The 'Seeming' Reality

[sistermagpie]

No: HPFGUIDX 155527

> Alla:
> 
> Well, yes, that is all I am saying, really and believe it or not, I
> have read plenty of arguments that Harry is wrong when he describes
> Snape as nasty jerk. Hate as I do the possibility of DD!M Snape, I 
can
> totally see Harry being wrong about that, you know? :)
> 
> 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.

Magpie:
Oh, I absolutely believe you've read those arguments!  But I agree 
that's not what JKR does--nor does Jane Austen do that.  I think 
both women are more interested in the difference between personality 
and I guess what would be ethics or basic character.  Some of 
Austen's characters are obnoxious and also not good people.  Some 
are unpleasant but not as bad, some pleasant and bad.

So I don't think it will turn out everything seemingly bad about 
Snape was good--there's no fun in that.  It erases the character 
people have grown to like/hate/like to hate to begin with and just 
stamps "JUST KIDDING!" in his place.  The trick, if Snape is DDM, is 
to make both sides of his personality work together and be true.  
That should make it *more* fun to re-read Snape's scenes later, not 
less.  The ferret scene being a great example of this--once we know 
the whole story about who Moody is the ferret scene gets better, not 
worse.  Because it's not like everything we see in Fake!Moody is 
just an act.  No, JKR makes sure that we're mostly seeing the real 
thing, just not understanding the person underneath.  

I think it's the same thing with Snape.  In HBP Harry says, with 
regards to the idea that Snape is just pretending to help Draco, 
that "not even Snape is that good an actor" (or something like 
that).  Even though Snape himself in that scene is saying how 
important it is to know how to act.  They're two different things.  
Harry is, imo, right when he instinctively feels that Snape is not 
acting when he says he's committed to helping Draco.  If he wasn't 
right about that I think JKR would have had him say something else, 
not those kinds of words.  What he could be satisfyingly wrong about 
was just what that meant to Snape to be helping him (it does not 
have to mean they're both committed to helping the Dark Lord take 
over the world).

Taking away Snape's hatred of Harry and James, as opposed to just 
adding a dimension to it, wouldn't be half as satisfying.  
Especially if Snape was just "acting."  Or if Harry's pov was skewed 
in a way that seemed completely fake. Whatever surprises there are 
with Snape, I doubt they will read like a post that's turning 
Snape's every bad moment into something selfless and good.

In fact, while I also think Harry might be on the receiving end of 
some unflattering re-cognition about himself, I doubt Snape will be 
the one in position to do it.

-m