Snape's childhood WAS: Re: Snape: Hero AND Abuser

[dumbledore11214]

No: HPFGUIDX 143560

Leslie: 
> Well, I like to speculate as much as anyone, but Occam's razor would 
> seem to indicate that the woman being yelled at is his mother, the 
> person doing the yelling (with the hook nose) is his father, and the 
> small boy cowering in the corner is Snape.  
> 
> We're supposed to get an indication here through this scene that 
> Snape does come from a background in which he has seen at least some 
> emotional abuse.  
<SNIP>

Alla:

Well, I am not sure that we can apply Occam razor here with such 
certainty as you suggest.

As many remarked, Eileen was a witch, Tobias was a muggle and it is 
NOT a certainty IMO that witch would allow muggle to abuse herself, it 
is just not, unless of course as Potioncat speculated that Eileen was 
expelled from Hogwarts and was not allowed to use magic or something 
like that.

It could be a misdirection, just as well as an indication of abuse 
IMO. What if Eileen harmed Tonias in some way physical or emotional 
and he was genuinely upset and it was ONE single situation which never 
happened before or after? That is why Snape remembered it so well, 
because it was so unique. I mean, it still could be very bad ( one 
time abuse is still abuse), but we have no idea what it really was.

And of course it could be that the man had nothing to do with Tobias 
either.

In short, It is quite possible that man was Tobias (or not), but 
because of Eileen's background,as Nora said initially, there are holes 
now in " Snape being a product of abusive home" argument, IMO.



Alla,

who thinks that so far canon is clear about three characters having 
unhappy childhoods, but who does not include Snape in this number.