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Why does harry say *spoilers

 
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Death
Muggle

Joined: Jul 22, 2007
Posts: 5

PostPosted: July 22, 2007 10:30 pm    Post subject: Why does harry say *spoilers Reply with quote

Why does harry call snape the bravest person he ever met? That seems idiotic, everything snape did was out of cowardacy and love for lily. Not bravery. Causing the death of lily and james (by telling voldermort the prophecy) and then trying to save lily and only lily. It just seems bizaare.

On a side note i loved how fleshed out and flawed dumbeldore is in this book. Its fun to read about the perfect wizard blah blah but to see a more humane side to him was pretty fascinating. I thought it added much needed depth to the book and really strengthened them.
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Thesquirrel
Muggle

Joined: Mar 28, 2007
Location: Illinois
Posts: 10

PostPosted: July 22, 2007 10:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Is it cowardice to go into the dragons lair, and rifle through its treasure, and not only one time, but time and time again, without getting caught?
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kateasl
Fourth Year
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Joined: Jul 22, 2007
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
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PostPosted: July 22, 2007 10:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I think Snape was incredibly brave. When Snape first came to Dumbledore for help against Voldemort, he was only focused on saving Lily. But after he had talked to Dumbledore, after Lily had died, he still embraced the responsibility of protecting Lily's son. Perhaps he was a coward initially, but he more than made up for it after the death of James and Lily. Even if he was only brave because of his love for Lily, that doesn't take away from the fact that he was incredibly brave and put himself in grave danger constantly in order to be Dumbledore's spy. He was a great wizard if not even Voldemort could tell he was double crossing him, and I think it is completely acceptable for Harry to call him the bravest man he knew.

As for the twist on Dumbledore's character, I loved it as well. It explained so much one of Dumbledore's most famed personality traits - that he gave everyone a second chance. Because he knew that he had been given a second chance after his sister died.
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GinnyX
Mrs. George Weasley
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PostPosted: July 22, 2007 10:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Well, you can't really blame Snape for hating James. Since the day they met James was really mean to him.
But Snape does go to DD and asks for help.
And then Snape spends the rest of his life in fear of Voldie, having to pretend to be a faithful follower, his number one most trusted Death Eater. All to save Lily's son. Every day Snape risked his own life for the memory of his lost love.
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Death
Muggle

Joined: Jul 22, 2007
Posts: 5

PostPosted: July 22, 2007 10:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

GinnyX wrote:
Well, you can't really blame Snape for hating James. Since the day they met James was really mean to him.
But Snape does go to DD and asks for help.
And then Snape spends the rest of his life in fear of Voldie, having to pretend to be a faithful follower, his number one most trusted Death Eater. All to save Lily's son. Every day Snape risked his own life for the memory of his lost love.


That was a good way to put it. But I can't discern bravery from his love for lily. He did the things (voldies spy etc) for one reason. Whereas people like lupin, and all of the weasleys and neville fought for humanities protection and the hope of a better world. They didn't fight because of a memory. To me thats more a symbol of bravery.
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Death
Muggle

Joined: Jul 22, 2007
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PostPosted: July 22, 2007 10:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thesquirrel wrote:
Is it cowardice to go into the dragons lair, and rifle through its treasure, and not only one time, but time and time again, without getting caught?


Its cowardacie if you are doing it to save yourself. That said, snape is not. However, he isn't going into the *dragons lair* because of his ideals towards saving humanity. He goes in because he caused the death of someone he loved. That doesnt feel like bravery to me, it seems like a way for snape to feel better about the wrongs he did.

One thing i love about these books is how complex all of the characters are. Makes for a much more entertaining/fascinating read.
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maymi
Squib
Slytherin Member

Joined: Jul 14, 2007
Posts: 59

PostPosted: July 22, 2007 10:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

What about killing the only person who believed you were good? (DD) Then basically being hated by the very people you helped and not being able to tell them you were ordered to kill him. I'd say it takes a lot of bravery to kill your only real friend.

Thats how I knew Snape was good in HBP when Harry called him a coward he freaked. And it connected for me, he was ordered to kill DD and you definitly have to be brave in order to trust that if you kill your only ally everything will turn out right.

Just my 2 cents though.
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kateasl
Fourth Year
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Joined: Jul 22, 2007
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
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PostPosted: July 22, 2007 10:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Perhaps his reasons for doing what he did weren't always noble and brave and for the better of man kind, but he put himself a lot more risk than Ron, Hermione, Neville, the DA, and anyone else in the Order, except for perhaps Harry.
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Arabella
Mrs. Fred Weasley
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PostPosted: July 22, 2007 10:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

maymi wrote:
What about killing the only person who believed you were good? (DD) Then basically being hated by the very people you helped and not being able to tell them you were ordered to kill him. I'd say it takes a lot of bravery to kill your only real friend.

