[HPforGrownups] Re: Please explain.

[Irene Mikhlin]

No: HPFGUIDX 144219

eggplant107 wrote:
> Irene Mikhlin <irene_mikhlin at b...> wrote:
> 
>>you haven't shown an example of the abuse. 
> 
> 
> I realize it has become quite fashionable in certain
circles to make
> excuses for all of Snape's villainous behavior, up
to and including
> murder; but do I really need to give examples of him
being grossly
> unfair to Harry? 

1. Murder of Dumbledore has nothing to do with
examples of child abuse. I can say it out loud, if you
want: Severus Snape has killed Albus   Dumbledore.
See, I have no problem accepting it.

2. You don't need to give examples of him being
unfair, I agree he was unfair to Harry many times.
Unfair does not equal abusive.

> Yes I believe we can. Snape must have known his
words would terrorize
> an eleven year old boy, in fact he would have no
reason other than
> that to say them. 

Trevor's incident didn't happen during year 1, did it?

> When a child has suffered a serious accident a good
person would try
> to say things to calm her down, Snape said things to
increase her
> panic and despair. 

I've never said he is a good person. But I don't think
Hermione was in a state of panic and despair, or she
would have run to hospital wing without waiting for
Snape's permission. The whole "Show to him" business
was about them hoping that finally they will make
Snape punish Draco.
Hermione was angry and offended, but she did some cool
thinking in the hospital wing, so I don't think it's
fair to her to say she was in panic.

>>>Me:
>>>And although child abuse does not really describe
>>>it, the fact that he also murdered the kindest,
>>>most powerful, most benevolent,and brightest
>>>wizard in a thousand years does not add
>>>significantly to Snape's character reference. 

Look, you were trying to establish that Snape as a
teacher abused children. His teaching career that we
as the readers have witnessed, has finished with the
last DADA lesson in year 6. The fact that you insist
on bringing the murder into the evaluation of his
teaching methods does not point to the strength of
your arguments.

nrenka wrote:

> 
> But you know, let's extend this out.  How can we
blame anyone for 
> their actions towards another person, equal or
inferior, when they 
> don't result in actual physical harm?  And even
that's pretty easily 
> fixable, as Harry's stints in the Hospital Wing and
Draco's 
> malingering show us.  Being hung upside down is
humiliating, but it 
> doesn't seem to have actually *hurt* Snape--why
should we worry so 
> much about his poor feelings, which he's still so
wrapped up in years 
> later?  There was no lasting physical damage in any
of the incidents 
> (he didn't get eaten, did he?), therefore we
shouldn't care.

I was not going for "no harm no foul" argument about
Trevor. I do think intentions are important (still
waiting to learn about Sirius intentions :-)). But I
don't think Snape's intentions were to kill Trevor. Or
to horrify Neville for his sadistic pleasure.
I've just noticed that many "motivational" verbs seem
to suggest pain:
to spur, goad, push, prod, poke, thrust. I wonder why.
:-)


Irene


		
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