Sadistic!Snape? /a little bit of Dumbledore's and Lupin's teaching

[dumbledore11214]

No: HPFGUIDX 140244

> Betsy Hp:
> Probably because the books don't plainly state it at all.  Which 
is 
> why I ignore the interviews.  Though I'll also add that I believe 
> you're stringing two interviews (of fairly different time periods, 
> IIRC) together.  I don't think JKR ever said, "Snape is a deeply 
> horrible and sadistic man, who's abusive to his students."  But 
> folks take various interviews and manipulate them so it appears 
> that's what she said.  Another reason I feel free to ignore the 
> interviews.  They can be ambiguous in and of themselves.


Alla:

Here is JKR's quote:

"What about Snape?
JKR: Snape is a very sadistic teacher, loosely based on a teacher I 
myself had, I have to say. I think children are very aware and we 
are kidding ourselves if we don't think that they are, that
teachers 
do sometimes abuse their power and this particular teacher does 
abuse his power. He's not a particularly pleasant person at all. 
However, everyone should keep their eye on Snape, I'll just say
that 
because there is more to him than meets the eye and you will find 
out part of what I am talking about if you read Book 4. No, I'm
not 
trying to drum up more sales, go to the library and get it out.
I'd 
rather people read it. "


I think the gist of this quote is exactly that - first sentence says 
Snape is a sadistic teacher, second sentence says that this 
particular teacher does abuse his power. Sounds rather close to what 
you said, IMO.

I don't see any manipulation here, Betsy. Besides, if there are 
interviews which say the similar thing, but with slightly different 
wording it is because JKR is being repetitive, no? We may mix up 
exact wording, but the gist is the same, IMO. And since I consider 
it to be the expression of author's intent, maybe not complete, but 
certainly not misleading, IMO, I think that it makes the argument 
stronger.


> 
> Amiable Dorsai:
> Other than, you know, picking out a student for "special attention"
> during his very first Potions class, insulting an orphan's father,
> insulting a student's looks, playing favorites, casting aspersions 
on
> a student's intelligence to another teacher in front of the student
> and his classmates, making an unjustified criticism of another 
teacher
> to that teacher's class, threatening to poison a student's pet and
> then being abusive after he's thwarted, discouraging class
> participation from the best student in his class... 
<snip>
> Other than that, yes, he seems very jolly.
> 

Alla:

Don't forget that as consequence of his treatment of the students 
Harry goes to the Occlumency lesson with the "horrible feeling that 
he was imprisoning himself" ( paraphrase) and Neville ... well, 
Neville is scared of him most of all.

Oh, and of course this teacher seems to have no problem throwing  
the student out of his office  and throwing a curse at the student 
of his.

I suppose this is all in Snape's manual of " what is within 
teacher's powers and what's not" :-)


I think JKR shows perfectly well what kind of teacher she likes and 
what kind she does not. Lupin of course is a wonderful example, but 
I think Dumbledore was a great teacher as well. I wish we could see 
some lessons of his.

I loved his reprimand of Harry when he did not get the memory from 
Slugghorn.

"A hot, prickly feeling of shame spread from the top of Harry's head 
all the way down his body. Dumbledore had no raised his voice, he 
did not even sound angry, but Harry would have preferred him to 
yell; this cold dissapointment was worde than anything" - p.428.
I find it amusing that Dumbledore knows how to scold Harry without 
ever actually teaching him ( I mean sure  he is the Headmaster, but 
Harry never had classes with him), but Snape could not figure that 
out during five years.

It reminded me of Remus' scolding Harry when he went to Hogsmead in 
PoA, that one was also contrasted with Snape attempting to give 
Harry a  lecture in which he failed miserably IMO.

I think one of Albus' biggest mistakes was allowing Snape's free 
reign at Harry and Neville. No, I don't think he did it because he 
is a Puppetmaster, I get it that he wants people figure out things 
for themselves ( the example with Hagrid which JKR gave in the 
interview). I guess he was just hoping that Snape will see the error 
of his ways on his own,  but I think that if he would put his foot 
down in the beginning, many tragic mistakes could have been avoided.

Yes, yes, I get it that we would have no story then, but from within 
the story, I do think it was a mistake on Albus' part.


JMO of course,

Alla.