Narcissistic!Snape (was: Whither Snape?)

[horridporrid03]

No: HPFGUIDX 127395


>>Betsy:
<snip>
>And it's exactly this kind of thinking, "Snape's got a personality 
disorder, he wasn't *really* bothered by Black or Potter," that I was 
worried SSSusan's post would generate.<

>>Jim Ferer: 
<snip>
>Personality disorders are only labels anyway, useful descriptors of 
observed patterns.<

Betsy:
Are they?  I was under the impression that a personality disorder is 
a disease, a chemical imbalance in the brain that can only be helped 
with proper medication.  Unlike, say introversion, which is more a 
personality trait, someone suffering from a personality disorder has 
no control over their reactions to certain stimuli.

To my mind, by ignoring all the personal history behind Snape's 
reactions to Lupin and Black, ignoring all the various motivations at 
work regarding his interactions with Harry, and lumping it all under 
the heading of NPD, is akin to seeing someone screaming in horror 
while immersed in a pit of rats, and saying, "Ah yes, must have a rat-
phobia."

I don't believe that's what SSSusan was going for at all, but other 
posters *have* dismissed what JKR has given us of Snape's past to 
say, "He's just crazy, that one."  Which I think gives little credit 
to Snape and to JKR for that matter. 

>>SSSusan: 
>One quick note of clarification, from my point of view. To me there 
is a difference between using something to "explain away" behavior 
and seeing something which helps to explain it. For me, thinking of 
NPD does the latter."<

>>Jim Ferer:
>Exactly.  We're looking for insight here, not excuses for Snape or 
anyone else.<

Betsy:
I really *do* understand what SSSusan was going for.  But I think it 
takes personality disorders a little too lightly.  A family member of 
mine suffers from a personality disorder, and it's a hell for her. 
Probably the hardest part has been realizing that she can't just will 
the problem away.  It's only through medication and fairly intense 
therapy that she's made any headway.  Snape has his demons, yes.  But 
not of this sort.

Snape is a fasinating character, and there's a lot going on as far 
we've been shown.  He's great fun to dissect and peer at because JKR 
has dropped such tantilizing hints at the whys and ways of his 
actions.  If it turns out that Snape has a mental disease, doesn't 
that negate all the background information JKR has been feeding out 
to us in such delicious drips and drabs?  Because if Snape is really 
suffering from NPD, it doesn't matter if he was the class victim or 
the class bully or the class golden boy.  All of his reactions to the 
various plot twists encountered throughout the books would be because 
of a chemical imbalance.  Rather boring denouement, IMO.

Of course, I could be completely off base in how I'm seeing 
personality disorders.  I'm sure if I am, I'll be corrected. :)

Betsy