Forgiving Snape / was Re: Harry's potential father figures /Religion in HP

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 131264

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "lupinlore" <bob.oliver at c...>
wrote:
> --- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Sherry Gomes"
<sherriola at e...>
> wrote:
> > Tonks:
> 
> > 
> > 1. It allows Harry to move on with his life and not be bound to 
> > Snape because of his anger towards Snape. Harry can let it go for 
> > his own sake. This is good mental health. As the saying goes the 
> > best way to get even with an enemy is to live well. 

Lupinlore:
> Perhaps in actual life - for certain kinds of people with certain
> kinds of belief systems in certain kinds of situations.  For other
> kinds of people with other beliefs in other situations this just
ain't gonna work.  As a psychologist friend of mine who specializes 
in abuse cases often says, "sometimes nothing in the world is 
healthier than hatred."
<snip>
 But the question at hand here is would it make for a good story?  I
 think if done explicitly and for the reasons stated here, the answer
 is "no."  It would amount to preaching and heavy-handed moralizing
of the type JKR claims to hate.

Pippin:
I can't see how sticking to what would work in real life would amount
to heavy-handed preaching and moralizing. And I think the question
also has to be asked, "What does JKR think is healthy?"

There is some indication that she agrees that hatred is healthy.
She has Harry say that it's impossible to live
with the Dursleys and not hate them. (CoS-US 11,200) But I can find
no indication in canon that she thinks hurting others  in order to
gratify hatred is healthy or productive, even if they have earned 
punishment.

I think there's a clear distinction in the books between punishment 
inflicted justly in righteous anger and punishment inflicted to 
gratify hate. When Harry confronts Dudley over his
treatment of Mark Evans, the moment when Harry stops being
outraged about Dudley's actions and starts thinking about how 
good it feels to make Dudley afraid is clearly delineated.

Harry daydreams of inflicting a crucio on Snape.
But it's significant that even as filled with hatred as 
he has ever been, Harry can't will himself to injure Sirius or 
even Bella.

Hatred alone, JKR seems to be saying, need not bring us to harm
anyone. It might well be that Harry injures Snape, but if he does
I think he will live to regret it. That might be even smarmier
than not doing it in the first place, though.

Pippin