Choice and Essentialism/Understanding Snape)

[a_svirn]

No: HPFGUIDX 153961

> Magpie:
> That's a really good point about Snape, and one that's used a lot 
in the 
> books, I think.  Almost everyone Harry knows who gives him 
information about 
> Snape is biased against him even if they're not putting him down. 
> Dumbledore refuses to really sit down and talk about why he trusts 
him, 
> Lupin may not like or dislike him but he's still coming from the 
pov of a 
> Marauder.  Lupin's casual "maybe he was jealous of James being 
good at 
> Quidditch" carries a lot of weight even though Lupin has no idea 
what's 
> going on with Snape.  The Marauders would have had their own set 
ideas about 
> what made Snape tick just as Snape has his ideas about James.  But 
Snape 
> himself seems more complex that what he's been reduced to in their 
eyes.
> 
> But it's a clever way of distracting us every time.  Harry himself 
is, after 
> all, always eager to hear the most unflattering and simple 
explanation for 
> Snape there is.  Witness how he makes up his own answers for what 
was 
> probably the biggest mystery of Snape's life, that he just gave 
Dumbledore a 
> song and dance about regret and that's why Dumbledore trusted him.

a_svirn:
By the way, I think in his eagerness for "the most unflattering and 
simple explanation" about Snape Harry reveals what amounts to 
the "wrong" attitude to the crucial problem of "choices vs nature" 
in the Potterverce. Remember when Hermione told him about Snape's 
mother she quoted from the notice in the Prophet? She said that 
Elaine Prince "gave birth" and Harry finished the phrase – "to a 
murderer!" And that's the kind of statement that is contrary to the 
series' and especially HBP's most important message. Because no one 
is "born" a murderer.  Draco is not a murderer by "nature", but he 
could have easily become one. Pettigrew did become one, but not 
because his nature is murderous. As you said, under different 
circumstances he might have turned out differently. Sirius quite 
consciously made a choice – to kill Pettigrew and he would have done 
it too, if it weren't for Harry. Even Harry is not exempt – he has 
accepted that he must kill Voldemort and *wants* to kill Snape – 
that's also his choice, isn't it?