Current Events > I grew up reading/watching Harry Potter, but (SPOILERS)

(+) Yeah! (+)

I never got why I should care that Snape was ever in love with Lily. Dude was a jerk the entire time we knew him.

1) Become friends with pretty girl
2) Treat her like garbage
3) Treat her son like garbage
4) Never get over her
5) Get killed by the guy who murdered her

Truly the work of a literary genius.

Snape was a victim of abuse, first from his dad and then from his classmates. His love for Lily represented his attempt to find just one positive thing in his miserable life.

His failure to maintain that friendship (and maybe more, eventually) was largely the result of being Sorted into Slytherin, where his literal life was in danger by not going along. (That was in addition to his literal life being in danger from the likes of Sirius Black.)

Snape's choices have to be viewed through that lens. Abuse victims often perpetrate more abuse. That doesn't mean they're not victims.

In a way, Dumbledore served as a surrogate for Lily, in that he had faith in Severus when no one else did. Severus clung to that thread until his death.

Snape is the prime example of "tragic character that fans overlook or downplay their faults to demonize someone else"

Being played by Alan Rickman didn't help.

In case anyone reading this topic is wondering

https://youtu.be/_W8RjaFfar4

Too long didn't read, basically:

Alan Rickman. That is all.

Oh, and another thing: Most of the story is told through Harry's eyes. Harry hated Snape, so readers do too.

The one time Snape comes across as a half-decent human being is the scene with Narcissa and Bellatrix, which is NOT from Harry's point of view.

And Sorting sucks.

Sariana21 posted...

Snape was a victim of abuse, first from his dad and then from his classmates. His love for Lily represented his attempt to find just one positive thing in his miserable life.

His failure to maintain that friendship (and maybe more, eventually) was largely the result of being Sorted into Slytherin, where his literal life was in danger by not going along. (That was in addition to his literal life being in danger from the likes of Sirius Black.)

Snape's choices have to be viewed through that lens. Abuse victims often perpetrate more abuse. That doesn't mean they're not victims.

In a way, Dumbledore served as a surrogate for Lily, in that he had faith in Severus when no one else did. Severus clung to that thread until his death.

His life wasnt in danger just for being in Slytherin. He wasnt a death eater as a first year (lol). Iirc he was happy to be sorted there.

LonelyStoner posted...

His life wasnt in danger just for being in Slytherin. He wasnt a death eater as a first year (lol). Iirc he was happy to be sorted there.

That's a very...nave interpretation of what being in Slytherin would have been like in the 1970s.

His connection to Lily was really just to contextualize why he was such a giant dick to harry, and then later to briefly have us questioning whether Harry's dad was a good guy or a total asshole. I don't know that the books really try very hard to make us care that he liked her beyond that.

Sariana21 posted...

That's a very...nave interpretation of what being in Slytherin would have been like in the 1970s.

Being in Slytherin doesnt make you evil. Its Harrys perception that made readers believe that.

It was just his motivation for being loyal to Dumbledore and protecting Harry. He was a death eater but Lily's murder drove him back to the good side.

Dude became a Nazi because he got rejected by the girl he liked

UnholyMudcrab posted...

Dude became a Nazi because he got rejected by the girl he liked

I think thats an extreme oversimplification. Never mind that he got rejected because he was a wannab DE. He hated Muggles because of his father. The DEs represented a way to get back at people like his father. He wasnt able to reconcile those feelings with his affection for Lily. Consider the disdain he had for her Muggle sister.

Severus Snape was a complicated character. He was a much better villain than Voldemort, who was portrayed as born evil (to the detriment of real-world products of rape, adopted children, and more). He was more interesting than Lucius Malfoy, who was just a supremacist, or the Carrows, who were ???. The next-most interesting was probably Bellatrix, who was certifiable.

Sariana21 posted...

I think thats an extreme oversimplification. Never mind that he got rejected because he was a wannab DE. He hated Muggles because of his father. The DEs represented a way to get back at people like his father. He wasnt able to reconcile those feelings with his affection for Lily. Consider the disdain he had for her Muggle sister.

Severus Snape was a complicated character. He was a much better villain than Voldemort, who was portrayed as born evil (to the detriment of real-world products of rape, adopted children, and more). He was more interesting than Lucius Malfoy, who was just a supremacist, or the Carrows, who were ???. The next-most interesting was probably Bellatrix, who was certifiable.

Lucius showed more character development towards the end of the series beyond being a supremacist. Hes despicable, yes, but he loves his family very much and very obviously regretted a lot of his choices after seeing the results of his support.

LonelyStoner posted...

Lucius showed more character development towards the end of the series beyond being a supremacist. Hes despicable, yes, but he loves his family very much and very obviously regretted a lot of his choices after seeing the results of his support.

Seeing this true to life with the Trump admin tbh.

dameon_reaper posted...

Seeing this true to life with the Trump admin tbh.

I wish the average Trumper was as sympathetic as Lucius fucking Malfoy

lilORANG posted...

I wish the average Trumper was as sympathetic as Lucius fucking Malfoy

I'm just saying that I have seen a few people pull a Lucius when Trump went into power, realizing, albeit too late, that he was the wrong man to follow.

Sadly, I was hoping that as well. I hoped that majority of them would realize all the things he's doing is not good and they'd smarten up. I truly underestimated how stupid they are.

UnholyMudcrab posted...

Dude became a Nazi because he got rejected by the girl he liked

Dude became a Nazi because he agreed with their ideals.

McmadnessV3 posted...

Snape is the prime example of "tragic character that fans overlook or downplay their faults to demonize someone else"

Being played by Alan Rickman didn't help.

This. We're told a bunch of horrible shit about Snape during his time at Hogwarts and we even see signs of some of it but people love to ignore it and his relentless bullying of Harry, Hermione and Neville.

LonelyStoner posted...

Lucius showed more character development towards the end of the series beyond being a supremacist. Hes despicable, yes, but he loves his family very much and very obviously regretted a lot of his choices after seeing the results of his support.

I dont actually see that. Narcissa showed that kind of love, but Lucius not so much. I do believe he loved his family, but I dont see much redemption, more selfishness. I might be thinking of the movie, though, when they just run away. I havent read the book in a while.

Sariana21 posted...

I dont actually see that. Narcissa showed that kind of love, but Lucius not so much. I do believe he loved his family, but I dont see much redemption, more selfishness. I might be thinking of the movie, though, when they just run away. I havent read the book in a while.

Lucius is outright shown panicking Draco is in danger there. Bad as he is, he loves his family.

LightSnake posted...

Lucius is outright shown panicking Draco is in danger there. Bad as he is, he loves his family.

It was really cemented after Voldemort punished Lucius by giving his only child a task he knew Draco couldnt accomplish. The punishment was supposed to be Dracos death or a lifetime in Azkaban.

Snape is probably the best written character in th franchise. He's a reprehensible bully who mocks children, but he's also a hero.