Narcissistic!Snape (was: Whither Snape?) [long!]

[docmara1]

No: HPFGUIDX 127233


>>SSSusan:
> <snip>
> >Well, let me refer you to this part of the essay again:
> "In order to sustain their exaggeratedly positive self-views, 
> narcissists constantly seek external self-validation in the 
> form of attention & admiration from others
.  When threatened,
> narcissists respond with intensely negative emotions.... 
> Furthermore, narcissists respond to ego threat with aggression 
> against others."<
> 
> Betsy:
> But I don't really recall Snape looking for validation in 
> others. <snip> He doesn't seem to be gunning for wide-ranging 
> approval, attention, or admiration. Lockhart, on the other 
> hand... :)
> 
> >>SSSusan: 
> >Think of the end of PoA and Snape's incredible ranting & raging 
> after Sirius escaped.  He was apopleptic!  Unless you buy into 
> OscarWinner!Snape, that was genuine rage and (as DD categorized 
> it) disappointment.<


Hi all, lurker back again :)

I want to weigh in in support of narcissistic!Snape.  IMO, the way 
that Snape interacts with others reflects the fragility and 
grandiosity that you typically see in Narcissism.  The narcissistic 
rage (the ranting and raving, insulting others, being aggressive) is 
an effort to protect himself against the injury that he feels when 
he feels dismissed, insulted or attacked.  

Narcissists don't necessarily look for global approval from others. 
Idealization -- being idealized and/or idealizing someone who feels 
positively about you ("you are perfect and I am part of you") is a 
big part of the narcissistic dynamic.  Also characteristic is the 
lack of empathy and difficulty seeing someone else's point of view.  
That, coupled with grandiosity and sensitivity to injury makes for 
a very brittle character.  It's not that narcissists never do good 
things, or that they can't sometimes be empathic -- they can also 
have their moments, often when they're getting enough "supplies" of 
what they need.  

Snape responds with rage even to injury that has only occured inside 
his own perception.  His reaction to Harry on the first day of 
school is a good example of this.  Harry hadn't done anything at 
all, but his presence, his resemblance to James, what Snape may have 
known about Harry's stature in the wizarding world...all of this 
probably felt to him like being overshadowed -- and by a child.  
Being in a position to teach Harry occlumency is a mixed bag for 
someone like Snape.  On the one hand, his superior skill is 
acknowledged by DD.  On the other hand, he is faced with 
Harry's "specialness" at every lesson, and Harry's defiance and 
resistance is an implicit rejection of *Snape's* specialness.

The reason that Snape can accept some gentle rebukes from 
Dumbledore, I think, is that DD is very, very empathic.  His empathy 
and mirroring of Snape, even when he is redirecting or correcting 
him, allows Snape to tolerate this.  Also, I suspect that Snape 
idealizes DD.  Being near the person that he idealizes - and having 
that person choose him, protect him, stand up for him -- this 
provides a sort of cushion that keeps Snape from being as brittle 
with DD as he is with others.

As for narcissistic!Lockhart...  There are some narcissists who are 
very charming.  Lockhart is a more socially skilled narcissist than 
Snape (who favors the jackhammer and axe as tools ;-p), and a much 
more devious, ruthless one, in some ways.  Though Snape has the more 
evil, ominous persona, Lockhart has more sociopathic tendencies -- 
trying to obliviate a couple of teenagers -- yikes!  Protecting 
himself is always put far above any other considerations, no matter 
the cost.  He made up a history and life for himself, treading on 
others to do it.  

For as cruel and aggressive as Snape can be, he also is willing to 
take some risks for others.  It's possible that the sacrifices he 
makes as a spy (not to mention the risks he takes) are at least in 
part for the gratification he gets from DD's appreciation and 
admiration of his courage and skill.  It's not everybody's approval 
that he needs (unlike Lockhart who probably wouldn't have stopped 
until he'd signed a picture for every wizard on the planet ;-p), 
Snape longs for very specific approval and admiration.  

Finally, I think that it's important to note that while Harry can 
also be narcissistic -- this is really age-appropriate for him.  
Teenagers are egocentric, but that's part of their developmental 
path.  Narcissists get stuck (much earlier than teen years, 
incidentally, but stuck nonetheless).  Harry is likely to develop 
and move through this stage...

If I had to choose which of the two adults I'd rather see in my 
office -- I'd actually choose Snape, I think.  Lockhart would be 
very, very hard to treat.  

Hope I did the snipping right...and that this made some sort of 
sense :)

Mara