10 Ways Fandom Has Fucked Canon!Snape Up the Ass With Mischaracterization

[schmevil]

ETA: Just to clarify, because a lot of people are reacting the same way. I'm talking about what I see as inaccurate base characterizations, i.e. what makes up the bedrock of a personality. I'm not talking about secondary or learnerd/acquired traits. So, Snape can be a bastard and like books, but he's not a bastard because he likes books.In no

Comments

It's a floor wax AND a dessert topping!

[ellen_fremedon]

I find that most of those characterizations are redeemable, when they're not too over-the-top, when qualified by the phrase "and he's a petty, vindictive, paranoid, angy, greasy-haired mean-spirited bastard."

Snape is a repressed Victorian prude-- not on its own a convincing characterization. Snape is a repressed Victorian prude AND he's a petty, vindictive, paranoid, angry, greasy-haired mean-spirited bastard-- this, I can buy.

Snape can still carry a torch for his first love, AND be a petty, vindictive, paranoid, angry, greasy-haired mean-spirited bastard! Snape can be revolted by and ashamed of what he's done in Voldemort's service, AND be a petty, vindictive, paranoid, angry, greasy-haired mean-spirited bastard! Snape can shy and socially inept, he can be a thwarted academic, he can even be an insatiable lover-- just so long as he's also a petty, vindictive, paranoid, angry, greasy-haired mean-spirited bastard.

Re: It's a floor wax AND a dessert topping!

[neotoma]

I think I agree with this. Give him depth, but don't forget he's a complete ass even when he's doing the right thing.

I don't suppose you'd like to post this at snapesupport where we try to keep our Snapes in line with canon?

Re: It's a floor wax AND a dessert topping!

[somniesperus]

I agree with Ellen. Few characterizations are *completely* irredeemable, although they do exist. One of the reasons fanfiction is fun -- one of the reasons it exists -- is to let us play around with notions of characterization within a set frame. If everybody wrote Snape the same way, where's the fun in that? I am in no way advocating lovey-dovey Snape or sexgod!Snape; just open-mindedness. *G*

Re: It's a floor wax AND a dessert topping!

[flourish]

I <3 you. No, really. That's exactly what I was thinking.

While I had tons of fun reading the rant, and saw so much of it that was true, I also was thinking "but wait... that's every Snape story I've ever read, including some of the ones that I thought were damn good." As someone else said down the thread, since Snape in canon is viewed through the lens of an unreliable narrator, he COULD be any of these things - we just don't know. But if you're going to say he's any of these things, you've got to back up his actions in terms of relating to Harry and co. in terms of the personality you've just assigned him, and do it convincingly. Stories that can do that - not lose touch with canon - without falling back on the "But he had to because he had to look mean and ebil so nobody thought he wasn't a Death Eater!!" line are good stories. Stories that can't are what you're ranting about. ;)

[z_rayne]

See, my only disagreement with any of this is with the concept that there is a canon!Snape. In canon, he's seen through the filter of an unreliable narrator and therefore any conclusions that are drawn regarding him are likely to be fallacious. (Example: Ask my kids what they think of me right after I've grounded them. Go on.)

That said, the characterizations you listed usually make me want to claw my own eyes out... [g]

[schmevil]

I don't think the unreliable narrator argument is as effective as it might appear at first. Unless one believes that Harry is lying outright, Snape is still a bastard. His in class comments are without a purpose beyond sadism. There is no reason for him to say that he "sees no difference" when Hermione's teeth are cursed to grow. His dialogue alone makes him a bastard.

[z_rayne]

Don't get me wrong; I agree that Snape's a complete and utter bastard. That's why he's so appealing

[saramwrap]

::smooch::

[pauraque]

Dear blackfall,

You are my god.

That is all.

Sincerely,

pauraque
(aka SoberAlien)

[schmevil]

Does this mean I get babies sacrificed in my name?

[pauraque]

Can I sacrifice writers of EgregiouslyFluffy!Snape instead

[schmevil]

Now that is an excellent argument and one that not many people feel comfortable making. Would you be willing to expand it and post something to hp_essays? I think we could use a good arguement about redemption. ^_-

[lasultrix]

*dies* Love it. Love it.

I do think a fair bit of these are redeemable, for example: intellectual!Snape (though a Ravenclaw AU just sounds silly), Snape leaving the DEs because the evil got too much for him (he's NOT evil, after all, and he did leave them), Masochist!Snape (only with certain pairings; with a student is believable, I think), and Rational!Snape (rational in *some* respects only).

[schmevil]

Can I just direct you the conversation below with ellenfremedon and flourish?

My fingers are going numb.

And glad you liked it. ^_^

[lasultrix]

*reads* Mmm. This thread is reminding me of how much I love Snape.

(which is probably not what you intended. *g*)

[schmevil]

Why not? *g* I love Snape too. He's my favourite character.

[iibnf]

Brilliant. You weild your big stick with precision and power.

[schmevil]

I'm like the anti-Dubya. *preens*