[HPforGrownups] Why Snape is my hero, an analysis of "The Prince's Tale"

[Sherry Gomes]

No: HPFGUIDX 172423

Zgirnius
Then we have the memory discussing getting the sword to Harry, in which
Phineas, reporting on Hermione, refers to her as the Mudblood. 
And Snape calls him on it. The two huge things we could have held against
Snape at the start of his redemption, his lack of care for anyone except
Lily and himself, and his allegiance to the pureblood ideology, are both
shown to be gone. And he is shown to be taking risks to help people for whom
he has no love.



Sherry:

It's well known I have no love for Snape, but this moment, when we see him
tell Phineas not to call Hermione a Mudblood was one of the greatest moments
in all Snape moments for me.  Yes, I think you're right, that Snape did have
a progression into realizing his old pure blood ideology was wrong.  I'll
never forgive him for murdering Dumbledore--not being a fan of the plan and
disliking both DD and Snape for it--but I definitely agree that this moment
was one of the shining moments.  Who knows, on a second read, I could end up
coming to believe that in the end, Snape was another victim of Dumbledore.


Zgirnius 
His final words, "Look at me!" 
have in my view, a double meaning. The obvious meaning several posters have
described as creepy. But how is Snape's wish to see Lily's eyes as he knows
he is dying any different from Harry's use of the Resurrection Stone to give
himself courage as *he* goes to his death? 


Sherry:
I actually didn't find it creepy that his last wish was to see lily's eyes.
I found that poignant.  After all, he had done all of this for her.  It
seemed understandable to me that he would want to see those eyes as he died.

Even I was moved at Snape's death, and shocked and sickened.  I had expected
him to die, but that was a terrible way for it to happen.

Sherry