[the_old_crowd] Re: A BIAS in the Pensieve: A Batty Idea About Snape

[Kathryn]

Neri

>I think that JKR has certainly planted
> vampire suggestions in her characterization of Snape. All the sweeping
> around in billowing black cloaks, the black cold eyes, living in the
> cold dungeons, etc. 
> 
> Moreover, there's a JKR's drawing of Snape that can be seen, held by
> Herself, in:
> http://www.fictionalley.org/harryandme/profsnape.jpg
> 
> (warning: watching this picture is not recommended for those who think
> Snape is sexy).
>  

K

Thanks for the link to the image Neri, I'd never seen that before. My first
impression admittedly is that he looks uncannily like Ming the Merciless and
I refuse to picture him like that in my head, not because he's not
attractive in it (as a fully paid up member of the Snape is Sexy school of
thought I would refute the idea that sexiness and handsomeness are
necessarily even vaguely related, I have never considered him to be
physically attractive), but rather because if I was imagining him like that
I'd never be able to take him seriously again. I also don't think he's a
vampire (I was absolutely certain he wasn't but I do wonder a little now
because really why couldn't JKR just give a categorical "No" in that case?)
but that is a very stereotypical vampire pose. Any moment he's going to give
an evil laugh and vanish in a puff of smoke - actually I don't know about a
vampire pose now I come to think of it but rather it's a move every male
pantomime villain in history has used at some point - if he offers to
exchange new cauldrons for old, don't take him up on it, mark my words!

Really I think the whole vampire thing originally was born from the whole
dramatic, sweeping movement thing she keeps seeming to attribute to Snape,
whereas I think what she was really trying to convey was the slightly
old-fashioned, stern schoolmaster image of teachers in public schools/Tom
Brown's Schooldays etc. I imagine if she'd really described a lot of the
minor staff we might find similar descriptions - has anyone done an analysis
into descriptions of McGonagall? Because I'm sure some of the same
descriptions could be found about her if anyone really tried (I can't prove
that canonically, having not analysed it, it's just an impression I get).
Maybe even about some of the other main staff if it wasn't for the fact that
vampires are rarely imagined as being three feet tall (Flitwick) and tend to
have a fairly decent fashion sense (unlike Dumbledore)

K

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