This weekend I linked to a Snape article in the Los Angeles Times during the weekend reviews. A Fuse #8 picked up on the story and it got me thinking this morning.You see, there are some adults with Snape-love--adults and teens who are petitioning J.K. not to kill off our crotchety Potions master. I am one of those adults, though I haven't gone so far as to petition. Let's face it, it's J.K.'s decision in the end.
There are two issues here: 1) why do we think Snape is toast and 2) why do we love him so much? Here are my thoughts:
1) If Snape will be redeemed, he must die. And he must die proving Harry was wrong. In other words, he must die a hero. So he'll have to go saving Harry or fighting with the Order of the Phoenix for the greater cause. If he doesn't die, then Harry and friends will always suspect him and so will we.
2) I am beginning to think Alan Rickman is at fault here. I've been thinking about Snape in the books and Snape in the movies. While not one of the films has been as good as its textual inspiration, Alan Rickman has always been awesome. He is THE standout adult actor in the films. He has infused Snape with a campy humor that may be lacking in the books themselves. This may be why Rowling is surprised by Snape love. True he is a "gray" character, as mentioned in the LAT article, but he's not a funny one in Rowling's books.
There's another aspect to adult Snape love. (That sounds a little nasty, doesn't it?) Teachers and Professors love the man. He tells students what we all have longed to say at one point or another.
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Where am I? I'm in the midst of editing The Edge of the Forest, which will go up sometime during the wee hours of the 10th/11th. I'm off for more work....
