Sadistic Teachers (was:Re: Teaching Styles)

[nrenka]

No: HPFGUIDX 148114

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "horridporrid03" 
<horridporrid03 at ...> wrote:

<snip>

> That he really relishes watching someone else in pain.

<snip>

> I feel that if someone asked her, "Is Snape a sadist," she'd 
> either answer no, or (as she usually does) tap-dance her way into a 
> non-answer.  She's worked too hard at maintaining Snape's 
> ambiguousness to destroy it all in an interview.

I stand by my reading of Snape as a sadist in the "enjoys the 
discomfort of others" meaning, which means I don't have to do the "oh 
JKR didn't mean it" tap dance. :)  But I think there's something 
interesting here, which I'd argue for (and have repeatedly):

While JKR is often quite ambiguous about actions and events, so as 
not to give away the plot, she's rarely been too ambiguous about her 
evaluation of the fundamental character of her characters.  She's 
never been terribly cagey about Snape on that front.  She's 
continually hammered at the "Who on earth would want Snape in love 
with them," saying she hesitates to say that she loves him, saying 
he's a sadistic teacher, ad nauseam.  

Where she has been openly cagey and refused to answer questions 
explicitly is about what he has done in the past and his greater role 
in the plot--so as not to spoil the next book.  These are two very 
different things.

I guess it's just hard for many listies to reconcile the idea that 
Snape might be and remain presented as a thoroughly nasty and 
unpleasant person in his character, but still have some major plot 
role that JKR wants kept under wraps until the end. :)

For myself, one of the grand ironies of Snape's character is lost if 
he's not doing what he does partially because he enjoys it.  Here's 
the kid who was, for at least part of his school career, the object 
of pranks of others, at least sometimes from an outnumbered 
position.  (Although we are told in several places that this was 
mutual, and Snape sure was...inventive.)

Is there not a kind of bitter and galling irony that he's now someone 
who uses his own position to exercise power over others?  That he 
has, in his scenario, not embraced the idea "It was bad when it 
happened to me, so I won't be cruel to others?", but instead enjoys 
being in the superior spot--and a spot that is solidly superior, 
unlike the classmates situation vis-a-vis the Marauders.  If anyone 
has missed the forgiveness and learning from the past train, in 
thematic terms, it's Snape.  I like seeing that theme in toto and not 
defanged, although it may well not prove out.

But since I don't do the JKR didn't meeeean it dance, I hope it will.

-Nora returns from a weekend of ungroomed powder and baby air