Snapedom

Original poster: bohemianspirit

One assumption that seems to be common--among not only detractors of Severus Snape but also among some who identify as his fans--is that Severus Snape really was simply a nasty bastard. Period. He was a jerk. An asshole. A real prick. A man with no redeeming qualities whatsoever, apart from the final revelation that he was Brave and Loved A Gryffindor.

Certainly--so the assumption goes--he would never have wanted to have a family of his own! The idea that such a snarly, snappish, sarcastic, sullen human being as Severus Snape would want to be married and have children is dismissed as a romantic fangirl fantasy which can only be made plausible by wrenching the character completely Out Of Character.

Is this assumption reasonable?

I say, no. It reduces the character of Severus Snape to a two-dimensional cardboard cutout: It assumes that the sum total of the man's personality is the snarling snappish teacher we see through the eyes of Harry Potter. Yet as adults, we don't have to be teachers to know that the side of us which people see at work does not reflect all that we are away from work: There are many more facets to our lives, and to our selves, in the private spheres outside of our professional domains.


I had a teacher, through all four years of high school, who could be a Grade A prick in the classroom. He was crabby, sarcastic, often delivered stinging insults, got a perverse gratification out of eliciting tears from the more sensitive students, and in general seemed to enjoy using the classroom as a bully pulpit to buttress whatever insecurities he harbored.

Sound familiar?

This same teacher was also extremely intelligent, gifted in his field, a highly effective teacher--in spite of, not because of, the verbal bullying--AND, outside the classroom, was a husband, father, and churchgoer. He also had a brother who was in town, once, and visited our classroom: The brother was a stark contrast in temperament, as laid-back and friendly as our teacher was uptight and surly. It's been almost thirty years since I graduated from high school, so I can't remember exactly what was said, but I do have an impression of the brother alluding in some way to how difficult his brother could be--one of those eye-rolling, eyebrow-raising, he-is-who-he-is, what-can-you-do, kind of things. Even so, my teacher's brother apparently liked him enough to go out of his way to visit him.

I also remember a story from one of the students who attended the man's church. One Sunday morning, leaving church, someone greeted him, or started to greet him, but my teacher brushed right by them brusquely, not even acknowledging the other person's presence. His wife, walking with him, looked back at the person apologetically, rolling her eyes, as if to say, Yes, I know, my husband can be a rude asshole. Or something like that. ;-)

One thing I do know about the man, in the hindsight of my own living and learning, is that he was very much an introvert. I don't know if he would self-identify as an introvert, but his behavior strongly reflected introversion. I saw him a few years back at an all-school reunion, and this impression was reinforced: He is quite comfortable in the professional role of getting up in front of a classroom or in front of an audience to give a speech or presentation, but at the personal level he exudes a strong sense of I can't wait to get the hell out of here and away from all of these people. Not that all introverts are that extreme--being one, I know--but that was the clear vibe he was sending at that event.

So while some of his behavior, particularly in the classroom, was unmitigated rudeness, not to mention power-tripping, I think it's fair to say that in some cases, perhaps including the church incident above, he was more socially uncomfortable than intentionally rude. And more than a little insecure, especially in his younger years when I had him as a teacher.

Also, as of that reunion, at least, he was still married to the same woman. And from the few glimpses I got they appeared to be happily married--even if the wife is well aware of her husband's shortcomings. And the one child of his that I met, also at the reunion, seemed to be a sane, balanced, happy human being, gainfully and happily employed. His other child I haven't met as an adult, but someone else I know did, and from what I heard the other child seems to be likewise happy and healthy, the only comment about growing up being, "Yeah, my dad was... strict." I kind of got the impression that the child didn't necessarily agree with that "strict" style, but neither did the child say, "Oh, God, I hate my father's guts, he was such an asshole." Perhaps that was the intended subtext ;-) but that's not the way it was reported to me, in any case, so I won't make that assumption.

In summary: My teacher was simultaneously a snarly snappish teacher and a devoted family man. Yes, the man could be an obnoxious jerk, but clearly there was more to him than the obnoxious jerk side. Likewise, given the extremely one-sided perspective on Professor Snape that we see through the eyes of Harry and the Harry-sympathetic, and given that we do indeed see glimpses of a kinder, gentler side to Severus when he is not operating in the Harry-centric Universe, it is reasonable to conclude that Severus Snape was more than merely a "nasty bastard": that he was someone who may have been considered by other people, in other contexts, to be not only tolerable but likeable, even lovable.

If my temperamental teacher was also happy to have a wife and family, it is equally reasonable that the temperamental teacher of Potions at Hogwarts might likewise have had a side to him that would have been happily married--even if Sev's wife, like the wife of my teacher, would do a bit of eye-rolling throughout the years of their marriage.