Snape unfairness/ Snape and Raistlin Majere

[dumbledore11214]

No: HPFGUIDX 126884


Betsy:
So I've been away for a while on horrible, icky, ugly, RL business, 
but this question was too intriguing for me to pass up.  Especially 
since so few (if any?) Snape fans replied.

Alla:

Welcome back and I think I must be addicted to Snape 
bashing/defending sessions. No matter how many I did, I can rarely 
pass 
by another one. :)

Betsy: 
<SNIP>
And Snape made the rather heroic decision to turn his back on the 
winning side and join with the losers, so he's got the redemption 
thing going on too.

Alla:

That is what saves Snape for me on the empathy level.


Betsy: 
<SNIP>

Snape's old-world, old-school, way of teaching is like a breath of 
fresh air for me.  I also, don't think Snape is nearly as unfair as 
Harry and friends like to think he is.

Alla:

And THAT I will never be able to see, I am afraid, EVER. McGonagall 
is an old school disciplinarian, true and I love her for that. 
Snape on the other hand - I am trying to come up with the new name 
for him. I think I will call him "unfair disciplinarian" today...



Betsy:

However, the times he disciplines Harry, Harry has usually done 
something to deserve Snape's wrath.

Alla:

Sure he did. On their very first lesson Harry looked like James and 
that is why he needed to be singled out and humiliated in front of 
the class. :)

Yes, quite often Harry is indeed guilty of SOMETHING when Snape 
catches him, but Snape usually misinterprets Harry's intentions SO 
badly that it makes any punishment he gives look oh so very misplaced 
and unfair to me. 
  

Betsy:
(I think Harry will be very surprised with how well he does on his 
Potions' OWL, because I think Snape has made a habit of demanding far 
more from his students than the OWL's do.)  And I *like* that part of 
Snape.

Alla:

Harry was not very surprised though. He knew that he had done better 
that he usually does precisely because Snape was not breathing down 
his neck.

Irene:
<SNIP>
We discussed possible strategies Harry could adopt in
his dealings with Snape a while ago. Changing his
attitude to "Don't give him any excuse" might be a
winning one.

Alla:

Yes, we did discuss it. I used to think that I don't want to see 
that, but I think I changed my mind. I DO want to see Harry try that 
strategy. I am still quite adamant that it will not work, but I want 
to see it in the text. Harry trying to do whatever Snape requests in 
course of the lessons and Snape coming up with new excuses every time 
to sabotage Harry's efforts.

It DOES make for entertaining read though, no questions about it.


Lupinlore:
 
Let me give another example, however, that cuts against this 
interpretation.  In OOTP, Snape deliberately sabotages Harry's potion 
so that he will be able to give Harry another zero.  That does not 
strike me as the behavior of someone who needs an excuse.  Rather it 
is the behavior of someone who manufactures an excuse where none 
exists.

Alla:

Yes, I agree.

Lupinlore: 
To get this back to the Raistlin/Snape comparison, Snape has always 
struck me as cruel and stupid in his teaching methods and his 
dealings with his students.  Raistlin, on the other hand, while 
cruel, was never stupid.


Alla:

I am in the middle of "Dragonlance Chronicles" now and so far I adore 
Raislin. He is very human and despite his sharp tongue and ambition, 
he does not bully weak and he does seem to love his brother. I don't 
know how I will react when Raislin will truly turn to evil . but so 
far between Snape and Raistlin, Raistlin definitely wins. 

I don't know whether I agree that Snape is stupid though. I think it 
was Northsouth who summed it perfectly for me 

"Raistlin had a plan. Snape has a grudge."


Just my opinion of course,

Alla