I'm so glad you posted a link to this essay again, because when it appeared on your journal I thought I'd save it for later and then forgot about it - which is a shame, because it's very thoughtful and thought-provoking. Your analysis of Sirius and his dog-style is excellent and made me look at him in a new way... Some of his flawed reactions to people have in fanfic been attributed to madness running in his family; I think people who suggest so have a point, but your alpha dog reading makes wonderful sense (and doesn't exclude the insanity thing).
Thank you for pointing out all the instances in which Snape rushes to save someone. I have often wondered about the strength he displays going after the trio in PoA, when he is obviously still traumatised about the werewolf incident from his schooldays. Many marauder fans seem to belittle his effort - but it's true: he goes to face a werewolf to retrieve three children he doesn't even like. It is true that Harry ought to thank him on bended knee, even if it doesn't feel that way to Harry and Snape is wrong about Sirius's intentions.
The reason why I am so fond of Snape and find him interesting to think and write about is indeed that he appears as a man who battles his worst instincts. He tries to do the right thing, even though he doesn't, in my opinion, have a strong moral sense. He has to keep himself in tight control, because he knows what happens if he doesn't. This is why I am convinced that he is no longer on Voldemort's side - none of his characterisation in the books would make sense if he were still a convinced evildoer. I do think that his rushing to children's aid is his way of proving that he is better than the adults who left him at his own devices (as he sees it) when he was himself a child. I am quite convinced that he blames those adults for the fact that he joined the Death Eaters, and his favouring Draco is partly rooted in a drive to rescue the boy from a fate like his own.
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Date: 2007-04-19 01:24 pm (UTC)Thank you for pointing out all the instances in which Snape rushes to save someone. I have often wondered about the strength he displays going after the trio in PoA, when he is obviously still traumatised about the werewolf incident from his schooldays. Many marauder fans seem to belittle his effort - but it's true: he goes to face a werewolf to retrieve three children he doesn't even like. It is true that Harry ought to thank him on bended knee, even if it doesn't feel that way to Harry and Snape is wrong about Sirius's intentions.
The reason why I am so fond of Snape and find him interesting to think and write about is indeed that he appears as a man who battles his worst instincts. He tries to do the right thing, even though he doesn't, in my opinion, have a strong moral sense. He has to keep himself in tight control, because he knows what happens if he doesn't. This is why I am convinced that he is no longer on Voldemort's side - none of his characterisation in the books would make sense if he were still a convinced evildoer. I do think that his rushing to children's aid is his way of proving that he is better than the adults who left him at his own devices (as he sees it) when he was himself a child. I am quite convinced that he blames those adults for the fact that he joined the Death Eaters, and his favouring Draco is partly rooted in a drive to rescue the boy from a fate like his own.