Face it, there is a reward for being nice (was Re: Sadistic Snape)

[nrenka]

No: HPFGUIDX 140300

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "pippin_999" <foxmoth at q...> wrote:

<snip>

> Snape did comparatively little bullying of Harry this year, (there's
> no mention of how every class is a torture) , and none at all
> of Neville, AFAWK. Neville is pretty much bully proof now, I think.
> He's learned to appreciate himself for who he is instead of who
> he thought he should be. Odd how humility is the real secret of
> self-esteem. And it didn't take an apology from anybody.

Why, Pippin--is that 'no harm no foul'?  That's a dangerous and 
delicate road to walk down. :)

We can argue that Neville has not been permanently damaged, in part due 
to Neville's own innate character and resources for coping.  Does that 
diminish the moral wrongness of Snape's actions towards him?  If we 
wanted to say 'no harm' at everything that didn't result in permanent 
physical injury, then most all of the bullying in the books goes off 
the table, poof.

I suppose that Snape himself might remain on the table as an example of 
a damaged and harmed person, except there's a fairly complex and 
unclear path of causality, there.  At least there's no abuse of 
authority (JKR's terms and mine) in his schooldays cases.  That we know 
of, of course.

I'm just very, very wary of the "It turned out okay for everyone--we 
don't need to think about the 'offenses' as meaningful" line of 
argument.

-Nora leaves everyone to figure out their own preferred examples