Narcissistic!Snape [long]

[Jim Ferer]

No: HPFGUIDX 127218



SSSusan: "Wouldn't a narcissistic Snape explain a *lot* about his
inability to tolerate "dunderheads," his annoyance with know-it-all
Hermione, his snarky put-downs of others? For everyone who is *lesser*
than he in ability actually builds him up, and anyone who is *equal*
to or *greater* than him in ability, challenges him uncomfortably.

To have to encounter a Harry Potter who reminds Snape of James and
James' legacy & shenanigans (including the impression that James was
smarter & better than others, that he & Sirius tried to kill Snape,
and that they humiliated Snape in front of his peers) would be
difficult for many but nearly impossible to bear for the narcissist
because of what it does to the ego and self-esteem. But to also have
to encounter a Harry Potter who is apparently destined to do what he,
Snape, CANNOT (i.e., defeat Voldemort) just doesn't fit cognitively
with what Snape needs and can bear."

In the sense of narcissistic that Snape is highly self-absorbed, I'm
with you, but he does not have an "exaggeratedly *positive or
inflated*, yet fragile, self-view[s]" His self-esteem is probably in
the toilet, and his view of himself is fragile indeed.

Snape grew up in a painful, anxious home of emotional turmoil. He came
to school as an oddball, greasy kid who knew too much Dark Arts - I
doubt he found friends or any validation of himself.  He was
persecuted by the cool, successful kids - all the time convinced that
their popularity and success was unearned - and the cosmic injustice
only got worse when puberty hit and he watched his tormentors pairing
off with girls who would treat him like something they'd stepped in.
(The last part is speculation, but consistent with everything we've
seen about him.) The only attention he ever got was negative. It's no
wonder he's a seething ball of rage.

Snape has accomplishments, but they don't seem to be worth much to
him.  None of them did him any good where it counts.  He lives in fear
that they are all hollow.  I think this is why he hungers for
affirmation so much.  He wants that Order of Merlin so bad, but when
he woke up in a week and found that didn't make him happy either, he'd
be right back where he started.

How does that tie in with hating Harry?  Here's a famous, popular,
celebrity kid who's got friends and attention like Snape never had.
What makes it worse is that he's the son of his worst tormentor.
(Maybe also the son of the woman he yearned for but could never hope
for, too, but we don't know that).

I'm confident this is true because I've met Snape.  I've met lots of
Snapes. There's many people like this, and I've seen a few of those
elements in the mirror.

Jim Ferer