A character that has brought about
the most surprising character developments throughout the series (so far) has
been Professor Snape. Looking back to the first book, I realized that I never
expected the character to become as complicated or involved with the
overarching plot as Snape is.
Professor Snape, in the first book,
seems to be a likely choice for the “bad guy” in the series. We, as readers,
have no reason to doubt Harry’s judge of character thus far, so when Snape
bullies Harry in Potions class it’s easy to conclude that Snape is simply
evil. At the end of Sorcerer’s Stone, it’s revealed that the charms Snape was preforming at the quidditch game
were intended to save Harry from Quirrell’s, and Snape’s character becomes more
ambiguous. After Sorcerer’s Stone, however, Snape does not become simply “good”
either. He doesn’t ease up on Harry, and maintains a bully-like teaching method
with students outside of his house.
Though there are many examples of Snape’s bullying throughout the series, some
of the most perplexing involve Hermione. In Sorcerer’s Stone, Snape calls
Hermione an “insufferable know-it-all” in front of the other students in the
class. In Goblet of Fire, Hermione’s teeth are growing quickly due to an
ill-shot curse. When she goes to show Snape, he comments that he doesn’t see
any difference. By Goblet of Fire, his bullying is no surprise, but has almost
become particularly petty and pathetic.
It isn’t until Order of the Phoenix
that we really get to see inside Snape’s head. When we experience Snape’s
memory of being bullied by James and Sirius, it not only leads us to questions
our judgment of Snape, but that of James too. It also brings up the question of
empathy, and which characters are deserving of it. Like Harry, I never expected
to feel sorry for Snape, but after learning about some of his past experiences (especially the
snippet of a memory in which Snape is wearing ill-fitted clothes being
bullied by his father, similar to Harry’s childhood with the Dursleys)
how can readers empathize with Harry and not Snape?
I like the way Rowling portrays Snape a lot. As soon as you think you understand Snape, Rowling throws a curveball at the readers. You pointed it out very well. He mistreats Harry a lot in his Potions class, but the reader later finds out that he was bullied very heavily by Harry’s father and his friends. As a result, the reader never knows exactly how to feel about Snape. In the 6th book, Snape has a meeting with other Death Eaters, but throughout the book the reader is reminded that Dumbledore still trusts Snape. Nobody will ever know if Snape is truly evil until the end, which keeps the readers wanting more.
ReplyDeleteI definitely think Snape sees Harry and Ron as James and Sirius reincarnated. While Harry and Ron do not bully like James and Sirius did, they do break rules and constantly seem to be in the middle of trouble. So it is easy to see why Snape treats them they way he does. I was wondering if you thought Snape’s treatment of Hermione might in some way be related to Lily. While I do not think Snape consciously connects Hermione and Lily, Hermione is muggle-born, bright, stands up for others no matter what the cost, and is incredibly kind at heart. Hermione is typically the voice of reason of the trio similar to how Lily was the conscience for James and Sirius. I think Snape might treat Hermione the way he does because he is trying to distance himself from the very thing that broke his heart so long ago. He can’t possibly allow himself to like Hermione (as a student… nothing creepy here) or give her a chance because last time he gave someone like her a chance, he got his heart broken in just about every way possible.
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