Snape! Snape! Snape! Snape! Loverly Snape! Wonderful Snape! (long)

[dumbledore11214]

No: HPFGUIDX 148194

Shawn:
<SNIP>
JKR sees Snape as a teacher who abuses his power - 
> fine, she has every right to do so. That doesn't mean she is right, 
> because other people's definitions differ.
> 
> JKR is not the fount of all wisdom. Her definitions of things like 
> abuse are not unchallengable, just because she's a writer.

Alla:

Well, I understand your POV. Sure, one can disagree with JKR in her 
definition of abuse. I don't, but I understand if other people do, 
but what I do disagree with is the argument JKR did not really mean 
it. JKR called Snape a sadistic teacher. Her definitions of sadism 
and abuse can differ from yours and other people's, that is easy to 
understand with, but as I said what is hard for me to understand is 
the defense "she did not mean it". Unfortunately we cannot get in her 
head :-), all that we can go on are her words and to me her words are 
clear enough.

Snape may not be sadistic to you, but at least to me the fact that 
JKR called him as such helps to figure out the author's intentions 
somewhat, you know. IMO of course.


Shawn: 
> I also think people can make too much of precise words used in 
> interviews. I don't think all that many people have been 
> interviewed by the media really. I have been on several occasions, 
> although on only one of those occasions did the details of that 
> interview wind up in the media. I don't think that using a word 
> imprecisely in a media interview is a sign that a person is sloppy, 
> it's just a reflection of the fact that you are having to think on 
> your feet and often condense quite complex ideas into a fairly few 
> words. <SNIP>

Alla:

See, I don't understand this at all. How do you know that JKR used 
the word imprecisely? IMO it is more logical to assume that she meant 
precisely what she said.

JMO,

Alla