The Possibilities of Grey Snape (was Re: What would a successful AK mean?)

[lupinlore]

No: HPFGUIDX 143007

Sydney  wrote:
> 
> LOL!  Wow, you really hate this character!  


Lupinlore:
Well, he's a child abuser.  What's not to hate?


Sydney wrote: 
> I guess mostly what I'm saying is, Harry being mistaken about 
> Snape's character and particularily about the essential nature of 
> what happened on the tower, has, in my professional opinion, in 
> terms of classical story structure, been set up pretty cleary.


Lupinlore:
Depends on what JKR is trying to say.  Is it about trust?  Is it 
about power?  Is it about emotions?  Is it about adulthood?  I 
suspect it's actually about quite a few of these things all together, 
in that it's "about" something very clear at all (an I'm not sure it 
is).

As for classical story structure, so much of that has been driven 
into the ground a la Joseph Campbell that it is not only no longer 
interesting and effective, it is positively annoying and off-
putting.  Which, I will allow, is one problem with JKR's writing in 
the last couple of books.


 
Sydney:
 And 
> the end of the books will feature Harry realizing this and 
resolving 
> into a positive relationship with Snape (maybe Snape will die one 
> paragraph later, but the catharsis will happen).  I'm not saying 
> it's necessarily what every reader will find the most morally 
> satisfying; it's clear that will absolutely turn your stomach!  But 
> brace yourself, because it's going to happen.  It's like 
> Ron/Hermionie.  Whatever you might think of how they're suited, or 
> however much you think Harry would be a better match, in terms of 
> the structure Ron and Hermionie were what was being set up.  
> 
>


Lupinlore:
Well, it's clear that this is what you WANT to have been set up for 
some reason.  If that's what floats your boat <shrug>.  All of this 
is unavoidably subjective.

Actually, I wouldn't be surprised if JKR pulls another "HBP" 
maneuver - which is to say that she tries a scattershot approach to 
satisfy as many people as possible (her protestations to the contrary 
not withstanding).  That is she gives us a storyline that emphasizes 
a DDM!Snape of some sort who undergoes some kind of karmic 
retribution for his treatment of Harry with elements of forgiveness 
and empowerment for Harry thrown in along with an important role for 
Snape in the defeat of Voldemort.  

To tell the truth, I think this is one of the reasons I think Grey!
Snape is very likely.  I don't think it would be the best way to 
resolve the storyline, but I think it will make a very attractive 
option for JKR.  In this way she gives something to the widest 
possible swathe of her readership, as well as spreading the annoyance 
and disappointment pretty evenly across the spectrum.  I know, I 
know, JKR is writing for herself, etc.  But parts of HBP showed 
unmistakeable signs of being written, in part, to please and placate 
large segments of the fandom, and no intelligent author (and I've 
never thought JKR is stupid) completely neglects their audience in 
their planning. Some form of revelation about Snape, followed by 
a "karmic moment" (or perhaps this would happen in the opposite 
order), then Snape's death, would be unsurprising.

Besides, as you say, it would be a very time-tested and "classical" 
way of handling things.  Everybody's pigeons come home to roost,  
mysteries are dissapated, tension is relieved,  justice is at least 
roughly served, morals of the story are made clear, the demands of 
karma are satisfied, and the wheel of the story comes to rest at a 
stable point.


Lupinlore