Harry as Job, Snape as the Satan

[dumbledore11214]

No: HPFGUIDX 123868


 
Alla earlier: 
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:

Absolutely. It is an interpretation which I can totally see, 
actually I can see it MUCH easier that Snape as "disciplining 
parent" function in the text. Accuser, often an unfair accuser seems 
to suit him MUCH better.
 
Alla earlier:
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:

Well, yes, Harry is loyal to the Light and most likely you are right 
that he will continue to be loyal to Dumbledore, but he does doubt 
him and he questions the decisions Dumbledore made. Job - not 
really, IMO.

He wants G-d to tell him "Why all of that had been happening to 
him", but he does not question the fact that regardless of why it 
happened, G-d has a right to decide, that everything is up to G-d. 
Us humans should not question the wisdom of the divine decisions. :(
That is how I understand Job's mood anyway, keep in mind that I am 
NOT an in depth religious scholar. 
I think that Harry does questions Dumbledore's decisions ( and I am 
soooo with him on this one :o))

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:

You just had to do it, right? I told you that I am having my doubt 
about Snape's loyalty to Light ONLY on my bad days and I thought 
that today is the good one. :)

That is another reason why i love talking to you so much - because 
you are not afraid to play for other side temporarily. :)


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:

Ooooo, I like it a lot. Snape certainly never hurts Harry more or 
tests him more strictly than JKR allows him. :o) I like this take a 
lot and I think I agree with it.


You know what I think? If indeed there are parallels between Harry 
and Job, then I may get my wish for happy ending for Harry, or 
relatively happy, since all Job had was taken away from him, but he 
got more as  new blessings, as fresh start.

Alla earlier: 
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!


Alla: You can write like that and you actually do. :)


JMO,

Alla