Meta Monday- August 1.0

[sassy_cat]

Severus Snape and the author's abandonment of his character in DH---
Severus was a crucial character in the series, especially the later books, and his death scene provided Harry with vital information. Aside from the favorite fandom answer: Severus didn't die. (I assure you that I won't argue against that.) Why do you believe JKR failed to provide

Comments

[akatnamedeaster]

Why do you believe JKR failed to provide closure or evidence of death for a key player in her universe? Is Severus a disposable character?
I believe she did provide both of those things for the character, the way his end is written, it's very clear that we're meant to know that he's dead once that light goes out of his eyes and his hand thuds to the floor. As much as it leaves a little wriggle room for those of us who love the character and want to write his survival, the text is pretty clear that he died

[torino10154]

I believe she did provide both of those things for the character, the way his end is written, it's very clear that we're meant to know that he's dead once that light goes out of his eyes and his hand thuds to the floor. As much as it leaves a little wriggle room for those of us who love the character and want to write his survival, the text is pretty clear that he died.

This. As you say, it's great for fanon but I don't pretend that my wishful thinking is canon.

[akatnamedeaster]

It's funny, I'm on the outskirts of another fandom where recently a character who's popular with one segment of fandom died a pretty unambiguous death and watching the mental gymnastics that part of the fandom has (and to some extent still) going through to try and leave room for their survival reminds me very much what many of us (me included) did when Severus met his end. It's been pretty illuminating watching it from the outside.

[torino10154]

Well, I mean I remember after book 6 one person in particular came up with a HUGE theory about how Dumbledore was still alive based on the dose of Felix Felicis Harry took and a million other things. I have IDK no trouble with people coming up with ways to save characters in very believable ways for fic purposes but it seems silly that the book not only has to say on the page "Snape is dead" but also somehow prove it. Even a coffin being lowered into the ground would have someone say, "Transfiguration!" or something. What could ever be good enough evidence in a world with magic?

[sassy_cat]

The only thing that genuinely bothers me about the ending of DH is that JKR couldn't toss out a sentence to say his body was collected and placed with the rest. That one sentence would have made me feel a lot better about the characters who survived.

[akatnamedeaster]

To be fair to JK, Severus dies in a place rather removed from the battle and we don't get a lot of follow up after the battle is ended. We get, battle ends, Harry gets a sammich, and Bang! It's years later and Harry is a middle aged guy with three kids. I can see where there really isn't a place to shoehorn in anything about Snape's body or portrait since there really isn't any place for it in that short span of time between X and Y. Any lasting tribute to Snape is to be inferred from the Albus Severus thing and it does say a lot in a little, even if the fangirl in me wanted more.

[torino10154]

Any lasting tribute to Snape is to be inferred from the Albus Severus thing and it does say a lot in a little

Yes, that's exactly it right there.