[HPforGrownups] Re: Harry as Job, Snape as the Satan

[caesian]

No: HPFGUIDX 123843

On Feb 2, 2005, at 8:04 AM, potioncat wrote:
> <snip> I came upon a post (38508) with a very interesting slant, and at
>  that, one I haven't seen before.  Following the thread back led me
>  to a copyrighted essay in the HPfGU files written before Order of
>  the Phoenix. Don't be put off by the Hermione type title.  It's a
>  thought provoking, readable essay and it may generate some new
>  discussions. It addresses some of the same issues that I've seen on
>  the list lately, "How could DD allow this to happen?" "Why did Snape
>  do that?"
>
>  The Conundrum of Justice and the Divine Adversary: Literary
>  Parallels between Harry Potter and the Book of Job
>  By Porphyria, 2002.
>
>  I'll attempt a link to the essay, but in case it doesn't work, go
>  the side bar on your left and click "files."  Scroll down
>  to "Essays" and open that file. Go down about 13 entries
>  to "job.html" and open it. <snip>
>  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.
>  We aren't talking about the devil here, not really.
> <snip> Part II looks at Snape as being in the Satan role.  Satan's  
> role is
>  test Job, and to act as Prosecutor or Accuser. Now, that's a role
>  Snape could enjoy!  He also is charged with roaming the earth.
>  (Roaming Hogwarts?)  Thinking of Snape as the Accuser actually
>  explains much of his behavior in the books.
>
>  Here is a sample of Porphyria's text about the Satan:
>
>  "The Christian sense of "Satan" as the supreme agent of Evil, the
>  fallen angel who rebelled against God, did not come into use until
>  hundreds of years after the Book of Job was written.6 In her book An
>  Adversary in Heaven Peggy L. Day explains that the Hebrew
>  word "satan" is best translated as "adversary" or "accuser" and that
>  this often has the strictly forensic sense of a prosecuting attorney
>  or the opponent in a legal case.7
>
>  snip
>  . In the Book of Job, the character called "the satan" is a member
>  of the divine council, meaning he is an angel, and a perfectly loyal
>  one at that.
>
>  Snip
>
>  In the Book of Job, God specifically seeks out the satan from among
>  his divine council and questions him. For a character with few
>  lines, the satan exerts a sardonic and eloquent presence in the
>  text."
>
>  That sounds just like our beloved Snape! 
> <snip>
>
>  Potioncat

Caesian responds:

Hear ye, hear ye!  IMHO, Potioncat's post above is the best I've seen  
in months!  I think the comparison between Snape and The Accuser is  
especially apt.  Their roles are uncannily similar, in fact.  It is  
comforting to know that, as the accuser, Snape has considerable job  
security (maybe even immortality ;-).  I suppose my curiosity revolves  
around whether the similarities between Snape and the Accuser are  
intentional (i.e., will they continue in books 6 & 7).

Actually, I've been wondering about JKR's original intentions for Snape  
ever since the Vampire!Snape debacle*.

*As an explanation for those who didn't followed the arguments, the  
idea that Snape is a vampire has been advanced multiple times with  
reasonable support from the Canon.  Then, JKR was asked in a web chat  
whether there was "any relation between Snape and Vampires" and her  
response was something like "um, no, not that I know of."  Thus dashing  
that theory pretty completely.

The thing that puzzles me is JKR's own artwork of Snape's character.   
Everyone interested in JKR's original conception of Snape should take a  
look at her drawing - the instructions for finding it are below.  I'll  
let you draw your own conclusions as to which popular cultural  
stereotype he most closely resembles.

[I found this in the Photos section from the HPfGUs main page, it is  
the third folder "Harry Potter & Me", a TV special where JKR held up  
illustrations from her notes, including her own illustrations of the  
characters. The Link, which may not work, is.
http://photos.groups.yahoo.com/group/hpforgrownups/vwp?.dir=/ 
Harry+Potter+%26+Me&.src=gr&.dnm=profsnape.jpg&.view=t&.done=http%3a// 
photos.groups.yahoo.com/group/hpforgrownups/lst%3f%26.dir=/ 
Harry%2bPotter%2b%2526%2bMe%26.src=gr%26.view=t ]

The problem with further discussion of Harry Potter and the Book of Job  
is that the original author (thank her very much for the essay) and  
Potioncat have already had most of the real fun. :-)  There are some  
small things (boils, anyone?) we could comment on.  Maybe the  
Neville-ites would like a stab at this one.  And Job is my second  
favorite book.  In all fairness, it should be my very favorite, but I  
just can't resist Jonah.  Jonah cracks me up.

If we wanted to talk about Biblical comparisons, let's talk about Ron  
and Jonah.  The God of Ron Weasley's life obviously has a sense of  
humor.  Poor Jonah, the reluctant prophet.  He's spiteful, he's  
rebellious, and God keeps messing with him.  I was laughing so hard  
that I fell off my chair the first time I read how God causes a bush to  
grow up and provide shade for poor sweltering Jonah and then  
immediately causes the bush to die again.  Ron is like Jonah in many  
ways.  He's reluctant about almost every mission he's sent on.  He can  
become inappropriately and hilariously flustered, or embarrassed.  He  
may have some prophetic capacities, but he'd certainly not be happy to  
discover this.  And of course, we enjoy seeing him suffer, a bit, but  
only in good fun.

Caesian - who thinks that in the oh-so-very-Goth (admit it) world of  
Hogwarts, Snape is the one with the most black velvet.

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