[HPforGrownups] The Unloved Son (was Re: Could I be wrong about Snape being evil?)

[Sherry Gomes]

No: HPFGUIDX 156656

Tonks
Now I guess 
> you could make a case for Snape "feeling" that DD loves Harry 
more, 
> which you have. But I give Snape more credit than that. I think 
> Snape is a mature man, who is secure with his position with DD.  
snip

wynnleaf
I've seen some fan fic writers do an excellent job at writing Snape 
from the perspective of sybling rivalry hatred for Harry.  It 
primarily seems to work if Snape is portrayed as especially 
emotionally immature.  This works well, until Snape has to be 
portrayed in his ongoing work as a spy, having to make difficult 
decisions, having to stay very focused and keep emotions in check, 
etc.  At that point, that degree of immaturity no longer seems to 
fit the character.  



Sherry now:

Breaking my vow to myself never to debate Snape again, since none of us will
ever change each other's minds, ... however, the thing I would never say of
Snape is that he is emotionally mature.  To me, a man who hates a child, an
11-year-old child, on sight, from the very beginning, based solely on who
that child's father just happened to be, well, that's the complete opposite
of emotional maturity.  it's immature in the extreme, I think.  If Snape is
so emotionally mature, he should be able to realize that Harry is not James,
and that Harry has no more control over who his parents were than does
Snape.  Even in the horrid occlumency lessons, Snape got a glimpse of
Harry's childhood, but this did not seem to cause him to begin to rethink
his attitudes toward Harry.  Yet when Harry saw the pensieve memory, he did
feel compassion for the young Severus.  Who's more emotionally mature now?
Maybe, due to his spying role, for whoever is really his master, he can keep
his emotions in check.  He must or die.  But when he lets them out, he sure
lets them out and blows everything to pieces with them.  Speaking
figuratively, of course.  But that scene in the shrieking shack in POA,
followed by the hospital wing scene was one of the biggest out and out
temper tantrums I've ever read, especially coming from a supposedly mature
man.

Sherry