Is Punishment the only recompense?

[dumbledore11214]

No: HPFGUIDX 140823

> Marianne: 
> And that is a major part of why I would find it very unsatisfying. 
> Whether or not Snape would find words meaningless is immaterial.  
> It's not about him doing as he sees fit, even if his actions are 
all 
> for the good now. To me that smacks of letting Snape off the hook, 
> in a sense, in that it allows him to atone in the way that he's 
most 
> comfortable with or the way he feels is best. He's not 
acknowledging 
> to the person or people whom his actions have hurt that he's sorry 
> for what he's done to them.
> 
> bibphile:
> I suppose there are two reasons it doesn't bother me all that 
much.  
> Firstly, I think each character's action have to make sense for 
that 
> character.  If Snape doesn't see how his apologizing will help 
> anyone them it make perfect sense to me for him not to apologize.  
> Secondly, I don't think it would mean anything at all to the 
people 
> hurt (at least not to Harry, maybe to some of the others).


Alla:

Oh, I disagree. I think character's actions should make sense to the 
reader first and foremost. Of course I am talking about myself only, 
since for different readers characters actions make different kind 
of sense.

I mean, it is all great to postulate that Snape IS remorseful, but 
how do I as reader to actually KNOW that?


Many things can make sense to Snape. For example he can consider 
himself to be absolutely right  into his dealings with Harry and 
Neville. Does it mean that I think he is right? Of course not. 

But again I am not even talking about Snape's teaching shenanigans. 
I am talking about one thing now  for the purpose of this argument - 
Snape being complicit in Harry's parents death.

If Snape is genuinely regretting what he did, the last thing I care 
about is Snape comfort level, when he apologises.

I guess I even consider his apology to be the ultimate punishment 
for Snape. If he is WILLING to do it, if he is willing to look  in 
the eyes of the boy , whom he helped to make an orphan and,who 
partially because of him is now carries the burden to destroy 
Voldemort ( since as we know - if Voldemort would not attacked, 
Harry would not have been  the Chosen one) and say " I am sorry", 
then I believe that Snape IS sorry, otherwise I am not convinced.

And of course  that is not even taking into account of what happened 
in HBP.

I also think that it would mean a lot to Harry.



>  Marianne:
> However, I'm inclined to agree with you that we won't hear it, not 
> because Snape thinks actions speak louder than words.  But, 
because I
> don't think Snape was remorseful to begin with.

Alla:

Yes, Marianne I am inclined to agree with you.


JMO,

Alla