Why did Snape call Lily a 'Mudblood'?/ Drama triangle

[lizzyben04]

No: HPFGUIDX 177646

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Jen Reese" <stevejjen at ...> 
wrote:
>
> Wow, it's a slow list day! I've got a question for a slow day: why 
> *did* Snape call Lily a Mudblood?  Also, I'm curious how others 
read 
> Snape's Worst Memory given his new memories in DH.  Did the 
resolution 
> work for you?  I'm on the fence about this part.
> 
> Jen, playing kid chauffeur at the moment, waiting for a b-day 
party 
to 
> finish.
>

lizzyben:

This scene actually does work for me & it makes sense from 
a psychological standpoint. As I was flipping through a psych book 
about "scapegoating" (regarding Slytherins), I came across an 
interesting theory - it's called Karpman's drama triangle. And this 
theory *perfectly* describes what happened in Snape's Worst Memory.

>From Wikipedia:

"Karpman drama triangle" - The drama triangle is a psychological and 
social model of human interaction in transactional analysis ("TA") 
first described by Stephen Karpman ...The model posits three 
habitual psychological roles (or roleplays) which people often take 
in a situation:

The person who is treated as, or accepts the role of, a victim 
The person who pressures, coerces or persecutes the victim, and 
The rescuer, who intervenes out of an ostensible wish to help the 
situation or the underdog.
  (Note that the rescuer role is one of a mixed or covert motive, 
not an honest rescuer in an emergency; see below) 

As the drama plays out, people may suddenly switch roles, or change 
tactics, and others will often switch unconsciously to match this. 
For example, the victim turns on the rescuer, or the rescuer 
switches to persecuting.

Overview and theory:

A "game" in Transactional Analysis is a series of transactions that 
is complementary (reciprocal), ulterior, and proceeds towards a 
predictable outcome. Games are often characterized by a switch in 
roles of players towards the end. The number of 'players' may 
vary. ... They are always a substitute for a more genuine and full 
adult emotion and response which would be a more appropriate 
response. ...

In the Drama Triangle, the 'switch' is then when one of these, 
having allowed stable roles to become established, suddenly switches 
role. The victim becomes a persecutor, and throws the previous 
persecutor into the victim role, or the rescuer suddenly switches to 
become a persecutor ("You never appreciate me helping you!").

Note that the "game" position of Rescuer is distinct from that of a 
genuine rescuer in an emergency, such as a firefighter who saves a 
victim from a burning building or a lifeguard who saves a victim 
from drowning. When played as a drama role, there is something 
dishonest or unspoken about the Rescuer's attempts, or at best, a 
mixed motive or need to be a rescuer or have a victim to help. The 
rescuer plays the role more because they are driven to be a rescuer, 
than because the victim needs their involvement.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karpman_drama_triangle

Why does the victim retaliate? 

"You notice that both the Persecutor and Rescuer are on the upper 
end of the triangle. Whenever we assume either of these stances, we 
come across as one-up. From either position we are relating as 
though we are better, stronger, smarter, or more-together than the 
victim. Sooner or later the Victim, in the one-down position, 
develops a metaphorical "crick in the neck" from looking up. Feeling 
looked down upon, resentment builds and some form of retaliation 
follows. At that point the Victim moves into a Persecutor role. 
Reminiscent of a not-so-musical game of musical chairs, all players 
sooner or later rotate positions."

http://www.lynneforrest.com/html/the_faces_of_victim.html

We can see this "game" perfectly in SWM. You need three people to 
play - a victim, a persecutor, and a rescuer. James is the 
persecutor, and he chooses Snape to be the victim, (perhaps w/the 
intent of luring Lily as the "rescuer"). James persecutes & bullies 
Snape, and Lily intervenes as the "rescuer". However, she has very 
mixed motives, and seems to relate to the persecutor more than the 
victim. Both "persecutor" and "rescuer" are on a higher level, 
presenting themselves as  superior, stronger, better than the 
victim. This happens in SWM, as James & Lily seem to be on the same 
level as they bicker & flirt. Meanwhile, resentment builds in 
Snape, the victim, and he feels a need to escape his "victim" role - 
so he retaliates against the "rescuer" by calling her a mudblood. 
Now all the positions of the triangle have changed - Snape is the 
persecutor, Lily is the victim, and James is the noble rescuer. Lily 
then switches to persecutor to escape the victim role... and round & 
round they go.

Snape seems to get involved in these sorts of triangles pretty 
often, which makes me think it was a pattern he learned from his 
dsyfunctional home life. It's also really, really interesting to me 
that the "Drama Triangle" is an example of scapegoating, considering 
how central that scapegoating concept appears to be w/regard to the 
Slytherins & Muggles. You could almost see all of wizarding society 
as one dsyfunctional drama triangle.


lizzyben