Snape and Raistlin Majere

[dumbledore11214]

No: HPFGUIDX 126447


Phoenix God:


Okay, I wanted  to start a new topic that had nothing to do with 
house elves or DD. I was rereading when the dragonlance series when 
it suddenly struck me that Snape has a tremendous amount in common 
with Raistlin Majere.  
<SNIP>
Here is where my cognative dissonace comes in.  I *loathe* Snape. 
there is nothing to like or love about the man and very little to 
even respect about him. I don't want him to ever be shown as right 
and I hope he's secretly evil just so someone can kick his behind. 
But Raistlin, a character so similar to Snape it's astounding, is 
one of my favorite literary characters of all time. 
<SNIP>
Why?

What makes Snape so contempable to me and many other people, while 
similar literary characters can be just as dark and bitter and yet 
still remain sympathetic and understandable--even in their own way 
likeable. I do realize that Snape has his fans but he also has many 
detractors.  For those of you who've read both series or another 
series with a Snape like character, what seperates Snape from them 
to make him either more or less likeable and sympathetic?
 
phoenixgod2000, who thinks that anyone who hasn't read either the 
Dragonlance Chronicles or Legends needs to do so stat!


Alla:

I am so glad you started this thread. Now, I have to confess that I 
have not read Dragonlance Chronicles, but I have a feeling that I 
will enjoy reading them, so if you could e-mail me the name of the 
author, I would be very grateful.

Moving on. So, my attempt to answer your question may not be 100% 
accurate, but since usually Snape like characters are my favourite 
ones, especially in the fantasy books, I will try to do so anyway. 
There is indeed something which separates Snape from other similar 
characters  and makes me like him not as strongly as I like ... 
Boromir from LOTR for example. Boromir as I mentioned earlier is my 
VERY favourite character from LOTR. I don't care for Frodo nearly as 
much as I care for Boromir.

Now, I don't know if Raistlin Majere had ever been in the position 
of authority over children, if he ever had to be in ANY kind of 
teaching position, because if he was , my hypothesis will not work.

I cannot forgive Snape's cruelty to the chidren. It is just that 
simple. I cannot justify it by anything. I just find bullying a 
child over something his father did to be SO very despicable, 
despite any possible justifications,which we may hear later in the 
series.

I absolutely don't mind if Snape was being cruel to the adults ( 
Sirius, Remus, whoever) - I mean, I do mind, but I can certainly 
understand  and forgive it. Harry and Neville thought are VERY 
different story.

That being said, I cannot say that I don't like the character, 
because he has too much similarity to my favourite type, BUT I sure 
like him less than similar characters of different books.

Just my opinion,

Alla.