| (Apparently) unpopular HP opinion of the day: Snape and Lily |
[Sep. 11th, 2007|05:51 pm] |
I'm disturbed by some of the meta on this topic that I see going around now.
The Great Unfriending of Snape and Lily:
Here's the thing. If I figured out that one of my friends was getting into an association that promoted violence toward ANY group, I wouldn't be particulary thrilled to the point that I'd want to continue the friendship. I'd like to think that it wouldn't make a difference if I myself was a member of that group, and they were all, "But don't worry you're cool," but hell yes it would. The former would piss me off so much that I wouldn't want to be friends with them any longer, and the latter would not only piss me off but make me afraid. You can't be friends with someone you're worried is just studying you to give information to those who would at best take away priviledges like education from, and at worst hunt and exterminate you and your family. Sorry, it's horse shit to put any responsibility for this on Lily. The only reason the rift didn't occur before Snape's Worst Memory was probably because she was in denial that he was really into this. "Mudblood" was not simplistically the problem itself, it was the telling symptom of the greater ill.
The Great Non-Romance of Lily and James
I know I joked about this when the book came out. And the vacuum of information here is a little laughable. For all we know, there are touching scenes on the cutting room floor right now. I hope so. Anyway, where there is a vacuum our minds tend to wander. I don't think they're wandering in the right way, in some instances.
I totally joked before that Lily got with James to spite Snape. That was a joke. I don't believe for one second that that was the authorial intent. I know James has his problems, and it's a big missing link how he managed to go from toerag to St. James. But let's look at what is known: even in 5th year when he may be a total dumbass, he hates the word Mudblood and would never say it. He always hated the Dark Arts. He defied Voldemort (along with Lily) three times before he was 20. He joined the Order of the Phoenix.
I submit that during 6th year, a couple of things happened. James probably quit acting quite so much of a fool, and Lily realized she had to look less at the fool behavior and more at the values behind it. Really, James never had been hexing people "just because he can." It was the people he considered to have Death Eater values. And he never discriminated; his best friend in the world was Sirius even though Sirius never believed in all that while his whole family did and disowned him because of it.
In conclusion:
If you want Lily to be your friend, don't join the Death Eaters. It is simply a dumbass move to think you can have both. Also, I know we don't see enough information about James, but he's not Satan. He was a teenage boy with an overinflated ego due to winning too much Quidditch, but his heart I think? Was always in the right place. |
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I was sort of surprised by all the "But she could've changed him!" opinions I saw after DH. I think it's good and noble to think/hope that, but sadly rather naive. I've been through a few friendships where the other party was a complete waste, and all it got me was frustration.
And if that person wasn't just fucking around but actively advocating the extermination of people like me? Time to get a gun and hide out.
I think she did change him. Unfortunately, it was her death that did it. TheirLoveIsSoDestinedToFail
You're right. She says she tried to talk him out of it hella times though, so I guess there's nothing she could have done, short of dropping dead.
Time to get a gun and hide out.
She was always armed, but sadly the hiding out part took her 6 years and still didn't work.
I think Severus made mistakes, and he didn't realise the extent of these mistakes until Lily died. He obviously thought he could have both - I don't picture Severus as being able to read a lot of social cues, because he seems rather awkward as a teenager. That doesn't excuse his behaviour, and he spent the rest of his life regretting it.
It's a bit of a shame, because if you think of jaded, almost hateful, Severus... you kind of wonder what could have been if he hadn't made that mistake.
However, I do think, and a lot of people won't like this, that being bullied by James etc. pushed him even further towards the DEs. It's kind of like running for safety. A Slytherin/Gryffindor friendship isn't safe, it's uncommon, and one with a Mudblood, of all things, would make him a target. And Lily, being friends with a Slytherin, would probably incur the wrath of some of her housemates. So Severus took the safe option and went with his housemates, the DEs, because it was easier to defend himself with a bunch of DEs than just by himself. It was a choice of what is easy over what is right.
A Slytherin/Gryffindor friendship isn't safe, it's uncommon, and one with a Mudblood, of all things, would make him a target.
Makes sense for his peers at that time, and peers are very important at that age. But I would note that even the Slytherin Head of House loved her, and Snape wasn't even afraid to divulge this thing to the Dark Lord himself.
Which doesn't make sense, does it? I'm a little puzzled. | |
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