Harry as Job, Snape as the Satan

[potioncat]

No: HPFGUIDX 123817


>>>Potioncat: 
> The Conundrum of Justice and the Divine Adversary: Literary 
> Parallels between Harry Potter and the Book of Job 
> By Porphyria, 2002.
> 
> 
> The essay gives some background about the story of Job and also 
> about the Hebrew view of the Satan as portrayed in the Book of 
Job. 
snip

>> Alla: 
I want to thank you for making me reread "Book of Job". 
 
I read Porphiria's essay back in my lurking days.
 I happen to think that OOP put some holes in to that 
interpretation, maybe others will disagree with me.

Potioncat:
My thoughts were along similar lines.  Snape's role has changed by 
OoP, which wouldn't make Porphyria's observations wrong for the 
first ones, unless of course, readers disagree from the beginning.

Snape is discussed so often. But it's from the standpoint of "why 
did DD hire him?" or "why doesn't he try a different method?" 
or "why was he so mean to ______?" I began to wonder, why did JKR 
write this character?  What is his real role in this story?  And as 
I was on my couch in pensieve mode, erm I mean pensive mood,  I came 
across the Job essay. And it seemed to fit very well.  

>>Alla:
Yes, "Harry as Job" sounds about right before OOP, but Job never 
ever questions the G-d authority, no matter how badly he suffers   
and no matter how upset he becomes ( and yes, at the end he 
becomes  a bit upset) ( at least in  the translation I read) Despite 
what his friends tell him ( to change his behaviour and then G-d 
will return  his blessings to Job, etc), Job keeps his faith.
 It does not sound to me that at the end of OOP Harry keeps a lot 
of  faith in Dumbledore.

Potioncat:
To be honest, I haven't re-read my version of Job. But although 
Harry isn't too happy with DD at the end of OoP, he is still loyal 
(faithful) to him, in spite of doubts.

>>Alla: 
 I think that after OOP it could be argued that "Satan" oops, Snape 
started to do MORE to hurt "Job" Harry than G-d allowed.
 Although if I assume for myself that "Satan" started to make his 
own  decisions without G-d permission, I can see that Snape retains 
the function of testing Harry's worthiness as Hero.

Potioncat:
Although the essay was very clear that it was the Hebrew "the Satan" 
that Snape was reflecting, in OoP I think he begins to look more 
like the Christian Satan.  As the commentary in my version says, 
Satan was trying to create a wedge between Job and God. In fact as I 
read the commentary, I thought, if JKR did either intentionally or 
subconsciously create Snape-as-Satan,(rather than Snape-as-the- 
Satan) then Snape's loyalty is still in question.

>>Alla:
Besides, I don't see Dumbledore as God like figure anymore, not 
even close.

Potioncat:
No, I'm beginning to see Snape as the Satan to JKR as "the creator", 
rather than to DD as a God-like figure.

>>Alla: 
 Alltogether essay was very interesting and  when I reread it 
today, I felt the same way I usually do when I see the  cool piece 
of  creative writing - I want to write like that. :o)

Potioncat:
Absolutely! I wish I could write like that too!