Re: The redemption of Severus
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This is a great thread.
My own view on Snape is that he's treated like a character out of Graham Greene--a flawed and struggling character, ultimately doing good for what are apparently all the wrong reasons. The world almost uniformly looks upon him as evil and repulsive.
After his death, people generally forget him or feel the world's well rid of him. One or two of his acquaintances (he never has friends) might feel he wasn't such a bad bloke. But only God and the sympathetic reader know he was redeemed.
I've read in a few places that JKR is acquainted with Greene's works. And this explains to me (and probably only to me!) how Snape can be redeemed while at the same time, apparently, treated so badly in her story by his creator.
My own view on Snape is that he's treated like a character out of Graham Greene--a flawed and struggling character, ultimately doing good for what are apparently all the wrong reasons. The world almost uniformly looks upon him as evil and repulsive.
After his death, people generally forget him or feel the world's well rid of him. One or two of his acquaintances (he never has friends) might feel he wasn't such a bad bloke. But only God and the sympathetic reader know he was redeemed.
I've read in a few places that JKR is acquainted with Greene's works. And this explains to me (and probably only to me!) how Snape can be redeemed while at the same time, apparently, treated so badly in her story by his creator.