Is Snape good or evil? (longer)

[Emily Anne Rude]

No: HPFGUIDX 149006

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

> The problem for me there is the emphasis on things like Lupin's 
> comments at Christmas: Dumbledore trusts, and we have to trust in 
> him.  That's the horse that's flogged to death throughout the books, 
> and I think it's flogged for a reason...

Emily:
And I absolutely agree.  It is my opinion that if Snape turns out to
be no more than Voldemort's stooge, his whole character will crumble.
 Here is a short treatise on the subject I have put together, in
defense of Mr. Half-Blood Prince.

Reverse Dramatic Irony!!

Abstract

Hypothesis: 
Snape, contrary to popular belief, is justified in his actions. 
Obviously working independently of any organization other than the
Death Eaters, he seems to have designs contrary to his master's.  

	The motivation for this intensely delicate Dark Cloak-ism may seem
ambiguous at first, but there are several items which are difficult to
ignore.  Firstly, let us discuss Severus Snape's character so that we
may have a foundation to work from.  Simple altruism is out of the
sometime professor's scope. The only welfare he is concerned about is
his own, as far as we are concerned. He rarely allows himself to be
rash, but makes each move as calculatingly as Riddle himself– if not
more so.  He never underestimates and never boasts, except to Harry.
But it is clear as day to the reader that by no means is humility one
of his stronger qualities.  This is why I believe it unlikely that he
would pass by any opportunity to give his master the slip.  
	It can be said that Snape suffers from the same complex as the Dark
Lord does– a desire for power stemming from a traumatic childhood.  It
may be observed that both used a pseudonym in their youth that only
their closest confidantes knew.  Both were very scholarly, and both
intensely secretive.  However, the two figures differ from each other
in this key way: confidence.  The reason that Tom Riddle is now the
Dark Lord instead of Snape is a simple matter of self-esteem. 
Voldemort has many outlets for his feelings of rage and hatred
festering from childhood, but Severus has none.  The fact that his
position in the society he participates in relies on Voldemort's
acceptance must be agonizing to him, a man who must always be alone. 
We must keep in mind that Severus remains very human, no matter his
powers of self-control, and is subject to his emotions just like
anyone else.  Consequentially, it is unrealistic that Snape is
satisfied with his current status.
	In no way do I attempt to suggest that for an instant did Severus
enjoy being "Dumbledore's stooge".  However, it is equally absurd to
suggest that he enjoys being Voldemort's stooge, or anyone else's.  It
would be tragic if we found that Snape was nothing more than the pawn
of a greedy tyrant, his brilliant mind gone to waste on an
unprofitable end.

Points of Reason

     I.	Voldemort, by assigning the heavy task of murdering Dumbledore
to such a weak servant as Malfoy, indirectly indicated that he wanted
Malfoy dead and out of the way.  Narcissa believes this.

     II.	Snape swore to protect the same, thereby risking the wrath of
his master.  This was obviously a strategical move.  Also confirms
Narcissa's fears.

     III.	Dumbledore refused to tell why he trusted Snape.  After all
he tells Harry, why not this? Why would he not tell the members of the
order? One possibility is that trusting him to be good entailed
trusting him to carry out his own murder, which no one would knowingly
allow.

     IV.	Dumbledore told Harry, when the situation was getting tense,
to fetch Snape right away. Admittedly, at first read it seems that
this is a request for a revitalizing potion, but how would Snape know
what to bring?  Harry is not knowledgeable enough to assist there, and
does not trust Snape enough to describe the circumstance.  Simply
Snape's presence will not heal the old headmaster– there must be some
other reason.

     V.	If Dumbledore did not wish to die, he would not have
immobilized Harry.  Harry had proved his abilities time and time
again, and could very well have saved D., being invisible at that
time.  One could say that it was Dumbledore's love and concern for
Draco that caused him to restrain Harry.   However, Harry could have
easily retrieved Dumbledore's wand, or otherwise helped the situation
without hurting young Malfoy.

     VI.	In this same scene, D. tells Malfoy that it is his mercy M.
should worry about.  This implies that D. is perfectly able to defend
himself, and is placing himself in a completely open position on purpose.

