THE CONTROVERSY OF SNAPE - DIVA
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FACULTY OF EDUCATION AND BUSINESS STUDIES
Department of Humanities
The Controversy of Snape
A transactional reader response analysis of Severus Snape and why
he divides readers of the Harry Potter book series
Emma Östberg
2020
Student Thesis, C Essay, 15 CR
English Literature
English (61-90)
Supervisor: Iulian Cananau
Examiner: Marko ModianoAbstract
How can a character from a children’s book become so divisive that he causes
arguments amongst adults? This essay uses transactional reader response theory to explain the
reason why the character Severus Snape from the Harry Potter book series by J.K. Rowling is
so controversial. Applying notions from reader response theorists such as Rosenblatt and Iser
together with earlier research on Snape will show how the reader’s opinion is affected by both
the text itself and their own personal experience. A poll was created and posted on Facebook
with over a thousand replies. This data is analysed and used to apply the theory on real
examples. The conclusion of the essay is that Snape is both good and bad. He acts heroically
but is also vindictive and petty. Snape is perhaps the most human of all Rowling’s characters
and each reader recognises a little of themselves in him that they can relate to. Because of
ongoing arguments regarding Snape readers have to constantly defend their opinion. As the
opinion is re-evaluated it is also strengthened each time readers reconsider the story of Snape
and, like Snape himself once asked Professor Quirrell to do, decide where their loyalties lie.
Keywords: Severus Snape, Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling, Transactional Reader Response
Theory, Reader Response Criticism, Louise Rosenblatt, Wolfgang IserAcknowledgments
This essay came to life under rather special circumstances. It was written in the middle
of a more or less worldwide Covid-19 quarantine during a warm and sunny spring that will
not soon be forgotten by anyone.
I want to extend a huge thank you to my tutor Iulian Cananau for being there (at a
virus safe distance of 1800 km or so) supporting me throughout the process. Thank you to my
friends and family, especially my personal proof-reader Karin. You all probably know more
about Snape and reader response theory by now than you ever expected to. Special thanks to
the 1,068 enthusiastic Harry Potter readers who responded to my poll. You gave me an
abundance of valuable input and I wish I could have used it all! Last but not least to my
husband Jonas, who spent many hours entertaining our quarantined children so I could finish
this: I could not have done it without you. Thank you.
“The first reading of some literary work is often, to the literary, an experience so
momentous that only experiences of love, religion, or bereavement can furnish a standard of
comparison. Their whole consciousness is changed. They have become what they were not
before.” – C.S. Lewis
Emma Östberg
Prettingen, Luxemburg, June 2020Table of Contents Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 1 The Divisive Character of Severus Snape ........................................................................................... 1 Theory ....................................................................................................................................... 3 Reader Response Criticism .................................................................................................................. 3 The Constance School and Transactional Reader Response Theory .................................................. 4 Reading Styles ..................................................................................................................................... 5 Criticism .............................................................................................................................................. 7 Discussion ................................................................................................................................. 7 Snape through J.K. Rowling ................................................................................................................ 7 Snape through Harry Potter ............................................................................................................... 10 “Always” ........................................................................................................................................... 15 Snape through the Reader .................................................................................................................. 18 Conclusion .............................................................................................................................. 23 Works Cited............................................................................................................................ 26 Primary Literature ............................................................................................................................. 26 Secondary Literature ......................................................................................................................... 26 Appendices .............................................................................................................................. 28 Appendix A: ...................................................................................................................................... 28 Appendix B:....................................................................................................................................... 30
1
Introduction
The Divisive Character of Severus Snape
Few characters in children’s literature leave readers as opinionated as Severus Snape.
He is arguably one of J.K. Rowling’s most controversial characters. Neither inherently good
nor purely evil, Snape is perhaps both - or neither. Fans of the Harry Potter books tend to be
of very different opinions as to where on the spectrum from good to evil Snape belongs. Some
see him as a misunderstood hero whilst to others he is the devil incarnate. There are of course
also those who can see both aspects of his personality. Regardless of what their opinion is,
most readers seem to have a strong one. Snape is a hotly debated topic on fan forums, as
discussed by Rebecca Ågren and Lina Holst. They state that “Det är en diskussion som ofta
kräver av fansen att de ska välja sida och där valet anses medföra en bestämd
subjektsposition. (It is a discussion which often demands that fans choose a side, where the
choice results in a set position) (54)”. This means that once a side is chosen, all other
characters and events are seen in the light of which ‘side’ the person is on. Ågren and Holst
chose to call them ‘anti Snape’ and ‘Snape fans’ whilst those on the fence are called ‘neutral
Snape fans’ (p. 49). These terms will be the ones used henceforth.
