Snape Fans on Cloud 9

[rattlesnakeroot]

As several of us here predicted last week, there are millions more Snape fans now than before Deathly Hallows opened worldwide. It's really awe-inspiring. I keep asking myself: "Is this my Fandom?" We've never felt as if we had the world on our side before, or even that the movie-makers had anything to say to us. Even people prepared to hate

Comments

[bluestockingbb]

SIP when I did my essay on Harry's Hero Journey, I pointed out the fact that Harry and James didn't connect in the book. There's a step in the hero's journey called "reconciliation with the father." Harry appears to have reconciled with the father-figures in his life like Sirius and Lupin.

[wobblerlorri]

And especially Dumbledore and Snape. Dumbledore was the father who taught Harry about love, self-sacrifice, tolerance, and empathy; Snape taught him (or tried to, at any rate) about self-control, holding one's own counsel, perseverance in the face of doom, honor, loyalty, and dedication to a cause.

It was a good movie, but overall I think I preferred Snape's final scene in the book over the one in the movie.

[rattlesnakeroot]

bluestocking: Yes, great point! I'll tell my husband about your essay! :) It's interesting because not only does Harry reconcile himself about James, but he also reconciles with Snape in the end.

Harry's father-figure situation reminds me of characters like Perseus in mythology who have a distant god-like Zeus for a father. The Dad watches over from afar but doesn't interact. And at first that is true for both James and Snape. James is merely a spirit, while Snape stays away from the Dursleys.

But once Harry gets to Hogwarts, Snape acts as the stern father-figure who tells him the blunt truth (about most things) and who has high expectations. Harry doesn't really need another soft-fuzzy Father Figure. He had enough of those who expected nothing from Harry. Even Dumbledore doesn't push Harry until he absolutely has to do it.

[morgan_emerald]

It was a good movie, but overall I think I preferred Snape's final scene in the book over the one in the movie.

I totally agree. Don't get me wrong, I'm really thrilled with the film and especially with Alan Rickman's performance -- if I wasn't already, I'd fall in love with both him and Sev all over again ;) -- but part of me doesn't quite understand why it is only now, through the film, that people begin to understand and appreciate the true nature of Snape's character. I mean, it's all there, in the books, pretty much spelled out in a sequences of scenes more complete and possibly even more heartwrenching than the selection shown in the film ... !

[snapes_witch]

But if Snape was Harry's father wouldn't he be there instead?

No, because Harry called forth the man he thought was his father.

Just to make it clear, I'm not a proponent of this theory!

[shyfoxling]

As for the James interaction part, I found it more prominent in the film than the book. But if Snape was Harry's father wouldn't he be there instead?

Not necessarily. The people Harry calls to him with the Resurrection Stone are people for whom he feels familial love, in one way or another. It's quite logical that Severus isn't among them, even if the beginnings of respect for the man are percolating in Harry's brain at this point.

[priya_ashok]

Adding to SIP's post -

I think James and Lily were already under threat of being attacked and killed by Voldemort. Voldemort would have attacked them, because

1) They were already targets since they were Order members and they fought Voldmeort three times and lived to tell the tale;

2) Peter would have betrayed them anyway; it was only a question of when and not if.

3) The Prophecy Snape took to Voldemort only made it sooner rather than later imo.

======================

I think James was a bit disconnected too; Harry barely looked at him; his body language I felt was a lot more positive towards Sirius and even Remus, than James (or than it should have been towards James). I think it was the effect of the Prince's Tale, which Harry had just come out of. :)

[snapes_witch]

I think James was a bit disconnected too; Harry barely looked at him; his body language I felt was a lot more positive towards Sirius and even Remus, than James (or than it should have been towards James). I think it was the effect of the Prince's Tale, which Harry had just come out of. :)

Too bad they didn't repeat SWM; that would have made the disconnect more reasonable (that's not the word I'm looking for but I'm having a sr. moment).

[snapes_witch]

understandable!! Too bad I remembered it after I'd posted my message! lol

[rattlesnakeroot]

his body language I felt was a lot more positive towards Sirius and even Remus, than James (or than it should have been towards James). I think it was the effect of the Prince's Tale, which Harry had just come out of. :)

Priya: I agree!

[princessofsnark]

Speaking strictly about the movie and not the book

[rattlesnakeroot]

The movie people couldn't really do much with James in that scene. What's Harry going to do? Ask James "Why were you such a bully? Why did you let Voldemort kill my mother? Why did you trust Peter? Why did you let me become a horcrux so that now I have to die?"

Those are good questions, but they wouldn't fit too well in the scene, LOL.

[princessofsnark]

*snicker, snicker* That just about sums James up, doesn't it?

[mad_half_hour]

I don't understand something. You, as a fan of Snape, should be all about forgiveness, redemption, and the like, yes

[alwaysholly]

I thought the movie was really good. Alan Rickman did a great job with Snape. His backstory was the best part of the movie for me and I cried. I have seen it twice now but I definitely preferred it in 2D over 3D.

I thought the "always" line echoed by Lily was powerful and I noticed it immediately. I also enjoyed Harry and Dumbledore's chat at Kings Cross, where Harry talks to Dumbledore about Snape and Lily's matching patronus.

I just would have liked it if they would have put in Dumbledore's backstory. I imagine fans who haven't read the book were a little confused.