Thats how I knew Snape was good in HBP when Harry called him a coward he freaked. And it connected for me, he was ordered to kill DD and you definitly have to be brave in order to trust that if you kill your only ally everything will turn out right.

Just my 2 cents though.


omg I couldn't agree with you more! took the words right out of my mouth. I liked it when he called him brave...
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Blibbering Humdinger
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PostPosted: July 22, 2007 10:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

GinnyX wrote:
Well, you can't really blame Snape for hating James. Since the day they met James was really mean to him.
But Snape does go to DD and asks for help.
And then Snape spends the rest of his life in fear of Voldie, having to pretend to be a faithful follower, his number one most trusted Death Eater. All to save Lily's son. Every day Snape risked his own life for the memory of his lost love.

Well said.
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GinnyX
Mrs. George Weasley
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PostPosted: July 22, 2007 10:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Death wrote:
GinnyX wrote:
Well, you can't really blame Snape for hating James. Since the day they met James was really mean to him.
But Snape does go to DD and asks for help.
And then Snape spends the rest of his life in fear of Voldie, having to pretend to be a faithful follower, his number one most trusted Death Eater. All to save Lily's son. Every day Snape risked his own life for the memory of his lost love.


That was a good way to put it. But I can't discern bravery from his love for lily. He did the things (voldies spy etc) for one reason. Whereas people like lupin, and all of the weasleys and neville fought for humanities protection and the hope of a better world. They didn't fight because of a memory. To me thats more a symbol of bravery.


Again, brvaery comes in all shapes or sizes, like it or not.

And what I meant was, but probably didn't express it properly, was that his initial intentions were to save Lily, but he kept going on for other reasons, not just because of Lily.
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Blibbering Humdinger
First Year
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Joined: Jun 28, 2007
Location: Hong Kong
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PostPosted: July 22, 2007 10:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

maymi wrote:
What about killing the only person who believed you were good? (DD) Then basically being hated by the very people you helped and not being able to tell them you were ordered to kill him. I'd say it takes a lot of bravery to kill your only real friend.

And oh yes. Exactly.
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Death
Muggle

Joined: Jul 22, 2007
Posts: 5

PostPosted: July 22, 2007 11:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

GinnyX wrote:
Death wrote:
GinnyX wrote:
Well, you can't really blame Snape for hating James. Since the day they met James was really mean to him.
But Snape does go to DD and asks for help.
And then Snape spends the rest of his life in fear of Voldie, having to pretend to be a faithful follower, his number one most trusted Death Eater. All to save Lily's son. Every day Snape risked his own life for the memory of his lost love.


That was a good way to put it. But I can't discern bravery from his love for lily. He did the things (voldies spy etc) for one reason. Whereas people like lupin, and all of the weasleys and neville fought for humanities protection and the hope of a better world. They didn't fight because of a memory. To me thats more a symbol of bravery.


Again, brvaery comes in all shapes or sizes, like it or not.

And what I meant was, but probably didn't express it properly, was that his initial intentions were to save Lily, but he kept going on for other reasons, not just because of Lily.



That makes sense, I guess in the end snape is just a very well written complex character.
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MySoapBox
Muggle

Joined: Jul 22, 2007
Posts: 28

PostPosted: July 22, 2007 11:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I do think that Snape was brave but I think the idea of Harry naming his son after Snape was OOC.

When we become adults we can see our childhood relationships more clearly and understand thing that we never did as kids. But I don't think that understanding makes that childhood pain go away. Harry was emotionaly abused by Snape and I just can't see him getting over that to the point of naming his son after him.
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Edward Leviathan
First Year
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Joined: Jul 19, 2007
Posts: 148

PostPosted: July 22, 2007 11:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Harry also realized that Snape was the reason that Harry was still alive, that Harry was who he was, and, yes, he did endure emotional stress from Snape, but I believe in the end Harry understood why. The way that Snape felt towards James was the way that Harry felt towards those people snogging Ginny in HBP and that he understands.

Had it not been for Snape Harry never would have figured out how to FINALLY defeat Voldemort either, so that is another thing.
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kateasl
Fourth Year
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Joined: Jul 22, 2007
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
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PostPosted: July 22, 2007 11:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I agree with the post above me. And I also think that Harry recognised a strong similarity between himself and Snape. When he said something like "Harry, Voldemort, Snape.. the lost boys". He understood completely where Snape was coming from, and, as he grew up, he accepted Snapes attitude towards him. I don't think naming his son after Snape was that far fetched, I just hope his eldest son is called James Sirius..
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