It is important for the purpose of any discussion on Snape that all participants are
aware of the true nature of his role. A scene takes place in the final book in the series, Harry
Potter and the Deathly Hallows, where Snape finally tells Harry about his background and the
motives for his actions. The reader finds out that Snape was working for Dumbledore and has
done so ever since the death of Harry’s parents. Until then readers of the book generally
dislike Snape, seeing him as a villain. Many opinions were changed after the disclosure that
he had secretly been working for Dumbledore for years, trying his best to protect Harry. In a
poll conducted on Facebook the respondents’ rated Snape at an average of 3,46 on a scale of 12
to 10 when questioned how well they liked him before knowing the full story. The average
score after everything was known went up to 6.11 (Appendix A). In the same poll the
respondents were divided in their opinion on Snape, but more united in the strength of their
conviction. Almost 40% placed themselves at an 8 or above on a scale from 1 to 10, 10 being
the strongest possible. Only 8.3% felt that their feelings were no stronger than a 2 on the same
scale (Appendix A).
Using transactional reader-response theory (TRRT), this essay will attempt to explain
why the opinions on Severus Snape are so diverse. Although it will touch upon the subject,
examining Snape himself as a character is not within the scope of this essay. The main focus
will be on the books and the act of reading them. It will examine what parts of the text serve
as a guidance and what parts do the opposite and hide the truth from the reader. Both of these
invite reactions and can evoke certain responses, helping the reader form an opinion of the
text. An analysis will be made on what makes readers react very differently to the same text.
In TRRT one of the fundamental beliefs is that the text guides the reader and therefore
impacts on their reception. It is that viewpoint that will form the basis of the theoretical
framework for the discussion of the readers’ response to Snape. There are some main events
in the book usually on the agenda when debating Snape and his actions. These will be
specified and analysed in the discussion section from a position where all plot twists are
already known.
The readers’ response to Snape will be examined from four different perspectives, all
using TRRT. Consideration will be paid to the text itself and the author’s intention. This will
be done by analysing how the text affects the reader. In section two, the main protagonist
Harry Potter and his view on Snape is discussed. TRRT will show how the reader is
influenced by Harry in forming their view on Snape. The big reveal is then discussed,
examining the effect it has on the readers and their opinion on Snape. In the final part the3
main focus lies on the readers themselves as every reader brings something to the text which
affects their response. Empirical data will be referenced throughout to illustrate how and why
readers react differently to Snape.
The primary resource is the Harry Potter book series containing the story of Snape.
The discussion will also refer to TRRT literature and the works of for example Louise
Rosenblatt and Wolfgang Iser as well as previous studies already made on Snape and the
readers. Empirical data has been collected from 1,068 Harry Potter readers through an
anonymous poll posted in three different Facebook groups on 8 April 2020. The data will be
included in the analysis. Statistics are presented in Appendix A and sample responses in
Appendix B.
Theory
Reader Response Criticism
The notion of a text being dependent on its reader is not a new idea. It first developed in the
1930s as a direct objection to the formalist movement of New Criticism. The theory was then
refined in the 1960s and 1970s, forming reader response criticism. Whereas New Critics
believe that a text is a standalone object, separate from both author and reader, reader
response theorists believe the opposite (Tyson, 170). Iser, who founded the Constance school
of reception theory, for example favours the notion that all reading involves an interaction
between the text and the reader, where “texts are actively constructed by individual readers
through the phenomenology of the reading process” (Leitch, 1670).
There are several divisions within the field of reader response criticism. Tyson
explains that they do nonetheless have two beliefs in common: “(1) that the role of the reader
cannot be omitted from our understanding of literature and (2) that readers do not passively
consume the meaning presented to them by an objective literary text; rather they actively4
make the meaning they find in literature” (170). Where opinions diverge is in regards to
exactly how large the reader’s role is. Affective stylists argue that there is no text without a
reader (Tyson, p. 175). TRRT however, takes a different approach, placing itself on the other
end of the response theory scale. Disciples of this theory believe that the text does exist as a
form of blueprint to guide the reader through their experience. (Tyson, 173).
