Why, exactly, does Rowling hate Snape so much?

[mary_j_59]

author mary-j-59
title Snape as wicked Stepmother?
type essay, gen, about 1,000 words
warnings, credits, etc G-rated, no warnings. Thanks to Swythyv, Bohemianspirit, and especially Jodel from aol and liznc for inspiring me and allowing me to quote them.

Comments

not so much wicked, as the image of the Dark Mother

[venturous1]

this makes so much sense to me. I have been mulling over the previous essay that suggests feminizing Snape is a way to diminish him, because these are in many ways the qualities that endear him to me. He is not hesitant to play the Dark Quiet one. There is nothing weak or fragile about a doe, I live surrounded by them. They are strong and fleet and fierce when they need to be. It's the way our culture sees these 'feminine' qualities as less valid that causes the problem.

As a goddess follower, I honor the Dark Mother, the mysterious teacher, keeper of secrets, powerful and frightening. No wonder I love him!

Re: not so much wicked, as the image of the Dark Mother

[mary_j_59]

Well, I can see your point! Perhaps especially because I(though in a different way) come from a spirituality that honors the feminine and sees it as powerful. But Snape is not *just* the dark mother; he actually also is the dark father. As I said before, he is the one person in the entire saga who expresses and unites masculine and feminine, magical and muggle, rational and emotional. And this is why I absolutely cannot see him as evil; as I said before, he has a capacity for wholeness and healing that no one else in the story begins to touch

Re: not so much wicked, as the image of the Dark Mother

[venturous1]

"It's not insignificant, I think, that the traditional, earth-mother housewife gets to kill the untraditional, childless woman. Why does Rowling do this? She's a woman! I do think liznc is right (or I am) and it is either unconscious self-hatred, or rejection of an aspect of the mother."

That sure has the ring of truth. Look at all the undeveloped females in the tale. Spinster professors, perfectionist Hermione, uber-femme Fleur, and the eccentric girls, Luna, Tonks, Bella. Gads, look what befalls author Bagshot, someone who's known for her writing rather than her family!

I know in my own journey, undoing the internalized oppression hasn't been quick or easy.

One thing though I want to laude Rowling for: elevating the Witch from ugly crone cliche to magical woman. That is actually a great step forward. I just wish The Brightest Witch of Her Age would be known for more than raising a brood of Weasleys!

Re: not so much wicked, as the image of the Dark Mother

[mary_j_59]

Yes, but as someone pointed out below, Snape is the ugly crone cliche!

I really don't think I like Rowling's attitude toward the feminine. I'm not sure I understand what she's doing here, but it feels unhealthy and wrong to me.

Re: not so much wicked, as the image of the Dark Mother

[venturous1]

"Snape is the ugly crone cliche!"

I'll remain contentious:
this Dark, Old, Powerful one is beautiful, to me. Of course, I've wanted to be that cliche witch since I remember - my earliest Halloween. Morticia, Maleficia, Wicked West Witch, even Lily Munster. I see in Snape, and my other Dark Angel V, a male version of that energy.

[shyfoxling]

"why does Rowling apparently align 'feminine' with 'evil'?" That's quite foreign to me! ... Why does Rowling do this? She's a woman!

It's rather Judeo-Christian (or whatever is the adjective that also includes Islam), is what it is, I think.