What might Snape consider cowardice?

[Joe]

No: HPFGUIDX 163647

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Kemper <iam.kemper at ...> wrote:
>
> In the Chapter discussion, colebiancardi synopsized:
> 
> Snape drops the big truth on Harry - he tells Harry that he, Snape, is
> the Half-Blood Prince. Harry tells Snape to kill him like he killed
> Dumbledore and again he calls Snape a coward. Snape yells at Harry,
> his face looking inhuman, "DON'T CALL ME COWARD!"
> 
> I, Kemper, wondered in one of my answers, what does Snape consider to
> be cowardice?  Even though some have suggested that he loses his cool
> hear because of some Marauder issues, I'm having difficulty buying it.
>
> Kemper


I remember how Snape in OOP teased Sirius mercilessly insinuating that 
he, Sirius, was a coward because the other members of the Order, 
including Snape himself, were out risking their lives while Sirius was 
safe inside the mansion. This angered Sirius who was more eager to go 
to the MoM when Harry met the DEs there. Psychologists say that people 
project their own feelings on others and I believe that Snape was 
hypersensitive about being thought a coward all along. This due in part 
to his role as a double agent. Having just killed DD (and I believe 
following DD's orders in doing that) his fear of being seen a coward 
was even more pronounced. 

Joe