Sexy Snape?

[juli17 at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 139485

vmonte wrote:

I know  that Snape has multitudes of fans, but I really don't think 
that JKR is  writing books to tell children that they should not trust 
their gut  instincts about people. Wouldn't it be like telling abused 
children to:  

'Shut up, you don't know what you are talking about. Don't you  
realize that Professor Snape was a DE and still has sadistic  
tendencies? Of course it's in his nature to be abusive, just take it!  
Grow up already! Let Snape be a deeply horrible person. And what's  
wrong with you anyway? I'm not interested in hearing what you have to  
say about him! I don't care that he gave Voldemort information that  
led to your parents death--you ungrateful bast**d.' 
 

Julie says:
I don't think JKR having Harry be wrong *in part* about Snape 
would be sending a message to abused children not to trust
their gut instincts. Clearly Snape is mean, bitter, and at times 
downright verbally abusive. He doesn't hide it, especially from 
children, who don't need "gut instincts" to tell them to avoid 
him whenever possible. (Gut instincts come into play with the 
less open--and far more vicious--child abusers, who adopt a 
more Lupin-like attitude of friendliness and supportiveness, 
only to say or do things that aren't quite *right*, activating
an instinctual internal alarm that the child isn't  sure whether
to trust or not because of the conflicting evidence. Such is
not the case with Snape's consistently nasty attitude.)
 
Of course, Potions students can't avoid Snape. They have 
to endure him. But that is a life lesson, enduring unpleasant
things and people, and one of Dumbledore's reasons for letting
Snape teach. Another life lesson children learn when they 
mature into adults is that there is more to a person than what 
is apparent on the surface, and that there are often reasons
behind a person's behavior. Knowing why someone acts in a 
certain way (he was abused, experienced a trauma, etc) does 
not excuse that person's bad behavior, but it does allow one 
to understand and even empathize. (Harry finding out that his
father and Sirius did on at least one occasion bully Snape
is an example). 
 
For Harry to realize that there is more to Snape than he 
now knows or sees doesn't negate his interpretation of
Snape's general attitude or behavior. And should Harry find
out that Snape really was Dumbledore's man all along, that
he assisted Harry in ways Harry only belatedly recognizes,
it won't change the fact that Snape is/was a mean, bitter
man who taught with contempt and ridicule rather than with 
encouragement and inspiration. Even if Harry recognizes  this
one part of Snape that was courageous, even "good"--if he 
feels a small bit of respect and gratitude--it won't change  his
overriding dislike for his least favorite teacher, his  contempt
for Snape's revealing of the prophecy to Voldemort, nor his
likely pity for a gifted wizard who gave himself  over to anger,
vengeance and bitterness and thus laid the foundation for  
the wasteland that was much of his life. In this way Harry
can realize that a person can be "horrible" in demeanor
yet ultimately be redeemed by loyalty and courage to do
the right thing. 
 
Julie 
 


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