The Key to Snape

[Pat]

No: HPFGUIDX 113578

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "cubfanbudwoman" 
<susiequsie23 at s...> wrote:
> Annette, resonding to Pippin:
> > Although I admit the similarities between Harry and Snape are 
> > compelling, both having been victims of child abuse. 
> 
> 
> SSSusan:
> A bit of nitpicking, perhaps, since it's not the key part of your 
> argument, but I'm not sure we *know* that Snape was a victim of 
child 
> abuse.

[snip]
 
> Siriusly Snapey Susan

Pat here:

First of all, I think it's brilliant of pippin to point out the 
similarities between Harry and Snape in this particular situation--
Dudley Demented.  I hadn't really put those two together, but the 
thing I did notice was that Harry had taken on the role of the bully-
-a reversal of his previous relationship with Dudley.

I agree with SSSusan that the little bit we saw of the man yelling 
doesn't prove that Snape was abused, but it does show that there 
were some emotionally unhealthy things in his past--whether he was 
the child or the adult (which I hadn't thought of before).

I also fault Snape for his reactions to Harry because, as an adult, 
and a fairly intelligent one, he should have moved on.  But as DD 
finds out the hard way, Snape obviously hasn't.

I think that one of the things that JKR might be getting at with 
this whole story line is that some of the things that happen in our 
childhood are so emotionally painful that we just don't move on.  
Some people are forever stuck in that period of time, not able to 
see that a bully is truly the coward or, at the least, insecure 
about who they are.  So rather than reacting in an adult way, a 
person who feels this way (i.e., Harry and Snape) lashes out, 
seizing the opportunity to be the one in control--the bully.

No one's childhood is perfect, though some of us have it much better 
than others.  We know that Harry's childhood was pretty bleak, while 
he was with the Dursleys.  We suspect that Snape may have had a 
similarly unhappy childhood--we at least know that his school 
experienes were less than wonderful.  So now the comparison can be, 
not so much that they were bullied as children, but the choices they 
make as adults.  We can see that Snape is still is the mode of 
taking out his anger and frustration on anyone he can--since he 
doesn't limit his bullying to Harry, but also picks on Neville, 
Hermione, and some of the others.  With Harry, he isn't to the adult 
level yet, and has taken advantage of the opportunity to pay Dudley 
back for all the nean things he endured as a child.  I can only hope 
that Harry will realize, like Snape has not, that bullying someone 
else is briefly satisfying, but in the long run, it's not going to 
repair the emotional damage that was done.

When Harry gets a glimpse of what Snape went through as a student, 
he feels sorry for him, and has no intention of gloating or using 
that information to humiliate Snape.  Snape, of course, is still in 
that mental state that only leaves him seeking revenge for his 
hurts.  So perhaps Harry has already moved on.  Later we see that he 
is also sorry that people pick on Luna by taking her things, and 
much to Harry's credit in his time of extreme grief over Sirius's 
death, Harry offers to help Luna find her things.

One of the strongest themes throughout the books is choice.  DD says 
it several times, and this difference between Snape's and Harry's 
reactions is yet another example of the choices we all must make--
and how those choices affect what kind of person we become.

Pat