Snape, Apologies, and Redemption

[tbernhard2000]

No: HPFGUIDX 152309

nethwen21 wrote:

> what Professor Snape does is humiliate, and punish weakness, nothing
more.

Nothing more? Humiliation, at the QWC, for example, was a prime tool
of the Death Eaters. Were they "just" humiliating muggles, and
punishing their "weakness" in terms of magic? Humiliation is ever a
tool of the latest brutal power to silence the masses - Snape uses it
to silence his classes. But punishing weakness - when does that ever
get smart? Besides, it's not weakness Snape is punishing, but
contrariness. He shuts up those who disagree. Nothing at all to do
with weakness - rather, say it is strength that he abhors, or
celebrity other than his own. He abhorred James' strength, after all,
all those years ago, and immediately launches in on Harry's celebrity
status. No, Snape ignores weakness, it's beneath him. But strength,
that he wants to beat down and humiliate. What a jerk!

> Professor Snape is based on a teacher Ms Rowling had and whom she
hated as a pupil. I have had the feeling all along that she does not
think of her teacher in this way now and that the major theme in her
books is about misjudgement and overcoming prejudice.

And I think she feels strongly enough about this teacher that she has
immortalized his nastiness in books that will be read for centuries.
Nowhere has she said she thinks differently about him now, nor does
the fact that she has said Snape was based on a teacher she had make
her relationship with said teacher a model for the relationship
between Snape and the trio in the books. She's added some art here.

dan