Sadistic Teachers (was:Re: Teaching Styles)

[dumbledore11214]

No: HPFGUIDX 148011

> Renee:
<SNIP>
>But you can't maintain she didn't intend Snape to be
> sadistic because Umbridge is a sadist. There's no reason whatsoever
> why the series shouldn't contain two sadistic teachers, each with
> their own personal brand of sadism. 

Alla:

Yes, yes, yes. Okay, Snape is LESS sadist than Umbridge is. Does it 
make him NOT a sadist at all? Not in my book. 
 

Renee:
> Personally, I do see Snape's sadism quite clearly. The Trevor 
incident
> is sadism, because Neville is obvioulsy terrified. The incident 
where
> Snape reads the Daily Prophet article about Hermione in class is
> sadism. Snape's "gloating pleasure" when Harry's potion drops to 
the
> floor and breaks is sadism (regardless of the question whether it 
was
> Snape who caused it to drop). I'll omit his 'horrible smile' in the
> Marauders Map incident in PoA, becaus he isn't teaching at the 
time.
> But its obvious enough that Snape enjoys himself when he humiliates
> others, or causes discomfort and fear. Admittedly, Umbridge is a 
worse
> sadist than he is. That doesn't exonerate Snape. 

Alla:

Have you noticed that he SMILES all the time when he does things to 
Harry? If smile is not the sign that the person enjoys himself, I 
really don't know what is.

But here are some more examples of Snape enjoying himself:

"Mr. Crouch!" Harry shouted. "From the ministry! Heis ill or 
something - he is in the forest, he wants to see Dumbledore! Just 
give me password up to ---
"The headmaster is busy, Potter," said Snape, his thin mouth curling 
into an unplesant smile" - GoF, paperback, p.558

I really don't care if Snape was really holding Harry till 
Dumbledore comes up as it was argued in the past. He SMILES when he 
sees student in obvious distress. It is a sign of sadistic teacher 
in my book. IMO of course.

"Put that wand away at once," he said curtly. "Ten points from Gryff-
-"
Snape looked toward the giant hourglasses on the walls and gave a 
sneering smile.
"Ah, I see there are no longer any points left in the Gryffindor 
hourglass to take away. In that case Potter , we will simply have to-
--"

"Add some more?" - OOP, p.852, paperback.


Putting aside the unfairness of not giving Draco any taking away 
points as old news, here we see it again - he smiles.

Personally, I think Snape is some kind of emotional vampire ( HAHA - 
I know he is not a real one of course). He feeds on the negative 
emotions of his students. This is out landish speculation of course, 
nothing more, but it somehow ties for me with Snape being DE in the 
past and trying to figure out again ( we did have discussions in the 
past about it) what part of death Death Eaters are really eating - 
really or metaphorically.

Maybe they feed their magic on people's fears?

Wasn't it Neri who speculated something to that effect? That DD lets 
Snape "feed" on his students' fears as long as he does not "eat" too 
much. I maybe awfully confused here.


Renee: 
> Maybe JKRs tolerance treshhold for sadism is low. But it's obvious 
to
> me that she means Snape to be sadistic, and this, again is a 
possible
> indication of where she'll be taking him in the last book.
> 
> 

Alla:

Yes, again. Agreed.

JMO,

Alla
>