Oh, I do think Snape has a strong moral sense, especially after HBP. I agree that he (most likely) fights his worst instincts, but to do that consciously means that you *do* have a sense of right and wrong and also a fair bit of self-knowledge, don't you think?
His desire to rescue children is so powerful and so instinctive that I don't think he is consciously trying to prove anything by it. It's almost a compulsion, and has given me interesting ideas about what his early life may have been like (did you read "The Blessing"?) Certainly, I do agree that he never really had any adults to protect him, and he may well resent that.
And I absolutely, totally, agree with you both about his desire to rescue Draco and his actions in POA. What inspired this essay was reading some absolute hate from Sirius fans, who could find nothing good in Severus at all. It's amazing - we actually see him doing something incredibly brave and selfless, and the marauders fans simply ignore it, or even try to make him evil in that instance. Severus fans just don't seem to have the same attitude. I don't *like* Sirius - I don't like any of the marauders, really - but I think even wretched Peter probably has his good points (though we haven't seen them yet) and the others certainly do.
Oh - that there is a streak of insanity in the Black family does seem likely. And the dog comparison definitely doesn't exclude it - but having thought it out made Sirius a more bearable character to me. As I said, I really don't like him, but he would make a very good dog, though of the dominant-aggressive type. ;)
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Date: 2007-04-20 02:38 am (UTC)His desire to rescue children is so powerful and so instinctive that I don't think he is consciously trying to prove anything by it. It's almost a compulsion, and has given me interesting ideas about what his early life may have been like (did you read "The Blessing"?) Certainly, I do agree that he never really had any adults to protect him, and he may well resent that.
And I absolutely, totally, agree with you both about his desire to rescue Draco and his actions in POA. What inspired this essay was reading some absolute hate from Sirius fans, who could find nothing good in Severus at all. It's amazing - we actually see him doing something incredibly brave and selfless, and the marauders fans simply ignore it, or even try to make him evil in that instance. Severus fans just don't seem to have the same attitude. I don't *like* Sirius - I don't like any of the marauders, really - but I think even wretched Peter probably has his good points (though we haven't seen them yet) and the others certainly do.
Oh - that there is a streak of insanity in the Black family does seem likely. And the dog comparison definitely doesn't exclude it - but having thought it out made Sirius a more bearable character to me. As I said, I really don't like him, but he would make a very good dog, though of the dominant-aggressive type. ;)