I don't think it's lack of empathy as much as Snape truly believes Petunia is beneath them because she isn't magical. I mean, he practically says as much. The fact that she's not magical trumps the fact that she's Lily's sister ...
Hmmm...I think I'm going to argue that it's the same thing. In order to dehumanize someone like that, whether it be on looks or magicalness or whatever, you have to cut off your ability to empathize with them. Or never have had that ability in the first place.
I absolutely disagree that he doesn't get it that mudblood is bad... Yeah - I'm having trouble putting into words what I was thinking with this. I agree that he knew it was bad. But my thinking was that it was in the way an addict knows it's wrong when they steal their Grandma's pension for drug money. They know they're being bad - but it really takes recovery and soul searching to get how bad it is. Do you know what I mean?
At that point in the story Snape was 21 ... at 21, he's old enough to know that Lily would be upset about James and Harry being killed
And my point was not anything to do with age - but a real psychological disorder type of lack of empathy. The type that can turn a person into a killer. I think her murder, and his hand in it, was the shock that got him to really look at himself enough to gain some self realization about his role in it all, and with it, some empathy for others. Again, I think that's why he only gave Harry those memories where he (Snape) was acting badly - it was finally awareness that he was acting badly and setting bad things into motion.
Again - that's just what I think the author was going for. I do think it's redemption, but a real life kind, not so much a story kind.
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Re: part II
Date: 2007-07-26 04:43 am (UTC)Hmmm...I think I'm going to argue that it's the same thing. In order to dehumanize someone like that, whether it be on looks or magicalness or whatever, you have to cut off your ability to empathize with them. Or never have had that ability in the first place.
I absolutely disagree that he doesn't get it that mudblood is bad...
Yeah - I'm having trouble putting into words what I was thinking with this. I agree that he knew it was bad. But my thinking was that it was in the way an addict knows it's wrong when they steal their Grandma's pension for drug money. They know they're being bad - but it really takes recovery and soul searching to get how bad it is. Do you know what I mean?
At that point in the story Snape was 21 ... at 21, he's old enough to know that Lily would be upset about James and Harry being killed
And my point was not anything to do with age - but a real psychological disorder type of lack of empathy. The type that can turn a person into a killer. I think her murder, and his hand in it, was the shock that got him to really look at himself enough to gain some self realization about his role in it all, and with it, some empathy for others. Again, I think that's why he only gave Harry those memories where he (Snape) was acting badly - it was finally awareness that he was acting badly and setting bad things into motion.
Again - that's just what I think the author was going for. I do think it's redemption, but a real life kind, not so much a story kind.
-Cindy