In Defense of Snape (Against Snape in JKR's words)

[vmonte]

No: HPFGUIDX 122056


vmonte: I couldn't help reading some of the previous Snape posts 
without adding some of JKR's documented comments about him.  

JKR: You always see a lot of Snape, because he is a gift of a 
character. I hesitate to say that I love him. [Audience member: I 
do]. You do? This is a very worrying thing. Are you thinking about 
Alan Rickman or about Snape? [Laughter]. Isn't this life, though? I 
make this hero—Harry, obviously—and there he is on the screen, the 
perfect Harry, because Dan is very much as I imagine Harry, but who 
does every girl under the age of 15 fall in love with? Tom Felton as 
Draco Malfoy. Girls, stop going for the bad guy. Go for a nice man in 
the first place. It took me 35 years to learn that, but I am giving 
you that nugget free, right now, at the beginning of your love lives. 

Snape's ancestry is hinted at. He was a Death Eater, so clearly he is 
no Muggle born, because Muggle borns are not allowed to be Death 
Eaters, except in rare circumstances. You have some information about 
his ancestry there. He can see Thestrals, but in my imagination most 
of the older people at Hogwarts would be able to see them because, 
obviously, as you go through life you do lose people and understand 
what death is. But you must not forget that Snape was a Death Eater. 
He will have seen things that
 Why do you love him? Why do people 
love Snape? I do not understand this. Again, it's bad boy syndrome, 
isn't it? It's very depressing. [Laughter]. One of my best friends 
watched the film and she said, "You know who's really attractive?" I 
said, "Who?" She said, "Lucius Malfoy!" [EBF-04] 

Alla wrote:
I hear this argument all the time. Snape is a good man, but he is 
not a nice man. You know, in my book " not nice" quite often 
equals "bad" in a worst sense of this word.

vmonte responds:
I agree. He was a Death Eater. And we are going to find out some 
pretty nasty things about his past.

Hester wrote:
I can feel you itching to bring up Neville.  Why oh why does Snape 
pick on poor Neville?  On the very first day of class Neville 
manages to melt Seamus's cauldron, cover himself in boils and burn 
holes in the shoes of his fellow students.  Oh and the class, she 
was disrupted.  Neville's first impression was not a good one.  And 
I did say that Professor Snape is not a nice man.   However, Harry 
notes that Neville seems happy during their potions practical for 
the O.W.L's (ibid pg. 716).  Which suggests that Neville may have 
actually done all right on his exam   Which would suggest that 
despite his not so nice methods, Snape is still one heck of a 
teacher.

>From [Y-00]
lhhicks99 asks: Why does Professor Dumbledore allow Professor Snape 
to be so nasty to the students (especially to Harry, Hermione, and 
Neville)? 
jkrowling_bn: Dumbledore believes there are all sorts of lessons in 
life...horrible teachers like Snape are one of them! [Y-00] 

vmonte responds: Snape is a horrible teacher. 

Hester wrote:
***Snape and Harry***
And here's where we really get down to it, because the story is 
told from Harry's POV.  Harry has no love for Snape, and he's quite 
sure Snape hates him.  Everything we know about Snape we learn 
through Harry's eyes, and the first impression, at least on the 
surface, is not good.  Beyond the whole, "Argh! My scar!" thing that 
we later learn was caused by Quirrell's Vapor!Mort turban of doom, 
Harry's first Potions class is less than smooth.  That is where 
Harry decides Snape hates him.

What about Snape?
JKR: Snape is a very sadistic teacher, loosely based on a teacher I 
myself had, I have to say. I think children are very aware and we are 
kidding ourselves if we don't think that they are, that teachers do 
sometimes abuse their power and this particular teacher does abuse 
his power. He's not a particularly pleasant person at all. However, 
everyone should keep their eye on Snape, I'll just say that because 
there is more to him than meets the eye and you will find out part of 
what I am talking about if you read Book 4. [WBUR-99] 

SF: Hmm. Now Snape, we talked a little about him before. There's 
something about the letter S isn't there?

