Snape's death scene (Was: Compassionate hero)

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 175674

Alla wrote:
> 
> > Were you trying to show my ""conflicting"" reaction to the scene
or something like that? That I was contradicting myself or something? 
<snip>
> 
Irene replied:
> 
> I was not trying to show any contradictions in your reaction. I've
just found your initial reaction to be a perfect, one-post summary of
what I thought JKR has intended, that's why I used it as an illustration.

Carol responds:
If that was her intention then she failed to accomplish it with me,
and I think with many other readers, as well. On a first reading I
felt only anguish for Snape and wonder at his last, highly impressive
bit of magic and the poignancy of that last look into each other's
eyes (not thinking analytically about what it meant, just feeling it
as a moment of connection at last). His death, as even Harry saw, was
wholly unmerited (as was Cedric's and many others in the book. People
die suddenly, for no reason or no good reason. That's a fact of life
reflected ruthlessly but truthfully in the books.) I certainly didn't
gloat over Snape's death or his sufferings. I was furious with
Voldemort and hated Nagini. I was right there with Harry, shocked and
horrified as I looked for the last time into Snape's eyes and very
much wanting to see what was in those memories. I cried over "The
Prince's Tale," too, not liking Dumbledore very much but loving Snape
and proud of him for his change of sides and loyalty and courage and
healing skills and unrelenting remorse and opposition to Voldemort. 

On a second reading, I saw the many levels of irony in his death and
how it allowed that last exchange with Harry and the release of
memories as a simple AK would not have done, how the shock and horror
of it prepared Harry for the surprise of the memories, in which young
Severus is shown to be so similar to himself except for his wrong
choices of joining the DEs and revealing the Prophecy to Voldemort.
Harry sees. along with the reader, the genuineness of young Snape's
pain and remorse and the slow change from indifference to himself to
protecting him for Lily's sake to saving anyone he can save, whether
that person is Dumbledore or Katie Bell or Draco, to helping Harry in
his quest as no one else could have done.

I see nothing ignominious in his death. He was killed, after all, by
Voldemort (like so many others before him), and not, heaven help us,
by McGonagall or Flitwick (both of whom he could have beaten had he
really fought them instead of using defensive tactics in "The Sacking
of Severus Snape"--love his swift and powerful Protego!). He died
accomplishing something so important that Harry could not have
defeated LV without his help. And he managed to get Harry to see him
as he really was. Perhaps he saw Harry as *he* really was as well. I
see atonement, expiation, redemption, hope for healing and happiness
in the afterlife. I see irony in his death by snake but no punishment,
no poetic justice. He's on the side of good, after all. After death
comes healing (unless you've split your soul in eighths). "Do not pity
the dead, Harry. Pity the living, and especially those who live
without love." Poor Severus, whose life had only one bright spot,
reflected in his beautiful and powerful doe Patronus. Surely, he's
happier now, forgiven and understood and redeemed by his courage and
unswerving devotion to the cause of protecting Harry and defeating
Voldemort.

Whatever JKR wanted the reader to feel, I don't think it was grim
satisfaction in a painful death any more than we were supposed to have
that reaction to Regulus's self-sacrifice, which was more horrible
still. I think we're meant to feel exactly what Harry feels, shock and
horror at his death and, through the memories, understanding and of
Snape's long struggle for redemption, compassion for the little boy
who could have achieved greatness had he not been so neglected and
unappreciated and misguided by evil friends, and admiration of his
"immense courage," so long unacknowledged by anyone except Dumbledore,
whose treatment of Snape (except for the moment of disgust when young
Snape comes to beg for his help) parallels in many ways his treatment
of Harry, from whom he also concealed information and whom he also
used for "the greater good."

Had Snape died *failing* to accomplish his last mission, as he so
clearly feared, it would have been an ignominious death. And had Harry
watched him die without revealing his presence, gloating over the
suffering of his supposed enemy, the book would have ended tragically,
with the triumph of evil over good. He would have felt vengeance
rather than willingly choosing to sacrifice himself and he would have
tried to fight, resulting in his own death rather than the destruction
of the soul bit because the protection provided by the shared dorp of
blood would have been destroyed.

Carol, who really doesn't care what JKR *intended* but considers this
particular scene a marvelous piece of writing because of the variety
of responses it evokes and the variety of interpretations to which it
is subject