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I could be completely wrong about Snape. In fact, I’m pretty sure I am. After careful reflection and reading some good arguments, think he’s still a good guy.
Point the first: That early chapter where you start to doubt him again…that’s just too obvious, isn’t it? If she REALLY meant him to be evil, she’d hardly TELL us in the beginning of the book and then not throw a twist. I was talking with Ogre (Peter’s younger brother) about POV in the Harry Potter books, and he was complaining about the first two chapters not being from Harry’s perspective. I didn’t mind it, but the point stands…she didn’t make us wait in the dark with Harry. She gave us an inside window, there HAS to be a reason for that. I now think that, instead of thinking Snape’s evil all through the book and then discovering that he’s not at the very end…we’ve gone through sure that he’s good, been betrayed, and at the end of the seventh book we’ll find he was good all along after all. It’s just a two book story arc.
Point the second: As Dave pointed out in a comment…is Dumbledore REALLY likely to plead for his life? If he thinks he’s been betrayed, and is realizing the magnitude of his escape he might have said Severus like that, in a sort of “why would you do this” kind of way. But. Dumbledore is quite savvy, and as Dave said, not the type to plead for his life.
Point the third: Harry is a clever little grasshopper, but he doesn’t have it all figured out by a long shot. When McGonnagle says she’d always assumed Dumbledore had a concrete reason to trust Snape, Harry came out with the “he told Voldemort about the prophecy and then told Dumbledore he was really sorry and Dumbledore fell for it”. I don’t think so. It’s not that easy to get someone’s trust back. It would have taken something considerably stronger than that. Harry is underestimating the both of them.
Point the fourth: Snape is horrible to Harry, but not in a physical way. Ever. Writing lines for Delores Umbridge was a kind of actual physical torture; Snape has always used his words to wound, and if Umbridge could get away with those horrible quills, Snape could have been much more creative with his detentions. Instead, he goes for copying out punishments. Boring, tedious, emotionally painful on occasion, but it’s petty spite, not “I want to kill you” hatred. And I don’t think Snape is sadistic either. Vengeful, holds a grudge like none other, but not sadistic. From his point of view, Harry gets under Snape’s skin just as much as Snape grates on Harry.
Point the fifth: Snape didn’t hurt Harry at the end when he could have. He left him alone. Neatly explained by the “the Dark Lord wants him, back off” thing, but Snape COULD have let the other guy have at Harry. Also, he didn’t bother to counterattack Harry’s curses. He could have, too. If he’d really been on the other side, he would have, just for spite. And he didn’t.
And. Remember in PoA, the film version? Snape put himself between Werewolf!Lupin and Harry, Ron and Hermione. And I believe he’d lost his wand. If he was really evil, he wouldn’t have done that. Self-preservation would have won out. Would JKR really have left that in if he was going to turn out a lost cause?
Finally, that would be MUCH to black-and-white, and that would be really really bad.
I found the following mini-essay ‘round and about, and found it very convincing.
http://www.livejournal.com/users/garlan
Oh, and on a completely unrelated note: This book had ZOMBIES. ZOMBIES, people, ZOMBIES!!!
*is dead*
I feel it is worth nothing that the character who inspires the most intense feelings of loathing in the Harry Potter books (for me) is Delores Umbridge. She’s no great wizard, she’s nothing special really, until she’s been given power. Her capacity to do evil depends entirely on how much people are willing to help her. And I swear, I hate that woman more than Voldemort. Funny that, in the real world, I’m much more likely to meet a Delores Umbridge than a Lord Voldemort.
July 17 2005, 11:43:45 UTC 6 years ago
And yeah, I think you're somewhat right about Snape. More interesting, though, is poor little Draco Malfoy. Finally, after five -point-five books, Malfoy realizes that this Voldemort business isn't just fun and games. I suppose that a spiteful person can say that it serves him right, for all the big talk and malice he's been a part of, and that he's just a coward after all (once again, shades of Snape.. if Snape IS good, after all, he's showing uncommon bravery and chutzpah).. but really, Malfoy's just a scared little kid, probably somewhat decieved and indoctrinated by his parents that the life of a Death Eater is all Glory and Power.. all while they enjoyed the luxury of there being no Voldemort around to prove things differently. There's a very real chance for Malfoy's redemption here, though he's likely to die in the process.
Also I find it significant that Malfoy somehow happened upon the Hand Of Glory, first mentioned in book 2, but was scorned by Lucius Malfoy for being fit for "plunderers and thieves", and that obviously Draco was meant for better stuff. Does the fact that he has it indicate that he's not?
July 17 2005, 23:58:08 UTC 6 years ago
Bah, I hope he doesn't die. Redemption would be nice.
And wasn't it your journal that was babbling about how no, not all Republicans are evil post-election?
:)
July 18 2005, 00:11:04 UTC 6 years ago
July 18 2005, 00:19:01 UTC 6 years ago
July 18 2005, 03:28:48 UTC 6 years ago
Point the first, I found rather squiggly. It could have been a double-double blind. At least, I went through the whole book thinking Snape innocent - it wasn't such an obvious thing to do at all. Much more interesting is how Snape's hand shakes when he promises to kill Dumbledore. Possibly - Snape and Dumbledore had already found out Voldemort's plans, and talked about the necessity of Dumbledore's death?
On good Slytherins... what about Slughorn?
Again, there's more in the scene where Snape killed Dumbledore that you didn't mention. Dumbledore had ASKED Harry to run get Snape. When Snape showed up, Dumbledore doesn't show initial happiness; he started pleading before Snape made it clear whose side he was on. Nasty mistake by Rowling, unless it wasn't a mistake.
There's also the row on page 406 between Snape and Dumbledore, which Hagrid overhears. Snape doesn't want to keep doing something for Dumbledore. The fact that the scene was "overheard" meant they were speaking in a private context. If Snape was bad all along, there was no need to insert a scene in which Snape was fooling Dumbledore into continued belief of his innocence, BEFORE Snape is revealed to be a villain.
On the other hand, in this series particularly, Rowling has lots of interaction with the fans WHILE she's writing the books. If people make it clear they expect certain things to happen, she'll probably have some surprises in store anyway. If I were writing the book, I would make Snape turn out to be bad, because I like sad endings.
And kill off Harry along the way... Neville can be Voldemort's secret twin.
July 18 2005, 08:41:18 UTC 6 years ago
I mean, really... why DOES Dumbledore keep "Dung" around? *cackle*
July 18 2005, 22:13:55 UTC 6 years ago
Out of the gutter, you!
*boggles*SO not going there. Not going anywhere NEAR there.
And we are most definitly NOT going to spend time contemplating Dumbledore's love-life, lack thereof, or any matters related thereunto.
July 25 2005, 19:05:02 UTC 6 years ago
i agree with the "redemption of draco" ideas, and i'm still working on my feelings about snape. i think there have been some good points about dumbledore and snape possibly discussing it beforehand, etc. and i thought about it and came up with this: maybe dumbledore also knew that harry needed to be independent to win this battle. harry was (as i have posted in my own journal) really stupid in my opinion, not understanding the importance of researching you-know-who, finding a weakness, etc. but without dumbledore, harry is forced to think on his own. i really am convinced that she's stopping after the seventh book because harry will be dead.