Why does Snape wants DADA job if it cursed? LONG

[nrenka]

No: HPFGUIDX 148853

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "lupinlore" <rdoliver30 at ...> 
wrote:

>> Sydney:
>>
>> I feel like I'm in a story meeting where someone is actually 
>> arguing for a option that's weaker-- less tied in to the plot, 
>> less motivated, less informative, less surprising, less 
>> meaningful, and with some big consistency issues-- BECAUSE it's 
>> weaker.  How am I supposed to argue with that? 

I don't think that characterization of said option is entirely fair, 
but I'll actually take a different line on its usefulness.

> Lupinlore:

<snip>

> They don't try to make every answer to every question be some kind 
> of deep revelation that takes the plot and characters in a  
> surprising or new direction. 

Not to mention the point made above, that not everything has Meaning 
in the grand scheme of things.  I've read many writers talking about 
the craft of details, which go into setting a scene and creating 
atmosphere, but not all of them turn out to be hidden clues or 
particularly meaningful--yet the writing would be impoverished 
without them.

It's often a trainwreck in literary terms when an author tries to 
make every single thing count for as much as he can, because there 
are too many balls in the air.  It can become exhausting and tiring 
to read from making too many connections (and there are good musical 
analogues to this, too.)

What is gained in this (or any case) by saying "Hey, sometimes 
obsession is just obsession, and this is a fundamental trait of the 
character" is that one doesn't take up time and space exploring it, 
which leaves it free for other things.  I don't claim to know JKR's 
priorities, but I have noticed that they are not nearly as much with 
the adults as many readers would like.  I'm not saying she's going to 
shunt aside all aspects of the Snape question (far from it), but I 
*am* fairly sure that she's not going to linger lovingly over them in 
detail, as we all would probably like her to just to settle some 
perpetual arguments.

The gain of a simple explanation is that it's there on the table and 
characters can then do things that react to it and relate to it.  It 
doesn't threaten to overgrow the rest of the story like kudzu.  I 
recall a comment someone on another forum once made: "You know, with 
most other fantasy writers, Snape would be the main character and 
angst would be indulged in."

-Nora is so very happy that some genre norms aren't being followed 
here