The 'Seeming' Reality

[houyhnhnm102]

No: HPFGUIDX 155517

wynnleaf quoted:

> At times we are regaled the same account of events from 
> different perspectives, which lead us to believe the 
> validity of the event because there is corroboration 
> from different characters.

Magpie:

> It's not like every time it seems like Snape is being 
> a jerk he's really being nice. Harry was perfectly 
> correct when he sensed that Snape hated him that very 
> first day. He's not always wrong about Snape. He just 
> doesn't know the man truly and neither do we readers.

Alla:

> What I do **not** see Harry being wrong about is Snape 
> being nasty bastard, because for that to be true, the 
> **words** that leaving Snape's mouth should be different, 
> or in other words, Harry has to report distorted picture, 
> completely distorted picture.

houyhnhnm:

Just as Frank Churchill is convicted by his own words and 
actions of being a shallow irresponsible fop.  And that 
view of him is corroborated by the judgement of other 
characters (his father and stepmother) as sensible and 
down-to-earth as Emma is fanciful.

So certain is the reader that Frank really is a great 
coxcomb, that Austen can drop her anvil-sized hint (the 
piano arriving right after Frank's trip to London, a 
device she's even used before in _Sense and Sensibility_) 
and nobody gets it (I certainly didn't) because Frank's 
excuse of going to London to get his hair cut is soooo believable.

What we find out about Frank at the end doesn't excuse 
all of his behavior, either. Entering into a secret 
engagement in the first place, flirting with Emma at 
the picnic show that Frank *does* have some responsibility 
and judgement issues, but overall, it turns out that his 
behavior is capapble of a very different interpretation.