Death of Snape (wasRe: Snape as father figure, was Sirius as Father Figure)

[horridporrid03]

No: HPFGUIDX 131122

>>Amanda:
<snip> 
>Father figures =/= love, necessarily.
<snip>
>Snape has been a consistent male authority figure from day one. He 
represents a critical aspect of "father": the authority, the 
disciplinarian, the existing Power whose standards and restrictions 
the child rebels against. He's the father who won't listen; who 
doesn't seem to care; who sets rules and allows no excuses; whose 
rules seem to be arbitrary and mean; who is *always there.*<
<snip of excellent post>

Betsy Hp:
I'm a tiny bit behind on commenting on this, but I love this post.  
Totally agree with everything you've said, including your replies to 
various dissenting posts.  However...

>>Amanda:
>Which puts Harry at risk, emotionally, and Snape at risk, plotwise. 
<snip>
>The loss of Snape would devastate Harry. I suspect it would take 
something that catastrophic to shock Harry into a different view of 
Snape.
>Heh.<

Betsy Hp:
No, not "heh" -- "whaa!".  This cannot be!  But since emotional 
outcries generally aren't a good way to logically state an opposing 
view, let me try and put forth a stronger case. <g>

I do see the argument that Snape needs to die before Harry realizes 
what Snape has actually done for him.  But I think it could be a 
little repetitive for Harry to lose yet another father figure to 
death.  Especially if Dumbledore is as marked for doom as so many 
think he is.  I do think it'll take some sort of big bang plot-wise 
for Harry to see Snape outside of his own "Harry-centric" view 
(which, to my mind would signal a maturing of Harry), and for Snape 
to gain a certain respect for Harry (which, to my mind would signal a 
healing for Snape).  But I don't think Snape's death is the only, or 
even the most interesting, way for those changes to occur.  Here's 
hoping JKR has something else up her sleeve for these two characters.

Betsy Hp