In which I am not pro-Snape
May. 3rd, 2020 06:58 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
notreallystarsWell, I'm back and I'm writing about Snape because why move on with my life? I saw bad takes on tumblr years ago that I want to talk about so...here goes.
Also I've returned to DW in the midst of a hypomanic episode so apologies if this is a bit weird/incoherent.
I recently saw someone argue that the Severus Snape we see in the films is substantially different to the Snape of the books. We don't see him being as cruel in the films, we don't see his bullying in the films, and we don't see the contempt he expresses when Dumbledore suggests that he has grown to care for Harry. We don't see as clearly that every action he takes that has helped Harry is an action that he justifies to himself as being either for Lily's sake, or to repay James for saving his life. We aren't encouraged to see him as selfish and cruel in the same way that I feel we are in the books. This being the case, I wonder how many of the people who insist that Snape is a good person after all came to HP through the films rather than the books.
My least favourite take on Snape's behaviour goes something like this: "Everyone says they support traumatised people until they behave in difficult ways. Snape was traumatised by his childhood and shouldn't be judged too harshly on his behaviour." To that I would like to say: bullshit. Adults are responsible for their actions. Trauma does fuck with you in difficult ways, absolutely, but you are responsible for the things you choose to do. When the thing you choose to do is bully children over whom you have considerable power, that cannot simply be discounted because ~trauma~. It does no one any favours to perpetuate this idea that people with trauma/mental health problems should not be held to account for actions that cause harm. Mental health issues can explain behaviour, but they cannot excuse bad behaviour.God, tumblr was toxic.
The idea that Snape is somehow redeemed by his love for Lily is also really disturbing. If you act in creepy ways because you love someone, your love for them shouldn't excuse and doesn't explain the creepiness. It almost seems as if the position is that, since Snape can feel love, he can't be all bad. But I don't think the position of the people who don't see Snape as a redeemed/good person is that he's entirely bad, I think it's that he's incredibly fucking complicated. Maybe I've just been lucky in the people I've interacted with. Maybe I'm similarly misrepresenting the position of most pro-Snape people. I'm not trying to, but goodness knows these things happen.
I think Snape is a fascinating ambiguous character. I also think he can be a good character without being a good person.
Also I've returned to DW in the midst of a hypomanic episode so apologies if this is a bit weird/incoherent.
I recently saw someone argue that the Severus Snape we see in the films is substantially different to the Snape of the books. We don't see him being as cruel in the films, we don't see his bullying in the films, and we don't see the contempt he expresses when Dumbledore suggests that he has grown to care for Harry. We don't see as clearly that every action he takes that has helped Harry is an action that he justifies to himself as being either for Lily's sake, or to repay James for saving his life. We aren't encouraged to see him as selfish and cruel in the same way that I feel we are in the books. This being the case, I wonder how many of the people who insist that Snape is a good person after all came to HP through the films rather than the books.
My least favourite take on Snape's behaviour goes something like this: "Everyone says they support traumatised people until they behave in difficult ways. Snape was traumatised by his childhood and shouldn't be judged too harshly on his behaviour." To that I would like to say: bullshit. Adults are responsible for their actions. Trauma does fuck with you in difficult ways, absolutely, but you are responsible for the things you choose to do. When the thing you choose to do is bully children over whom you have considerable power, that cannot simply be discounted because ~trauma~. It does no one any favours to perpetuate this idea that people with trauma/mental health problems should not be held to account for actions that cause harm. Mental health issues can explain behaviour, but they cannot excuse bad behaviour.
The idea that Snape is somehow redeemed by his love for Lily is also really disturbing. If you act in creepy ways because you love someone, your love for them shouldn't excuse and doesn't explain the creepiness. It almost seems as if the position is that, since Snape can feel love, he can't be all bad. But I don't think the position of the people who don't see Snape as a redeemed/good person is that he's entirely bad, I think it's that he's incredibly fucking complicated. Maybe I've just been lucky in the people I've interacted with. Maybe I'm similarly misrepresenting the position of most pro-Snape people. I'm not trying to, but goodness knows these things happen.
I think Snape is a fascinating ambiguous character. I also think he can be a good character without being a good person.