Understanding Snape

[Jim Ferer]

Rita, after describing her experience with social phoba:"  That's me. 
That's NOT Snape. 

  Even in the smallest way. He took a job teaching, and even tho' he 
hates dealing with the dunderheads who don't appreciate 'the subtle 
science and exact art of potion-making', he has no objection to 
standing in front of the class, being looked at by so many eyes. He 
has no problem making swooping entrances and dramatic statements. He 
like being the center of attention."

There's many flavors of severe shyness/social phobia, Rita.  Yours is 
one.  Mine was another.  I had that desire for attention at the same 
time I had that extreme self-consciousness and feeling I was being 
watched.  But I wanted to perform, to break out. I did well at 
presentations and was in theatricals and loved doing it, but was 
quiet as the grave most of the time.  I didn't have the abuse at home 
Snape did, but I did have a critical home and isolation at school.  
So I know, firsthand, there is more than one path on that journey.

If you were to visit some of the so-called shyness newsgroups, you'd 
see a lot of Snapeish attitudes there; so much misanthropy and 
misogyny you'd be amazed.  Most of them had experiences like Snape's.

Rita:" I suppose that one of the things he had in common with his 
Slythie friends was a streak of enjoying cruelty. I like to think he 
would be unlikely to find someone who shared that taste on the Light 
Side, but Harry did feel 'satisfaction' when he saw the Hedwig-bite-
marks on Ron and Hermione."

Are you comparing frank sadism with Harry's pissy mood at being, in 
his eyes, jerked around by his friends?  I think there's a big 
difference there.

Rita:"  I see no reason to change my old belief that what has denied 
Snape the pursuit of happiness is self-directed homophobia. "

You wouldn't be making something sexual out of it, would you, Rita? 
<g>. But it's possible, no doubt about it.  Actually, sexuality is a 
traumatic part of life for shys, especially males.  Seeing others 
embark on their love lives while being denied one of your own is pure 
torment, and I'm sure it's equally true for straight and gay people.  
Seeing a couple walk down the street is a taunt thrown right in your 
face, and you can never feel like a real adult.

This isolation, misanthropy, pent-up-resentment, is so like Snape, 
combined with the roots of his early home life and school days, that 
I just had to believe social isolation/social phobia/serious shyness 
is a major element of Snape's character.

Jim