Spidery Snape

[zia_montrose]

The little theory center of my brain has been working OT since I realized today that JKR has used spider references for Snape since Book 1.  Like all these:

“ensnare the senses”
silky voice
“walked in a twitchy manner reminiscent of a spider” and had skinny legs in S.W.M.
lives at Spinner’s End
“spidery handwriting” in HBP potions book
and more...

Comments

[stmargarets]

Oh, yes - she links spiders and Snape a lot! The symbolism of the spider is so much fun, too - that of fate. Its web is an act of creation and beauty that brings about death. Lots of nice contradictory impulses happening there - which is very Snapish, I think. And I do think Snape is the key to the series- the link between Harry's past and Voldemort. It will be so cool to see how JKR works that out.

Ron's fear of spiders is an interesting twist - since symbolically he has fears of his fate - yet he boldly goes to the forest with Harry in CoS (for Hermione). And he's not afraid of dead spiders. Plus he's never trusted Snape. It will be interesting to see how JKR uses Ron in book seven. I hope more chess match bravery and less comic relief.

Petunia's awful boy could be James, Sirius or Snape. I hope we find out!

[zia_montrose]

Yes, it's fun to think about on all levels. How WILL it play out between our snake, our rat, and our spider? Were those spiders crawling over Dd's hat in the broomshed some foreshadowing of the Tower? And I read that spiders look for buildings to spend the winter in. Did Snape make that potion in the basin?

Of course, I want to know about Lily too. I've already spent some mental OT on her and those green eyes.

Fun stuff.

[moonette1]

Ha! Spidery Snape. Ardie Bea left this in one of his reviews for Lonesome Love.

"You really did make Snape as evil as he could be didn't you? Deliberately turning away from the remnants of affection in him, deliberately crushing the remains of his guilt. You've left me with the image of a spider in the shadows, twitching the lines of his shrouds till they fall over his prey."

I didn't consciously make Snape spidery in my story - just evil. I'm pretty pathetic with symbolism - it usually rides right over me. But people hate spiders, so it's not difficult to draw that conclusion anyway, LOL. Especially since he probably had that spider concept in the back of his mind while he was reading.

[zia_montrose]

Oh, I would be tempted to make him as awful as I could too. And until I see those "remnants of affection" and "remains of his guilt" first hand without any *chance* of ulterior motive, I'll continue to be as suspicious and loathing as Sirius (though I know it's entirely possible Dd is right). I laughed at Eudora Hawkins' "you teach children?".