Bats (was Clues to Snape's Loyalties)

[horridporrid03]

No: HPFGUIDX 170899

> >>houyhnhnm:
> <snip>
> Finally, I found this interesting tidbit at the 
> University of Michigan Fantasy and Science Fiction 
> Dictionary of Symbolism:
> 
> "It has qualities of both the bird and the mouse, 
> rendering this animal a symbol of ANDROGYNE"
> <snip> 
> I hope it doesn't mean that Snape is going to turn out 
> to be a literal hermaphrodite.  That would be extremely 
> yucky (but it would explain Rowling's insistance that 
> the idea of Snape in love is a horrible one).

Betsy Hp:
Just to add to that: Snape is good with both a wand and a cauldron.  
Though, yeah, I seriously doubt JKR will have him turn out to be a 
hermaphrodite (why would it even come up for one thing?). But I 
wonder if there might be something to his being so comfortable in 
both male and female arts?

Though, I question the bat imagry a bit.  Someone (can't recall who, 
sorry) on this thread mentioned that Snape is described as an 
overgrown bat swooping around and there's more comedy than anything 
to that image.  While I see consistent spider imagry, is there 
anything besides the overgrown bat thing to hang the "bat imagery" on?

As to positive versus negative animal images: Scrimgeour is strongly 
connected with lion imagery.  I don't think this precludes him from 
being wrongheaded and sly, despite the kingly and noble connotations 
of his particular beast.

Betsy Hp