An interesting notion when it comes to reader response theory is put forward by
Leitch. He speculates that “prominent modes of criticism in the past could ignore the role of
the reader since they tacitly assumed that there was one kind of reader (i.e., white, male and
the recipient of a privileged education)” (1672). This certainly seems to be a real possibility as
many later schools of criticism, including feminist criticism and postcolonialism,
acknowledge the importance of the reader’s experience.
The Constance School and Transactional Reader Response Theory
TRRT is closely connected to Louise Rosenblatt who claims that text and reader are
equally important in creating meaning. She can be accredited for many of the ideas on which
the theory builds (Tyson, 173). Iser had views in many aspects closely resembling those of
TRRT. In fact, a lot of Rosenblatt’s theories derive from Iser’s teachings. The theoretical
framework used in this essay will therefore largely be attributed to the theories of Iser and
Rosenblatt.
The Constance School and subsequently TRRT focus on the individual cognition of
reading. This differs from the likes of Hans-Robert Jauss, who looks at reception theory from
a larger historical and political perspective (Leitch, 1671) or Stanley Fish, who sees the reader
as part of a community and therefore focuses on the dynamics there rather than directly
between reader and text. Iser states that “central to the reading of every literary work is the
interaction between its structure and its recipient” (Leitch, 1673). He then expands on these5
thoughts and writes that “from this we may conclude that the literary work has two poles,
which we might call the artistic and the aesthetic: the artistic pole is the author’s text and the
aesthetic is the realization accomplished by the reader” (Leitch 1674). This is correlated by
Rosenblatt, who, on the topic of whether meanings in text are attributed to the author or to the
reader, says that “The finding of meanings involves both the author’s text and what the reader
brings to it” (Rosenblatt, 14).
TRRT favours the belief that there are cues in a text left for the reader to interpret.
Rosenblatt argues that the reader may not always be aware of these but that consciously or
subconsciously the cues steer the reader towards a certain response to the text (77). “The
actual context of the words is the sequence of experiences that the reader has had under the
influence of the particular sequence of linguistic symbols in the preceding lines” (Rosenblatt,
84). This is not to say that the response is always the same just because the text and its cues
stay the same. “What the reader brings to the text will affect what he makes of the verbal
cues. Assumption of an aesthetic stance does not depend entirely on the cues offered by the
text but depends also on the reader’s being prepared to act on them” (Rosenblatt, 83).
Rosenblatt’s argument is that depending on what the reader brings and how they read, it will
affect their response to the text.
Reading Styles
It is fair to say that the same person can read a text in many different ways. There is reading
for enjoyment versus reading as part of a curriculum where the reader is expected to formally
evaluate the text after completion. Other examples of reasons for reading a text include
proofreading, deconstruction or searching for a particular piece of information.
Rosenblatt categorises reading into two styles; efferent reading, based on the Latin
efferre - to carry away, and aesthetic reading (24-25). Efferent reading is a style where the6
reader expects to procure knowledge from the text to be used after the reading is completed.
Aesthetic reading on the other hand is where the reader’s main focus lies on the text itself and
what it conveys. Rosenblatt states that “In aesthetic reading, the reader’s attention is centred
directly on what he is living through during his relationship with that particular text (25)”.
To illustrate how different mindsets can affect the reader, note this excerpt from a
newspaper article: “In spite of the importance of geological time in evolutionary biology
misconceptions about historical events in the history of life on Earth are common” (Decker et
al. 401). Read as such, it forms a sentence concerning evolutionary biology, written in the
academic register. When the layout is changed and a title is added, it suddenly reads as a
poem.
The Movement of Time
In spite of the
Importance
Of geological time
In
Evolutionary Biology
Misconceptions
About historical events
In the history of
Life
On Earth
Are common.
The difference between the two examples is that the reader would usually take the first
version at face value, without focusing on a deeper meaning. The second version however is
designed to make the reader pause for thought. The exercise shows that the same text can give
the reader two completely different messages based on the context in which it is presented.7
Rosenblatt sums it up by saying that “even a statement in the abstract language of a science
can lose its neutrality” (74).
In order for a text to be a transaction with the reader, it has to be read
aesthetically. It is only in this mode that readers immerse themselves in the text enough for
their own experiences, values and memories to come into play (Tyson, 173). The point of this
exercise will become clear when discussing what is actually written about Snape versus what
the readers interpret from the text.
