I think the ultimate humiliation, here, is to show cowardice even in the face of death. Voldemort humiliated Harry's supposed corpse by announcing to everyone at the castle that he had run for his life before being killed. But it never really felt like a sacrifice or possibility of failure -- because we knew (through reading Harry's own POV) that Harry was alive, that he would be able to prove to everyone that he didn't run away. That he was courageous and brave and stood there like a martyr for the GREATER GOOD. Heh. hence the whole drawn-out speech before battling with Voldemort: it rang much like, "Hey, guys, hey. I was totes brave and didn't run out on you, see, see?"
That's why I found Snape (life and) death strangely Old Testament-y. Yeah, he was "forgiven" in the sense that his memory was preserved: he wasn't a coward. Yet, and I'm certainly no expert, it seemed like Snape spent his entire life in penance to make up for past sins, as opposed to forgiveness brought about belief. I suppose if you look at it in a chronological way, it makes sense: before there was Potter Christ, you had to face a wrathful God. Except everyone still hates the Slytherins in the end.
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Date: 2007-07-23 12:23 pm (UTC)That's why I found Snape (life and) death strangely Old Testament-y. Yeah, he was "forgiven" in the sense that his memory was preserved: he wasn't a coward. Yet, and I'm certainly no expert, it seemed like Snape spent his entire life in penance to make up for past sins, as opposed to forgiveness brought about belief. I suppose if you look at it in a chronological way, it makes sense: before there was
PotterChrist, you had to face a wrathful God.Except everyone still hates the Slytherins in the end.