JKR and Occlumency lessons (was Re: Snape and Occlumency)

[dumbledore11214]

No: HPFGUIDX 121791


Alla replied:
>From this POV I have no choice but to agree with you. Of course, 
Occlumency scenes make for EXCELLENT read, no question about it and 
of course when I look at the story from outside, I acknowledge that 
picking Snape as a teacher was perfect choice in order to maintain 
dramatic tension and to add more Harry!angst in the story (as if we 
did not have enough already).
 
Numerous problems start (and of course I am only speaking for 
myself) when we look at the story from within, THEN I start ranting 
at the said choice of the teacher. 

> Reed again:
> I see your point. On the other hand, it *is* a story and isn't there
> a saying that stories about paradise are boring - whereas
> stories about hell can turn out great? 
> Quite drastic, I admit, but there's some truth to it. A good story
> needs conflict and drama - while in real life we hope to get 
> as little of that as possible. (*I* do at least ;-)) So as much as 
we
> like book characters, we don't always want things to be good and
> easy for them. 



Alla:

Of course. We are talking about the same thing here. By looking at 
the story from within I meant looking at the characters as if they 
are real, as if they did not know that they are characters from the 
book.

Yes, for the story not to be boring, Snape is an EXCELLENT choice of 
the teacher, but as I said many, many times to me for Harry actually 
LEARN something useful Snape was a HORRIBLE choice . IMO only of 
course.


Reed:
 
> Of course, the need for drama should not ruin the plausibily of the 
> story, but I personally didn't feel that it did in this case. It was
> clearly wrong of Dumbledore to appoint Snape as Harry's 
> Occlumency teacher, and JKR is well aware of this, as she lets 
> him admit thishimself. 
> For me, it's not so hard to accept that, though Dumbledore knew 
that 
> Harry and Snape didn't get along well, he misjudged how deep their 
> resentments (especially Snape's) were. He simply hoped they would
> sort out their issues when faced with this common task. 
> In this book, JKR goes to great pains to establish that Dumbledore
> is neither omniscient nor infallible and the occlumency lessons are
> one example of this - so they serve the story in yet another way.

Alla:

I really don't think that you and me have much to argue about. :o)
No, it is not hard to accept that Dumbledore wants Snape and Harry to 
get along. he is like that after all, giving everybody second 
chances, establishing friendships  between old enemies, or at least 
trying to do so.

What IS incredibly hard to accept FOR ME is the the fact that 
Dumbledore could be so NOT INTELLIGENT and misjudge the extent of 
Snape' hatred for James and Harry and Harry's hatred for Snape that 
badly.

I did not expect that Dumbledore is infallible, but I absolutely did 
expect that he is smarter than that. Oh, well. It all worked for the 
story anyway.

 
Reed:

You can argue whether we needed this additional bit of drama of
course, but IMO it worked well enough - and as I mentioned in 
my earlier post, I also believe that it was a way to put focus on the 
relationship between Harry and Snape which I'm expecting to be
important in the following books.


Alla:

I agree that it worked for the progression of the story.


Just my opinion,

Alla