Snape and the "Chosen One" Was: Nice vs. Good - Compassion

[lupinlore]

No: HPFGUIDX 153584


> > 
> 
> Catherine now:
> 
> I might not agree with your views of Snape being abusive, but I can 
> certainly understand why someone might see it as you do. What I 
don't 
> understand is how you figure that JKR is speaking approvingly of the 
> abuse of children. 
> 

And here is where we get into JKR putting her foot into her mouth.  
Like so much else, this goes back to statements about Dumbledore.  
Dumbledore is the headmaster, who is the "epitome of goodness" 
who "knows everything that goes on at Hogwarts."  Now, if an "epitome 
of goodness" knows something and takes no action, either that "epitome 
of goodness" is restrained or, else, the "epitome of goodness" 
approves tacitly of what is going on.  If an "epitome of goodness" 
approves then the action is approved of, as what else can one make of 
soemthing of which the "epitome of goodness" approves?

Now, frankly I don't much care whether Snape is redeemed or not.  
Nothing Snape does can be perceived as sending a message.  What 
Dumbledore, "the epitome of goodness" who knows "everything that goes 
on at Hogwarts" does VERY MUCH sends a message.  And if DD tacitly 
approves of Snape's treatment of Harry then child abuse has been 
approved of.

So, actually I surprise many and withdraw my oft-stated message about 
Snape's apology and JKR's reprehensible failure. I do think that is 
the only way Snape can be redeemed and I most certainly DO NOT think 
that his sacrificing of himself without a sincere and humble apology 
for his abuse of Harry and Neville would constitute redemption 
constitute redemption in any way.

However I do see another way out -- which would be to withdraw the 
imprimatur of the "epitome of goodness."  I.E. if she were to make 
very clear that DD did not approve of Snape and was for some reason 
restrained from putting a stop to his abuse of Harry and Neville, then 
she would have dodged that particular fatal moral bullet.  There is of 
course precedent for this with regard to the Dursleys.  

However, sadly, the time for that is past.  DD is gone and it will be 
difficult if not impossible to clear all that up.  So I'm afraid I'm 
now going to go back on what I just said and say that, although JKR 
might dodge the bullet by withdrawing DD's imprimatur, that isn't in 
the cards, so an apology is her only way out.  I don't see that 
happening either, but there you go.


Lupinlore