     VII.	The expression of hatred and revulsion on Snape's face
before he commits the murder  I believe to absolutely genuine.  To
think that Snape ever remotely liked Dumbledore is foolish.  However,
we must consider why this is so.  I am of the opinion that Dumbledore
knew he as going to die in a fashion similar to what happened on the
tower, though he may not have known exactly when.  I am also quite
sure he was constantly touting the value of love to Snape at every
opportunity, which undoubtedly made Snape think he was dealing with an
idiot.  By the time Dumbledore was kneeling at his confidante's mercy,
I'm sure Snape felt there was plenty to revile in him.  After all,
what kind of idiot would lay himself open like that for love?  Also,
we must not rule out the likely possibility that Dumbledore put him in
a position where he had no choice but to kill him.  If Snape is evil
through and through, which I still stubbornly refuse to believe
entirely, he definitely will not like being a pawn in simultaneously
Voldemort and Dumbledore's plans.  Hence, the expression.

     VIII.	Snape's angry reaction to Harry calling him a coward
(unwise on his part, but fortunate for us) shows most clearly his true
intent.  He is angered by the fact that Harry, of all people, should
be calling him a coward when in fact Snape is risking most everything
for him.  For whatever reason, which will undoubtedly be disclosed
later, Snape has had to commit a murder that will barr him from
society forever, dashing any hopes of any kind of acceptance by
anyone, accept V.-- under whom there is not much advancement.  He's
already been through that.  It must be terribly painful for nothing
but hatred and blind misunderstanding to be pointed at him when he is
already under such duress.

     IX.	The Prophecy is by no means binding; Snape could have killed
Harry as he ran from the scene on the spot.  He was certainly angry
enough.  However, that particular action would be contrary to his
scheme.  He is not exclusively the agent of Voldemort, else Harry
would be dead.  

     X.	Bellatrix, the ultimate authority on dark doings, does not
trust Snape.  This should speak for itself.  She teaches Draco
occlumency for precisely this reason.

     XI.	Page 36– Snape seems to be uncomfortable about killing D.,
but has not much choice. The twitch is telling.

     XII.	I believe this is of dreadful importance: Snape did not have
any obligation to aid Narcissa. He decided to help her out of
compassion, and only compassion, for what could he possibly hope to
gain out of the promise?  He avoided making definite promises until
Narcissa requested the Unbreakable Vow, and even then there was slight
hesitation.  But, as you observe, compassion won out and he agreed to
help Narcissa.  Not Draco– Narcissa.  I will take this opportunity to
remark that the Binding both in arrangement and in wording remarkably
resembled a wedding ceremony.  Please refer to page 36.

     XIII.	THESE BOOKS ARE WRITTEN BY ROWLING.
          A.	Aside from all of this, we must keep in mind who is in
control of these characters. If Snape is just another Bellatrix, the
imbalance of good versus evil would be too much to sustain a strong
plot line.  

          B.	In addition, Snape's character has been developed more
than any other character in the book, at least within the text; for
him to turn out to be just one more piece of short sighted,
essentially two-dimensional cannon-fodder for Voldemort would incite
the masses to riot.  Rowling would be risking her own neck.

          C.	While not "good" like Hagrid or Minerva, Snape is not a
Mater Motley figure.  If Rowling knows her readers at all, she will
understand that to make Snape "evil" would be to deflect even more
reader hatred from Voldemort to Snape, making him the real villain. 
While she may allow him to be nasty, cruel and manipulative, complete
blind evil would imbalance the story, contradict the personality of
one of the most complex characters in literature, and destroy the
carefully cultivated image of a man most readers have come to revere.
 I mean that in the best possible way.  Unless Rowling is simply sick
of the whole affair and blights her story with moral wreck and ruin on
purpose, perhaps to punish the detested fangirl population, I think it
unlikely that Snape will in the end turn out to be a stooge of
Voldemort and nothing more.

Conclusion

	While I do not suggest that we shall find Severus discussing John
Lennon with Jimmy Carter any time soon, I do believe that he will
prove to be less of a disappointment than we may have momentarily
feared.  Taking his complex though familiar psyche into account along
with the circumstances that bred him as such, one can safely say that
by the end of the seventh book either he will die a miserably tragic
death or he will accomplish his peculiar ends and set his soul to rest
in peace.
	I, personally, am in favor of the latter.  But we the readers are
prey to the whim of the Story-keeper, and of course shall bear the
distress of not knowing until the story lays itself to rest for good
and all.