Importance of Audience (was Re: Dumbledore or Snape)

[lupinlore]

No: HPFGUIDX 141435

crypticamoeba wrote:
<SNIP>
> Considering the target audience, 10-15 years old; I cannot 
> imagine a way to explain to a 12 year old that yes Snape killed DD 
> but it is ok because DD was (Dying, Cursed, Asking him to).  Any 
> way you cut it, it will sound flat on that level.  All of Rowlings 
> writing has maintain an accessibility to that age group and I 
> cannot imagine it  changing.  


I think you've struck on something very important here, and something 
that has been bothering me about a lot of our discussions.  Much of 
the DDM!Snape speculation rests on controversial scenarios (DD was 
dying so it was okay, realpolitik, the greatest good, DD and Severus 
set it up in advance, DD asked Severus to do it) the morality of 
which even a LOT of adults will not accept.  Were this a book 
primarily aimed at adults, that might be all well and good providing 
JKR is looking to create controversy.  But JKR has always been very 
clear that this is a children's series and, as much as she 
appreciates her adult fans, we are very definitely NOT her primary 
audience.

Like you a cannot imagine JKR trying to tell twelve-year-olds that 
it's okay that Snape killed DD because of X or Y.  This is especially 
the case considering her repeated statements that she is NOT out to 
teach any specific moral lessons, and trying to convince her readers 
that killing DD is okay because of X or Y is by definition trying to 
argue very strongly for a specific moral lesson.


crypticamoeba: 
> Yes, we can often pick up on a second meaning or a more profound 
> message, but the underline event is simple.

True.

crypticamoeba:
> The only way I can imagine explaining why Snape killing DD is good 
> to a 12 year old is if somehow DD come back, (Pulls a Obi-Wan or 
> Gandalf).  You could tell a child that it was ok cause DD knew he 
> could still help Harry and was working with Snape.  But without 
> that I think that Snape is beyond salvation.
 

Or if DD in fact never died at all and all of this is some plot on 
his part to fake his own death.  However, if DD pulls something like 
that I sincerely hope that Harry knocks his teeth down his throat (I 
know I would if one of my loved ones put me through something like 
that deliberately).


Lupinlore