Understanding Snape

[pippin_999]

I said:
> IMO, Snape hates  Harry  because, underneath it all, Harry 
reminds him of *Snape*."

Jim: 
>> I think the Harry/James hatred link is too clear and 
demonstrated to  be completely false.  The fact Harry is popular 
and has friends is  not the prime motivator for Snape's dislike, it 
just aggravates the  situation.  How do you feel Harry reminds 
Snape of himself?<<

I guess I'd put it the other way--Harry's resemblance to James 
aggravates the situation but the underlying cause is something 
else.  After all, Neville's not  like James and Snape picks on him 
too.

Harry was scrawny and undersized, started school with a 
reputation, had an unhappy home, clung to the wizarding world 
all the tighter for not being sure whether it would accept him,  
was suspected of being involved in the Dark Arts, was desperate 
to earn recognition--and has that saving people thing.  All of 
which seems much more like Snape than like James, although 
we can only guess at why Snape seems to be so alienated.

Pippin