Simple!Snape? (was: Draco, Snape and Others: Castles in the air?)

[nkafkafi]

No: HPFGUIDX 124858


> Neri tosses the gauntlet:
> > > I let you choose these two missing pieces any way you want to. 
> > > Just invent whatever you think would work. Put your two pieces 
> > > of puzzle into place and answer these questions:
> 
> 
> Lupinlore took the challenge:
> > Okay, here goes.
> > 
> > STORY TO DUMBLEDORE:  He found a lot of Voldemort's policies
> > attractive initially, and was deeply fascinated by the Dark Arts, 
> > but has come to realize the man is insane and his policies will 
> > lead to the destruction of the WW, including Snape and all the 
> > purebloods.  He will work for DD as a spy in the pureblood ranks 
> > to keep this from happening.
> > 
> > PRESENT POLICIES:  Is committed to bringing Voldemort down, but is
> > primarily concerned, deep down, with his own self-preservation.  Is
> > loyal to DD because he honestly thinks working for DD is the best 
> > way to destroy Voldy and preserve self.  His hatred of James and 
> > the Marauders, and Harry by extension, do have a very bad way of 
> > clouding his judgment, however.
>  
> 
> SSSusan:
> <snipped>
> Why does Snape, especially after he *knows* Voldy has indeed 
> returned, NOT do everything in his power to ensure that Harry is 
> learning everything he can about how to defeat Voldemort?


Neri again:
First of all, IMO simple!Snape performs quite well relative to several
snapetheories that I've read before. One major disadvantage of it is
that it's really lacking in the BANG department, but of course
Lupinlore told us before that the Snape story holds much less bang
than we expect. Still, considering JKR's quite impressive history of
bangs, it seems a serious mistake of her to build so many expectations
and allusions regarding Snape only to later resolve them in such a
boring way. She had told us (more than once, I think) that we should
"keep our eyes on Snape". Keep our eyes waiting for what? To find out
that he's a nasty and bitter man? That he realized Voldy is dangerous?
This is not a promise that JKR should have made unless she thinks she
can deliver.  

Another problem with this version of simple!Snape is that it doesn't,
in Nora's words, "click nicely into place". You would expect that once
we know the truth, small mysterious things like the sudden movement in
the end of GoF would be clarified automatically, without need for
Snape saying in the end of Book 7: "remember that sudden movement I
did in the infirmary then? It was because I was startled that Lucius
was stupid enough to reveal himself" or the like. The same way that,
once we find out who Crouch!Moody really is, small things like his
note to Snape about "spots that never come off" or his interest in
Neville click into place without having to be explained.

Also, if Snape has never left Voldy, why doesn't Voldy care that Snape
tried to stop Quirrell, and who was "the one who left me forever"? 

The more fundamental problem with simple!Snape is that it does nothing
to resolve the apparent contradictions in Snape's character: 

1. He is mainly interested in his own survival, yet he's ready to risk
his life instead of simply running away and leave the others to take
the risks.

2. He's so fascinated with the Dark Arts that he can't be trusted to
teach DADA without loosing control, yet he had enough control to
desert Voldemort, the greatest Dark Arts expert of them all.

3. He has the courage to risk his life for a big cause, yet he doesn't
have the courage to let go his grudge to a man that is now dead for 14
years.

4. He wants Voldemort destroyed enough to change sides and risk his
own life, yet he can't bring himself to help the only person who has
the power to destroy Voldemort. 

5. He is cool and calculated enough to be a double agent, yet not
enough to keep his temper when teaching Harry Occlumency.


So if simple!Snape is correct, it mainly means that JKR is lousy with
her characterizing as she is lousy with delivering long-promised
bangs. And if you believe she is indeed all that, then why would you
be HP fans at all? In my personal rating of Snape theories,
simple!Snape is somewhere in the middle with LOLLIPOPS. It's certainly
more probable than LOLLIPOPS and answers more questions, but it also
has less bang, and LOLLIPOPS at least offers a real attempt to resolve
the contradictions in Snape's character. Personally, I'll keep looking
for a better theory than both.


Neri