The "choosing evil" difference (was: Snape and Raistlin Majere)

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 126541


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "nrenka" 
<nrenka at y...> wrote:
Nora:
> I think that Snape is very likely the type to confuse genuine 
respect and esteem with the respect generated from the fear of 
power. <

Pippin:
I think that's very true, but that doesn't mean that genuine respect 
isn't what Snape really wants, if only he knew how to get it. 


It's difficult for me to reconcile Quirrel's "There is no good and 
evil" with Dumbledore's speech that Voldemort knows that love 
has a power, though he has always discounted it. I think Quirrel 
was deceived and Fake!Moody was telling the truth. Voldemort 
knows  there is an intrinsic difference between the dark and the 
light. As Fake!Moody says, he had the very great pleasure of 
killing his father to ensure the continued rise of the Dark Forces. 

I think Snape turned away from the Dark Arts when he found they 
couldn't give him what he wanted, which doesn't mean it would 
be safe for him to fool around with them again. 

Nora:
> Snape the "sadistic teacher who abuses his power" seems to 
get a low- grade kick out of exercising his power over others.  
That may well  come from some deep rooted fears of 
inadequacy.  I don't think it's  as benign as you would like to 
present it, but we shall all have to  see, no?<

Pippin:
Benign? No, but I don't really understand the view of those who 
think the kids are being traumatized for life. To me it's like 
thinking that Charlie Brown ought to have brain damage from all 
the times he's fallen on his head after Lucy jerked the football 
away from him. Lucy's not benign, but it would be silly to treat her 
bullying as attempted murder just because it's so graphically 
depicted.

Pippin