Harry's anger (was Re: Draco's anger)

[cubfanbudwoman]

No: HPFGUIDX 122024


AyanEva wrote:
>> I'm probably making this more complicated than necessary, but my
degree's in Psychology, I can't help it!  <snip>  I'm only a few 
years out of my own puberty.
I think it seems a bit odd because
it's so sudden.  <snip>  Yes, he's got years of pent up frustration 
and the effects of those who mistreated him, but I can't fathom why 
he chooses *that* particular moment with Snape to express it.  You 
could say that he just snapped, that Snape blaming him put him over 
the edge, but if that's the case, I should think the reaction would 
be more severe than what it was.<<

Jocelyn responded with an experience she'd had:
> My cat was run over by my Dad that morning. It was horrible. I 
cried and cried, my Dad felt awful and I was late to school. It was 
math, and my teacher that year was probably one of the worst I ever 
had. When she asked why I was late I said "My Dad ran over my cat 
this morning."

Her response was "That's no excuse."

I looked at her and fully understood in that instant that there was 
no point getting angry or trying to explain further. She was either
incapable or unwilling to understand. I suddenly felt a wave of cold
fury run over me and I took a calming breath before I said levelly,
"Then you will have to accept it as an explanation", snapped my mouth
closed, turned and walked to my desk.

That was the first time I ever related to a teacher as an adult.
Suddenly the playing field was level, and I no longer deferred, 
feared or prevaricated. She was an idiot and in that moment she had 
no power over me. The feeling didn't last, but I have never 
forgotten it. It was a coming-of-of-age moment.

I wonder if Harry could have been having that sort of moment.<


SSSusan now:
Another psych major here, though far removed from my puberty, 
AyanEva.  I think Jocelyn's example is a very interesting one to 
compare to Harry's situation.  I could see this as being a very 
similar kind of coming-of-age moment or decision about how he was 
going to "take" Snape from now on.  It'll be interesting to get our 
hands on Book 6 and see just how Harry communicates with Snape, 
whether we get that sense that he's made the decision to no longer 
defer, fear or prevaricate.


AyanEva also wrote:
>> My only other explanation is that he's projecting his own
problems onto Snape.<<

Pippin responded:
> Of course he is! Harry is feeling horribly guilty over the death of
Sirius, partly because he failed at occlumency, but mostly, I think,
because of this, "Sirius had risked everything, always, to see
Harry, to help him..." (OOPch 36)

It would be too painful for Harry (and also, I gather, for some of
us listies) to acknowledge that Harry had some part in the failure
of the lessons, and that Sirius came to the MoM because Harry
needed him. Instead, Harry seizes on the idea that Snape
engineered the failure of the occlumency lessons and goaded
Sirius into leaving the house, though Dumbledore tells him that
Snape is not to be blamed for those things. IMO, the surge of
rage Harry feels toward Snape is really Harry's own anger at
himself.<


SSSusan:
I am quite purposely avoiding the Assigning Percentages of Blame 
Game which has now begun, because I think the focus here is simply 
on whether Harry does blame Snape and whether it's projection that's 
going on, not whether it is "right" of him to do so.  I don't even 
care if it is "right" just now, but I do believe that Pippin is 
correct that Harry is doing it and why.  

There is SO much in that head of Harry's right in that moment that I 
think it is totally human nature [and not just for a teen] to 
project the blame onto Snape because he can't handle looking at his 
own role in it just yet.  And Snape, being Snape, is a lovely, 
convenient receptacle for Harry's projection of blame because of 
their history and because of the animosity Harry knew Snape held 
towards Sirius.  


Geoff stated, way earlier in this thread:
> I tend to interpret Harry's comment as being a change from a rush 
of hatred to a cold fury and giving a sarcastic answer very tongue-
in-cheek; it is almost a way of telling Snape to get stuffed without
actually being blatantly rude....<


SSSusan:
I think Geoff is right.  I believe it does make sense that this 
progression of emotions could have reasonably occurred, that it's 
not really "odd" at all.  

I mean, let's look at what all is in this tiny little scene.  There 
stands Draco, Harry's school nemesis for 5 years, threatening to 
kill Harry because of "what he's done" to his father.  So we have 
Draco and all he's represented as Harry's personal tormenter for 5 
years, as well as a reference to Lucius, whom Harry hates for his 
role in the diary scheme and in the MoM battle, which led to Sirius' 
death.  We also have Snape, Harry's staff-level personal tormentor, 
the man whom Harry believes detests every fiber of his being and 
whom he believes has punished him unfairly over & over & over again, 
the man whom he believes was leaving him more vulnerable to 
Voldemort with his Occlumency lessons, the man who hated Sirius and 
whom Harry probably suspected of doing a little victory dance over 
Sirius' death.  

All this comes together in this one brief moment.  Projection, rage, 
fury, frustration, grief, perhaps a thrill at what he *could* do to 
Draco.  How might we see him reacting to all this?  Just what Geoff 
said:  a rush of hatred towards Draco & Lucius; cold fury for 
Snape's appearing, yet again, to foul things up for Harry -- AND 
representing fault in Harry's mind for Sirius' death.  Then there's 
the "snap" or revelation that Jocelyn referred to – sort of an "I 
don't give a shit anymore" moment – and thus the sarcastic or smart-
aleck, think-whatever-you-want-Snape moment where he says, "Trying 
to decide what curse to use on Malfoy, Sir."

It's true that I could've seen Harry *stick* with the anger & rage 
he was feeling a moment before, but the switch to this last emotion 
or tone also makes sense to me, too.  It's not that he's not angry 
any more; it's how he's going to deal with it that's adjusted.

Like I said above, it'll be interesting to see, in HBP, whether 
Harry keeps up this kind of tone & attitude with Snape [assuming I'm 
reading it correctly here, that is].
 
Siriusly Snapey Susan