Thoughts on Severus: how does he fit in?

[JP Smith]

No: HPFGUIDX 176729

montims:
Good question... Sydney Carton of The Tale of Two Cities? Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights? They're off the top of my head - I shall be interested to read others' thoughts. I do think, however, we must look to British literature for this kind of character, though I'm not sure why I think this - I must hurry to go to work now, but will ponder this...


JP:
That's a very valid point Janette, and seeing as how very British the novels are, its quite possibly that she (J.K.) pulled from older british novels.  I wouldn't discount the affect that globalization has had on the writing process, with so much accessibility to world literature in the past 20 years, it's also just as possible that the make-up of Snape be Japanese as well as British.  But I think it's far more possible to be Dickension here rather than Noh :P

Check this out:

The Byronic hero is an idealized, but flawed, character exemplified in the life and writings of Lord Byron, characterized by his ex-lover Lady Caroline Lamb as being "mad, bad and dangerous to know".[1] The Byronic hero first appears in Byron's semi-autobiographical epic narrative poem Childe Harold's Pilgrimage (1812-18). The Byronic hero has the following characteristics:

  a.. conflicting emotions, bipolar tendencies, or moodiness 
  b.. self-critical and introspective 
  c.. struggles with integrity 
  d.. a distaste for social institutions and social norms 
  e.. being an exile, an outcast, or an outlaw 
  f.. a lack of respect for rank and privilege 
  g.. a troubled past 
  h.. being cynical, demanding, and/or arrogant 
  i.. often self-destructive 
  j.. loner, often rejected from society 

How many of those does Snape fit?  Qutie a few I think.  Is it possible that Rowling based Snape on the Byronic archetype?  I think so but I also find that highly doubtful as there are some very obvious differences.  I think this is close but we must keep looking to unravel this mystery.  I really think it is more modern than the Gothics, too.  It just feels that way.

I swear to God this is haunting me, I must figure it out!

JP