To start with, thank you for this really illuminating and inspiring essay. There are, nevertheless, several points I can hardly agree with so, I suppose, I'll concentrate on them mostly. I mean, if I just write "wow, how brilliant!" it won't be so interesting, yeh? :) Well, nevertheless, I 100% agree with your analysis of Sirius, and, yes, the canine analogy seems to be the most illuminating way to analyze his character. Then, your point about Snape's readiness to safe adolescents in danger I also highly appreciate. I remember quite well all the occasions you are mentioning but I have never thought about them as a pattern, but there clearly IS a pattern indeed. Now, what I hardly can agree with at all is the statement that Snape's behavior on these occasions is a manifestation of true Christian love. More even, I can hardly agree with that motto you suggest: "Love isn't how you feel. It's what you do". Love, actually, is both. Doing good to anybody implies, obviously, that you have a fairy justified idea of what IS good for him. And it is on very extreme occasions only (read: while saving someones love) when you can assume the other's good to be something self-evident. Let me remind you of several situation in the HP canon: - Lupin boosting Neville's self-esteem in the Boggart scene in PoA; - Harry preventing Sirius and Lupin from committing homicide in the same book; - Barty Crouch Jr. forcing Neville to face what Cruciatus curse is, and comforting him afterwards; - Harry giving his Triwizard tournament earnings to Weasley twins; - McGonagall teaching Harry to hold his temper with Umbridge; - Hermione making invigorating comments to help Harry/Cho romance in OotP; - Dumbledore explaining Hagrid exactly why he shouldn't resign; - Dumbledore allowing Harry to shout and break furniture in his office in the end of OotP; - Harry faking the pour of Felix into Ron's drink; - Harry talking Slughorn into giving away his Horcrux memory; - Dumbledore talking to Draco on the head of the Astronomy tower. On all these - so very different - occasions the person named first is doing what I'd call "good" to the other. It is making life better for the other - by helping him to cope with his fairs or his grief, by teaching him to control his temper, by making him understand himself better, by guarding him from doing a big mistake, whatever. But to do good of this kind needs a fair amount of empathy to your companion, one can't mend other's psyche if he has no idea at all about what's going on there. And empathy is exactly the field where Snape is extremely challenged. My question may sound ridiculous but nevertheless - can you mention a single occasion when Snape is helping anybody in any way other then teaching or life-saving? I mean, both these things are quite rational and therefore understandable to Severus - "knowledge is power", everybody wants to live", period. But in any more subtle matters he is clueless. He can do what he is explicitly asked to do (master a Wolfbane potion, teach Harry Occlumency, make Unbreakable Vow), but he almost never takes initiative, and even when he tries (see their interview with Draco in the HBP), he fails. Exactly because he has no idea of what goes on in other people's heads. And I think he understands that. He understands that - in your terms - he cannot DO love to anybody in any way other then life-saving, and it is probably the reason for his "complex of saving people" (do you remember another character with the similar peculiarity? :) ). Frankly, I fill quite pity for him. (to be continued)
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Date: 2007-06-19 01:11 am (UTC)There are, nevertheless, several points I can hardly agree with so, I suppose, I'll concentrate on them mostly. I mean, if I just write "wow, how brilliant!" it won't be so interesting, yeh? :)
Well, nevertheless, I 100% agree with your analysis of Sirius, and, yes, the canine analogy seems to be the most illuminating way to analyze his character.
Then, your point about Snape's readiness to safe adolescents in danger I also highly appreciate. I remember quite well all the occasions you are mentioning but I have never thought about them as a pattern, but there clearly IS a pattern indeed.
Now, what I hardly can agree with at all is the statement that Snape's behavior on these occasions is a manifestation of true Christian love. More even, I can hardly agree with that motto you suggest: "Love isn't how you feel. It's what you do".
Love, actually, is both. Doing good to anybody implies, obviously, that you have a fairy justified idea of what IS good for him. And it is on very extreme occasions only (read: while saving someones love) when you can assume the other's good to be something self-evident.
Let me remind you of several situation in the HP canon:
- Lupin boosting Neville's self-esteem in the Boggart scene in PoA;
- Harry preventing Sirius and Lupin from committing homicide in the same book;
- Barty Crouch Jr. forcing Neville to face what Cruciatus curse is, and comforting him afterwards;
- Harry giving his Triwizard tournament earnings to Weasley twins;
- McGonagall teaching Harry to hold his temper with Umbridge;
- Hermione making invigorating comments to help Harry/Cho romance in OotP;
- Dumbledore explaining Hagrid exactly why he shouldn't resign;
- Dumbledore allowing Harry to shout and break furniture in his office in the end of OotP;
- Harry faking the pour of Felix into Ron's drink;
- Harry talking Slughorn into giving away his Horcrux memory;
- Dumbledore talking to Draco on the head of the Astronomy tower.
On all these - so very different - occasions the person named first is doing what I'd call "good" to the other. It is making life better for the other - by helping him to cope with his fairs or his grief, by teaching him to control his temper, by making him understand himself better, by guarding him from doing a big mistake, whatever.
But to do good of this kind needs a fair amount of empathy to your companion, one can't mend other's psyche if he has no idea at all about what's going on there. And empathy is exactly the field where Snape is extremely challenged. My question may sound ridiculous but nevertheless - can you mention a single occasion when Snape is helping anybody in any way other then teaching or life-saving? I mean, both these things are quite rational and therefore understandable to Severus - "knowledge is power", everybody wants to live", period. But in any more subtle matters he is clueless. He can do what he is explicitly asked to do (master a Wolfbane potion, teach Harry Occlumency, make Unbreakable Vow), but he almost never takes initiative, and even when he tries (see their interview with Draco in the HBP), he fails. Exactly because he has no idea of what goes on in other people's heads.
And I think he understands that. He understands that - in your terms - he cannot DO love to anybody in any way other then life-saving, and it is probably the reason for his "complex of saving people" (do you remember another character with the similar peculiarity? :) ). Frankly, I fill quite pity for him.
(to be continued)