Criticism
As with every literary theory, there are those who are critical of the reader response
theory. The main concern is generally that it lacks permanence and is too dependent on the
reader. It makes everything relative and undeterminable when readers are free to interpret a
text in any way they see fit (Leitch, 1672). They argue that it makes criticism superfluous as
there is no wrong or right. Iser and Rosenblatt do not agree with this. They defend their theory
and explain that although the text is interpreted by the reader, it is always there as a guide for
the reader, providing checkpoints along the way (Leitch, 1672). This means that the reader
cannot reasonably interpret a text in whichever way they fancy, at least not without deviating
from the viewpoint of TRRT.
Discussion
Snape through J.K. Rowling
“Snape is all grey. You can’t make him a saint: he was vindictive & bullying. You
can’t make him a devil: he died to save the wizarding world”
- @jk_rowling, Twitter, 27 November 20158
As shown above, how the reader interprets a text is affected by their past experiences
and knowledge. Even being in a certain frame of mind when reading can and often does affect
the response. This in combination with the intentionally ambiguous writing by Rowling
makes room for a fairly open interpretation of Snape. Although the reactions of the reader
cannot and will not be attributed to the author, it is important to remember that the author at
the time of writing the text has an intention with it. They usually already know the end when
they write the beginning, in contrast to the reader who can only base their reactions on the
parts of the story the author chooses to reveal in the text and the order in which they are
written. For all readers of Harry Potter this means that they are subject to Rowling’s
intentional hiding of the full story and therefore left to make their own assumptions and
opinions.
Emma Gustavsson analyses the topic in a thesis where she explains how the
complexity of Snape’s character in combination with the reader’s desire to know the end and
figure out the structure leads to expectations from the reader (2-3). “As a reader, it is easy to
expect Harry to defeat Voldemort, because he is the hero of the story, but because Snape
behaves in such an arbitrary manner the expectations of the reader might not agree with what
actually happens in the book” (Gustavsson, 3). Using the theories of Rosenblatt it is easy to
see how Rowling cleverly uses the text to guide the readers. She allows them to think that
Snape is the villain all through the first book; that he is the one trying to steal the
Philosopher’s stone. One key part of the story is when Harry, hiding in a tree, listens to a
conversation between Snape and Quirrell.
“’… d-don’t know why you wanted t-t-to meet here of all p-places Severus …’9
‘Oh I thought we’d keep this private’, said Snape, his voice icy. ‘Students
aren’t supposed to know about the Philosopher’s Stone, after all.’
Harry lent forward. Quirrell was mumbling something. Snape interrupted him.
‘Have you found out how to get past that beast of Hagrid’s yet?’
‘B-b-but Severus, I –‘
‘You don’t want me as your enemy, Quirrell.’ said Snape, taking a step
towards him.
’I-I don’t know what you –‘
‘You know perfectly well what I mean.’
An owl hooted loudly and Harry nearly fell out of the tree. He steadied himself
in time to hear Snape say, ‘– your little bit of hocus pocus. I’m waiting.’
’B-but I d-d-don’t –‘
‘Very well,’ Snape cut in. ‘We’ll have another little chat soon, when you’ve
had time to think things over and decide where your loyalties lie.’ (Rowling,
Philosopher’s Stone, 244-245)
At the time of reading, Snape has throughout been portrayed as a villain. It is therefore not too
strange to think that most readers would interpret Snape as the bad guy in this conversation
and generally not finding the character especially likeable. However, when reading the
excerpt out of context and using efferent reading it is not as clear, as Snape for obvious
reasons never says clearly that he is after the stone. Add to that the knowledge that Snape was
in fact trying to stop Quirrell from stealing the stone and the text takes a whole other meaning.
The reader now knows that “where your loyalties lie” refers to Snape trying to get Quirrell to
commit to Dumbledore’s side.10
Rowling does not let the reader deviate too far from the truth or be mistaken for too
long about who the real villain is in the first book. She reveals at the end of the book that
Quirrell was the one after the stone whilst Snape on several occasions tried to save Harry.
