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

[leslie41]

No: HPFGUIDX 143579

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "dumbledore11214" 
<dumbledore11214 at y...> wrote:

> 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.

The argument that a witch would not allow abuse seems to be to be 
spurious, akin to asserting that a woman who is rich and capable of 
leaving her husband would not allow it. Or suggesting that a woman 
with a gun would not allow it. There is nothing intrinsic about 
being "magical" that protects one against the willness to endure 
abuse, mental or physical.  People tolerate it for different 
reasons.  

Harry routinely allows himself to be subject to the terrible abuse 
of the Dursleys, for example.  
> 
> 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.

Well, this is of course a possibility, and there's nothing to 
disprove this.  But his personality as an adult and as a child 
reveal someone who has, well...curdled.  I personally don't 
think he was cared for properly.  Loved?  Yes.  Abuse doesn't 
exclude love.  Most parents love their children, even if they abuse 
them.  But I think Snape's home life could not possibly have 
been ideal.  
> 
> 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.

Abuse, well...I don't know what to say about that.  It's obvious his 
father was, as I said, severe.  But I'm certain that if there was 
not abuse, there was neglect.  Remember the description of him as a 
teenager. He was like "a plant kept in the dark".  The "sun" of the 
child is the parents.  

I don't think he was the product of a nurturing environment.  I 
don't think he makes sense as a character any other way.