JKR: Yes there is

SF: Especially with an N in with it. You can't help saying it without
snarling

JKR: I could have very easily have called him Snicket but Snicket is a
funier, kinder word

SF: And sneeze and sneer and Snape and

JKR: And snarl

JKR: Yeees. You shouldn't think he's too nice, let me just say that.

SF: Right I shall bear that in mind. Worth watching Serverus Snape

JKR: He's worth keeping and eye on, definitely  [RAH-03] 

vmonte responds: I'm not sure that Snape is going to turn out to be 
good in the end.

Hester:   
snip
Of course, he picked Harry to be the poor dumb schmuck this time, 
and I think there were several motives behind his choice.  The ugly, 
petty motive was that Harry is the son of James.  A motive I don't 
think Snape is above.  But Harry is also a celebrity, and Hogwarts 
is abuzz.  The students are all excited, but the teachers aren't 
immune either. Snape is establishing that Harry's fame will not 
get him anywhere in Snape's classroom.  Harry will be judged on his 
potion abilities and nothing more.  This particular motive is not a 
bad one.  Snape has not met Harry yet, and I imagine there was a 
real worry that his fame would go to his head.  Snape is nipping a 
potential problem in the bud.  I think it's important to notice that 
Snape doesn't take points for Harry's ignorance.  Harry talks back 
to Snape, and Snape takes a point away from Gryffindor, "for [his] 
cheek." (PS pg. 138)

Alan Rickman: Well he's Professor of Potions and the current head of 
Slytherin House at Hogwarts - the school of wizardry that Harry 
attends, but he harbours a secret ambition to be a Professor of the 
Dark Arts. He isn't that taken with Harry though, probably because he 
finds him a little too popular for a first year pupil I suppose. I 
think at heart Snape is basically quite an insecure person, he's 
always longing to be something else that people will really respect 
like a black magician not just a school master. That's why he envies 
the more popular and successful boys like Harry. He does have his 
positive side though even though Harry's a thorn in his side he 
doesn't let it worry him too much. [UNREEL]

vmonte: Mr. Rickman was given information about Snape by JKR. If he 
thinks that Snape is insecure and envious of the more popular boys 
(James, Harry), well I'm going to believe him. After all, fame and 
glory are both mentioned in his opening speech. Seems like he is 
still looking for the attention he did not receive as a child 
(penseive scene).
  
Alla wrote:
Harry did not have ANY ego to be slapped down, when Snape attacked
him on the first lesson. Harry did not have any ego to be slapped 
down, when Snape kept reminding him how bad his dead father was.

vmonte:
I agree. Snape is jealous of Harry's celebrity.  

Alla:
I am trying to pick the strongest reason for my partial (although
very strong one) dislike of Snape personality and the fact that
Snape enjoys causing other human beings emotional pain comes back
over and over again.

JKR: It's fun to write about Snape because he's a deeply horrible 
person [FE-99].

And..

JL: Prof Snape has always wanted to be the defense against the dark 
arts teacher. In book 5 he still doesn't get the job Why does 
Professor Dumbledore not allow him to be the defense against the dark 
arts teacher?

SF: There

JKR: <sighs> That is an excellent question and the reason is that, I 
have to be careful what I say here, the reason is that to answer it 
fully would give and awful lot away about the remaining two books but 
when Professor Dumbledore took Professor Snape on to the staff and 
Professor Snape said I'd like to teach defense against the darks arts 
please and Professor Dumbledore felt that that might bring out the 
worst in Professor Snape.

<laughs> Somewhat

JKR: So he said I think we'll let you teach potions and see how you 
get along there. [RAH-03].

vmonte responds:
There is no way I would let a professor with sadistic tendencies 
teach a DADA class. Would you hire an alcoholic as a bartender?

Hester:
Of course, Harry is too young and too naive, especially in book one, 
to realize any of these motives, and so he settles on the 
simple, "Snape hates me." I doubt Snape feels that strongly about 
Harry in the beginning. I think Harry frustrates the hell out of 
Snape, as Snape spends most of his time trying to keep Harry safe 
and Harry keeps stumbling into danger, but I honestly think 'hate' 
is too strong a word.

vmonte:
I'm not sure he hates Harry either. Maybe it's more like fear. 


http://www.madamscoop.org/bytheme.htm#snape