Here the text guides the reader towards the thought that maybe Snape isn’t such a bad guy
after all. Snape fans have a point in arguing that Rowling actually wrote in the very first book
that Snape is not a villain and that he is there to save Harry. It is worth noting however, that as
shown in the poll results in Appendix A, a majority of the Snape fans were not actually fans
until after learning about Snape’s full story. Many readers will have unwittingly at this stage
or upon completion of the book series performed a reading action often talked about in TRRT.
They will have gone back to reread all or selected sections of the text after additional
information has been revealed further along in the book. Tyson explains that “the text guides
our self-corrective process as we read and will continue to do so after the reading is finished if
we go back and reread portions, or the entire text, in order to develop or complete our
interpretation (173).
Snape through Harry Potter
One explanation as to why most readers still believed Snape to be on the dark side
until the full disclosure of his background despite plenty of evidence to the contrary is that all
throughout the book series Snape is mainly seen through the eyes of Harry Potter. Rowling
skilfully invites the reader to first form and then change their opinion on Snape. The reader’s
first encounter with Snape is in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, where Harry
describes “a teacher with greasy black hair, a hooked nose and sallow skin” (Rowling, 138). It
is also here that Harry’s scar starts hurting for the first time. Harry (and therefore also the
reader) later finds out that this had nothing to do with Snape, it was Professor Quirrell acting
on behalf of Voldemort. However, at that time Harry, Ron and Hermione all believed that11
Snape was the villain. The reader is lead to believe the same as there is, at the time, no
evidence to not trust Harry’s judgement.
Had the Harry Potter books been read in an efferent mode it is likely that more readers
would have spotted what is written in plain text several times throughout the book series
about Snape. As most people tend to read in the aesthetic mode, readers “experience a
personal relationship to the text that focuses our attention on the emotional subtleties of its
language and encourages us to make judgements” (Tyson, 173). This partly explains why so
many of the readers are anti Snape. They form a relationship with the main protagonist Harry,
taking his side.
It is true that Snape does not treat Harry particularly well in between those moments of
being there for him when it matters. He constantly puts Harry down and wants him to fail.
The tense relationship is brought to a head when Dumbledore orders Snape to teach Harry
Occlumency, the art of mind reading. Snape is hard on Harry, relentlessly invading his mind
in order to get Harry to defend himself. Snape calls him “lazy and sloppy” even though Harry
is trying his best (Rowling, Order of the Phoenix, 653). Harry keeps failing and getting
frustrated with the whole situation. Then, in one of the tutoring sessions Snape has to leave
the office and leaves Harry behind. As he is about to leave, Harry spots the Pensieve, a way of
storing and revisiting old memories. He decides to have a look at what Snape has saved there.
He sees an old memory involving his parents and Snape before being caught in the act by
Snape, who has returned to the office. Snape is furious and shouts to Harry “Get out, get out, I
don’t want to see you in this office ever again”, throwing a jar after him as he leaves
(Rowling, Order of the Phoenix, 715). This chapter was the first time the reader had
something from Snape’s student years revealed to them and perhaps started to understand that
his character had a lot more depth than it initially seemed. The situation is still read in the
light of Snape treating Harry very badly at the private lessons, and it is doubtful that an12
aesthetic reader would at this stage be impartial enough to completely discard their previous
opinion of Snape. In the poll, none of the 528 respondents to the final question (sample of
responses in Appendix B) mentioned this part as being the one that changed their mind on
Snape although several mentioned Snape being bullied as a factor behind their feelings. The
aforementioned act of rereading a passage of a book after gaining more information is also
touched upon by Gustavsson who, on the topic of Snape’s reveal, writes that “As a result,
when one is finished with reading the whole series, one starts thinking backwards, essentially
reading everything backwards and is finally able to make sense of Snape and his motives” (3).
A conclusion based on this can be made that most readers were more affected by the chapter
after being provided with the full picture.
Harry is as most teenagers heavily influenced by the opinion of his friends. His two
closest friends Ron and Hermione are both at first in agreement with Harry regarding Snape.
As the series progresses, their opinions change. Harry still dislikes Snape but is not so sure he
is all bad anymore. Ron becomes more anti Snape, still convinced he is a true Death Eater and
on Voldemort’s side. Hermione on the other hand becomes if not a Snape fan, at least a
neutral Snape fan. In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Ron tells Hermione that he
suspects Snape of secretly ensuring that Harry does not learn Occlumency in order to help
Voldemort. The following conversation occurs:
”‘Shut up, Ron,’ said Hermione angrily. ