Twist JKR? (was:Re: Dumbledore's pleading...)

[lupinlore]

No: HPFGUIDX 141636


> Betsy Hp:
<SNIP>
> But it does require sweeping Snape's saving Dumbledore's life at 
the 
> beginning of HBP under the rug.  Neither side of the debate has a 
> lock on directness, I would say. <g> (And I enjoyed the humor of 
> Neri's post, but I don't see it's revelence to JKR's use of twists 
> or the directness of Snape's character arc.)

Lupinlore:

I don't see how an OFH!Snape (which I think is what both Nora and I 
find the most plausible) requires sweeping that incident under the 
rug at all.  As I recall, this occurred before the UV.  At that 
point, Snape's best interest was served by keeping DD alive.  By 
doing so he kept his options open and created no increased risk for 
himself.

After the UV, his self-interest changes radically.  Seems pretty 
straightforward to me.


> > <snip>
> 
> Betsy Hp:
> I think it's a bit of a strawman to get into a "who's more complex" 
> argument (I did start it, sorry <g>), but I will say a lot of Ron's 
> page time is spent doing exposition.  We do see him develop and we 
> do get insight into his character, but not every single time he 
> comes up.  And he does fall into several "loyal side-kick" 
> stereotypes.  Honestly, I think Snape and Ron are about equal as 
> characters.  I think Ron has more promise of surviving the series 
> (so more of a future) but I don't think he beats Snape in the 
> dynamics department.
> 

I would agree with Nora that we do see more of a character dynamic in 
Ron than in Snape.  Most of Snape's appearances are pretty boring and 
predictable (i.e. here he comes, let's see how nasty and childish he 
can be this time).  We really so no change or development in the 
character, simply further revelations of already existing facts.  The 
character of Snape shows no change or development at all.  In that 
sense, he already IS partially made of cardboard.

<SNIP>


> 
> Betsy Hp:
> But then it doesn't set an impossibly high standard for any 
> character to achieve to be on the side of good.  They are none of 
> them saints, so it's unwise to be too judgmental of them.  The tar 
> brushed on one character may well paint another.


It's a pretty big jump from "they are none of them saints" to "it's 
unwise to be too judgmental."  There aren't many saints walking 
around in RL either, yet judgment and working toward justice -- which 
means determining that some people are in the right and some in the 
wrong -- are an absolutely necessary part of real life.  Sometimes 
you even have to decide that some of these not-saints are good and 
some of them evil.  So too, I suspect, it is in the Potterverse.


Lupinlore