Then things start getting out of hand. What do we make of Snape’s quiet remark to Harry about his press clippings having “inflated his already overlarge head?” We know Harry thinks it’s a deliberate provocation. But really, we could equally read it as a quiet demand for an explanation – a reasonably direct request that Harry account for his behavior. And a more normal student might take advantage of the opening, and explain or defend himself, even through gritted teeth, even if he sounded like he was making excuses. But Harry ignores Snape, refuses eye contact, shows utter contempt for him.
And Snape, resenting that contempt, can’t resist bearing down harder, focusing more pointedy on Harry’s arrogance. He clearly believes that Harry has been in his office to steal ingredients, and though he’s wrong about calling Harry a liar, it’s ironic that Harry really does lie to him, consciously and deliberately, a few moments later, as JKR emphasizes. I almost forgive Snape for the Veritaserum taunt just because I can understand his need at that point to get some kind of reaction out of Harry, his need to ruffle that insolent surface. And by the end of the scene, after Harry has lingered behind to spy on Snape’s conversation with Karkaroff, it’s really hard to argue with any of Snape’s major conclusions: Harry has behaved as an arrogant, lying sneak. And Snape has found a way to make him feel small and insecure, which, if the tables were turned on the two characters, many people might consider fair and reasonable payback.
It’s scenes like this that make me respect JKR as an ironist. It’s JKR herself who uses the phrase “’I don’t know what you’re talking about,’ Harry lied coldly.” It’s JKR herself who chooses her words when Harry “sneaked” a glance at Karkaroff and Snape. At one level, the stock situation is setting us up to sympathize with Harry against a tyrranical and overbearing teacher. But on a closer reading, Harry’s character is being dissected mercilessly. The overall feel of the scene is tragic, rather than simply moralistic or satiric. We see two damaged people provoking each other to worse and worse behavior, to more and more intimate levels of cruelty. And in this particular story, that pattern echoes endlessly.
Um. This Snape stuff was going to all be incidental, and I was mainly going to talk about Sirius. *facepalms* I seem to have a block about Sirius. I may come back to him later. :)
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Date: 2006-01-18 04:03 am (UTC)Then things start getting out of hand. What do we make of Snape’s quiet remark to Harry about his press clippings having “inflated his already overlarge head?” We know Harry thinks it’s a deliberate provocation. But really, we could equally read it as a quiet demand for an explanation – a reasonably direct request that Harry account for his behavior. And a more normal student might take advantage of the opening, and explain or defend himself, even through gritted teeth, even if he sounded like he was making excuses. But Harry ignores Snape, refuses eye contact, shows utter contempt for him.
And Snape, resenting that contempt, can’t resist bearing down harder, focusing more pointedy on Harry’s arrogance. He clearly believes that Harry has been in his office to steal ingredients, and though he’s wrong about calling Harry a liar, it’s ironic that Harry really does lie to him, consciously and deliberately, a few moments later, as JKR emphasizes. I almost forgive Snape for the Veritaserum taunt just because I can understand his need at that point to get some kind of reaction out of Harry, his need to ruffle that insolent surface. And by the end of the scene, after Harry has lingered behind to spy on Snape’s conversation with Karkaroff, it’s really hard to argue with any of Snape’s major conclusions: Harry has behaved as an arrogant, lying sneak. And Snape has found a way to make him feel small and insecure, which, if the tables were turned on the two characters, many people might consider fair and reasonable payback.
It’s scenes like this that make me respect JKR as an ironist. It’s JKR herself who uses the phrase “’I don’t know what you’re talking about,’ Harry lied coldly.” It’s JKR herself who chooses her words when Harry “sneaked” a glance at Karkaroff and Snape. At one level, the stock situation is setting us up to sympathize with Harry against a tyrranical and overbearing teacher. But on a closer reading, Harry’s character is being dissected mercilessly. The overall feel of the scene is tragic, rather than simply moralistic or satiric. We see two damaged people provoking each other to worse and worse behavior, to more and more intimate levels of cruelty. And in this particular story, that pattern echoes endlessly.
Um. This Snape stuff was going to all be incidental, and I was mainly going to talk about Sirius. *facepalms* I seem to have a block about Sirius. I may come back to him later. :)