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

[wynnleaf]

No: HPFGUIDX 156704

wynnleaf (me) wrote previously
> >
> > 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.

Lupinlore
> Except, as another poster has pointed out, one measure of immaturity
> is a very well-adapted ability to compartmentalize emotions to get
> things done.  It isn't necessarily something confined to immature
> people, by any means, but immature people often display this ability
> to an astonishing degree.  I think the analogy of fighter pilots is
> very well taken.  Or that of Robert Hansen, an incredibly immature
> person (with intense father issues, by the way) who nevertheless
> managed to function as a KGB mole within the CIA for many years.

wynnleaf
In another part of the post above I tried to point out that Snape
really has *no* areas of his life that are free of the stress and
strain of having to be either a. under cover spy b. pseudo DE for his
Slytherin students with ties to LV c. teacher d. regular head of house
duties e. regular DE duties (whatever those are)  f. extra stuff for
DD including handling Dark Arts emergencies, teaching (half-heartedly)
Harry occlumency  g. keeping up with Draco's plans to murder DD  h. 
dealing with his own problems with the Vow, knowing he'd either have
to kill DD or die, etc.  Throughout all of that Snape, unlike
real-life spies, has to protect his mind from an expert legilimens. 
Sure he probably *can* compartmentalize his life.  And within those
compartments there appear to be areas where he's immature -- that is,
his dealings with Harry in particular.  But a *very* immature person
just wouldn't be able to deal with that pervasive amount of stress and
the necessity of being constantly on his guard.  Unlike the real-life
Hansenn, Snape risks death at practically a moments notice if he's
discovered.  

>Lupinlore 
> Yet we have the statement by the portrait on DD's wall when Harry
> comes into the office at the end of OOTP, to wit that "DD speaks
> very highly of you, as I'm sure you know.  Oh yes, holds you in
> great esteem."
> 
> Now, who is he speaking TO?  Obviously McGonagall, who is the head
> of Harry's house.  But one wonders if he is not speaking to Snape as
> well.  After all, DD has watched Harry "more closely than [he] can
> have imagined."  If Snape is constantly being presented with the
> fact that DD is very interested in Harry -- is in fact watching him
> closely -- and if most such encounters end in DD expressing "great
> esteem" for Harry, I doubt that Snape would react with anything
> other than jealousy and irritation.  After all, why didn't DD take
> such an interest in HIM when the marauders were tormenting him?  And
> I doubt that the fact of how often Harry and DD actually met face to
> face would enter his mind very much.  After all, that would require
> him to see things from Harry's perspective, not an ability that
> Snapey-poo possesses.

wynnleaf
I wouldn't be surprised if Snape was jealous of the degree to which DD
lets Harry get away with things.  And certainly a person with a
particularly low self image might listen to DD's praise of Harry and
hear only that, but perhaps not accept as real any compliments and
positive statements DD would make toward him (about Snape, that is). 
Certainly it's possible that Snape is very jealous of Harry in a sort
of sibling rivalry sort of way.  But since DD really spends very
little actual time with Harry, compared to what must certainly be a
good deal more time with Snape, it seems doubtful that that kind of
jealousy would be at such overpowering heights as to be the primary
fuel for Snape's hatred of Harry.  
 
wynnleaf