Snape as Perfectionist (WAS Rampant Ingratitude)

[festuco]

No: HPFGUIDX 129442


> Bookworm:
> Gerry, I think your two comments contradict each other.  

Gerry

Ah, I see what you mean. I'll be a bit clearer. A teacher that is
interested in his students reaching their full potential would see
Neville Longbottom as a challenge. No matter how low Nevilli's full
potential in potions would be, he would love to bring it out. He would
want all his students to do well, not only because he himself loves
the subject, but also because he wants help his students to learn as
much as they can within their own limits, and love this subject too.
He would concentrate on the joy he finds in students wo can learn, and
do love his subject, not concentrate on the attitude of the others.
Lupin is an example of such a teacher. 

I agree with you that Snape is a perfectionist, only interested in the
best. But he does not have a clue, that you can nurture love of a
subject. His very speech is an example of that: "I don't expect
you...". He can teach "how to bottle fame, brew glory, even
stopper death" if his students are not dunderheads and he makes it
abundantly clear that he considers most of his students dunderheads.
And so sets himself up for dissapointment time and time again. Because
he cannot be glad for a student when he has done better than expected,
he cannot get joy from a mediocre student who loves potions, he only
sees that most of his students do not love his subject, are not
interested in working hard, or are just nog very good in potions. And
his anwer to that is fear. I think he genuinely believes that fear is
the answer to a lazy student. And it might work in a lot of cases. But
not for everyone. 

Gerry