Prodigal Sons

[msbeadsley]

No: HPFGUIDX 140646

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Magpie" <belviso at a...> wrote:

> Mrsbeadsley wrote:
First off, my handle is Ms., not Mrs., Beadsley; please make a note of
it. ;-)

> Actually, I can't resist pointing out not that MWPP bullied in one 
> scene, but that in a post about the meaning of the Prodigal Son and
> how Snape could never be the Good Brother you're, uh, playing part 
> of the Good Brother. That is, feeling satisfaction at the idea of 
> Snape, Draco or Dudley getting their comeuppance--exactly what the 
> Good Son was presumably counting on when his brother came home.  
> Instead he was welcomed back with a feast and a fatted calf for 
> dinner. :-)

This is rather personal, isn't it? Sorry if I got under your skin. And
I rebut: unlike Elder Brother, I am not asking for or expecting
anything for myself. My sense of and longing after what I perceive to
be justice is not predicated upon any notion that *I* am better or
more deserving than Draco, Snape, or Dudley (tho' Harry is, absolutely
<eg>); if I had done the things they have, I'd deserve punishment as
well. On the occasions when I have behaved like them (and there have
been a few), I've taken my lumps. And I prefaced my comments by saying
outright I was not angelic. Perhaps JKR will take some or all of these
three characters through grace and obviate the need for punitive
measures, and perhaps she will do it in such a way that I and others
are satisfied. Perhaps we will become privy to details of their
histories and find that we sympathize and can chalk up their bad
choices and evil deeds to poor environmental conditions, or failed
nurture. As the story stands at the moment, however, I have a hunger I
am not at all abashed by to see these three take some well-deserved
knocks where we can see them. IMO, it would be instructive to them and
also would go some distance to earning my sympathy as well. On the
other hand, we have seen Harry knocked about thoroughly since the very
first (second, if you don't count the off-screen orphaning) chapter.
I'm on his side (bearing my D'oh (Defender of Harry) shield...wait, is
that another list? proudly). Harry is the orphaned hero; he bears the
mantle (inherited Invisibility Cloak) and the sword (Gryffindor's, in
the Chamber); he carries a wound, as does Arthur, King of the Britons,
and is destined to wear a crown; it may be one of thorns, but the only
one the story will contain is his.

BTW, I am both Eldest and Prodigal in my family, although daughter
instead of son. My younger brothers have been prodigal as well; we
take turns wearing the black sheepskin. As I am eight years older than
the firstborn of the family's two sons, I'm afraid I influenced them
awfully. ;-)

One more point: I am utterly convinced that, literarily, Snape is
deliberately written in manner that means we love to hate him. (JKR
has described him as "deeply horrible" and "sadistic" and fun to
write. Hmmm?) I'm convinced he's (rather wretchedly) on the side of
good; he's the anti-hero (and I'm having trouble recalling many
stories which offer both a hero and anti-hero, piling on to my
admiration for JKR); the "anti-" is why we hate him, and the "-hero"
is why we love, or love to hate him.

> I remember pre-OotP actually describing Snape much the same way as 
> Ceridwen is, actually.  Not as the Good Son, but by saying that I 
> thought Snape probably resented the fact that he did lots of dirty 
> work and all James (and later Sirius) did was die dramatically and 
> was remembered as a great hero, especially when James seemed like he
> could be a real jerk to Snape.  At the time people thought that was
> ridiculous--how could James be a jerk?  But I thought the way MWPP 
> treated Snape in the Pensieve was already laid out for us through 
> the Map in PoA.  I guess within the scene it seems like they're 
> sticking up for Harry against Snape the teacher, but I assumed that
> this was just the way they spoke to him all the time.

Although I wasn't here pre-OotP and missed your description, I have
read similar musings and don't actually have a problem with this.
(Pause for reader jaw-raising.) I had a problem with Snape as Good Son
in the parable because it just didn't work for me. I think that if we
add "Wrong-Side-of-the-Tracks" Snape (chimney sweep to indolent,
entitled young Lords Fauntleroy Sirius and James) to "Mad Scientist
Snape" (that burning desire to know how and why; IMO, Snape wants to
control processes, not people) we could easily explain how he got to
be "Double (or Triple) Agent Snape."

I like your explanation for the Map's response to Snape; I had always
figured it would defend itself against *anyone* who tried to pry into
its secrets absent the password, but the personal nature of its
response fits very well. On the other hand, it's the same old story of
Snape snooping, busily ferreting out miscreants as if he had a divine
mandate (at least somewhat supportable in his role as teacher), as the
Map's comment about his nosing illustrates. Nobody likes a tattletale
or a crybaby (sniveller); it's just human nature. (I know, having gone
through childhood phases of both which were brought sharply back to me
in June when I spent out-of-state time with a particular 8-year-old
niece (now in tattling phase; I told her to "go *write it down,* as we
shall undoubtably want to refer to it later") everyone says is "just
like her Aunt Sandy.")

I was in accord with the rest of what you wrote, so snipped it.

Sandy aka msbeadsley