phoenixgod2000:
>>He knows exactly what he is doing. Snape is a smart guy and
insightful in his own, evil kinda way. He's mean simply because he
can be. It makes him feel like a big man.<<

HunterGreen:
I will agree that on some level that he is enjoys the power. When it 
comes to Hermione, for example, I think he betrays the speech he made 
in PS/SS (about not wanting to deal with dunderheads) when it comes 
to her. Because, clearly, she does always pay attention, and she does 
always have the answer, and instead of appreciating that, he seems 
annoyed by it. 
However, in the case of Neville, I don't think he gets that much of a 
power fix from taunting him. Neville is, after all, easy to 
intimidate, and he doesn't really get a rise out of him (and 
therefore get to punish him) like he does with Harry. Like Pippin(?) 
has said, if Harry wanted to halt Snape in his tracks, he would just 
have to stop rising to Snape's bait. I think in the case of Neville, 
Snape is actually frustrated with him. I see no other reason for him 
to focus specifically on him like that otherwise, when the only other 
person we've seen him focus on is Harry.