Re: This shall be Salman Rushdie´s words (Spoiler????)!?

[wynnleaf]

No: HPFGUIDX 156512


> 
> --- colebiancardi <muellem at ...> wrote:

> > >  This shall be Salman Rushdie´s words.
> > > 
> > > Rushdie: It has always been made plain that Snape might be an
> > > unlikable fellow, but he was essentially one of the good guys.
> > > (Massive cheering) Dumbledore himself has always vouched for him. 
> > Now
> > > (unintelligible) Snape is a villain and Dumbledore's killed. We
> > > cannot, or don't, want to believe this. (Cheering and laughter). Our
> > > theory is that Snape is in fact still a good guy. We propose that
> > > Dumbledore can't really be dead. That this in fact is a ruse, cooked
> > > up between Dumbledore and Snape to put Voldemort off his guard. 
> > Harry
> > > then will have more friends than he knows when he and Voldemort do
> > > face. So, is Snape good or bad? (Massive cheering). It's plain to 
> > see,
> > > everything follows from this. (Cheering)
> > > 
> > > Jo: Your opinion, I would say, is right. However, I see I am going 
> > to
> > > have to be more explicit and say Dumbledore is definitely dead.
> > > 
> > > Here to find:
> > > http://www.leakylounge.com/index.php?showtopic=30932&st=370#
> > > 

wynnleaf
First, I am a strong supporter of DDM Snape and that he and Dumbledore
planned a great deal of their actions on the evening DD died.  

But I think we can't be too swift to assume what JKR meant by her
answer to Rushdie's question.  

First, according to observers Rushdie gave his comments/question right
after JKR had been disconcerted by the young child asking about
Dumbledore's death.  Then she was further surprised by this famous
author coming up to ask a question.  Following was Rushdie's comments
and question.  In print, it's clear what he was saying, but many
observers, in posting about his comments prior to transcription, said
that they weren't clear on what his theory was or exactly what he
meant.  If a lot of observers weren't clear, we don't know for sure
that JKR understood all of his comments either, particularly as they
came in the wake of her facing a difficult question/answer with the
child, and now facing a famous author who was basically saying "I
think Snape's good and DD's alive.  Yes or no?"  

It's hard to tell exactly what JKR meant to answer.  Some observers
felt that she was answering Rushdie's entire comment when she said
that his opinion was correct, and only adding the part about DD's
really being dead in order to give more explicit info in that area. 
Others think she was answering the general notion that "if Snape is
evil, DD must be dead," which is so obvious hardly anyone on any side
of the debate has really ever questioned that.  And others think she
was just answering the part about DD being dead, although that would
make the "your opinion is correct" part irrational since Rushdie
thought DD was alive.  

I find it hard to believe that after protecting the mystery of Snape's
loyalties for so many years, JKR would just come out and admit it so
directly.  Of course, I realize she could have been flustered by
having Salman Rushdie, of all people, without warning standing before
her in front of a crowd of people telling her his theory and asking if
it was correct.  So she *could* have accidently spilled the truth. 
But the thing is -- we can't know for sure.  

It is just as possible that JKR was referring to Rushdie's comment
that everything follows from whether or not Snape is loyal or not. 
She could easily have meant, "that's correct, everything hinges on
whether or not Snape is loyal," which basically tells us little.

wynnleaf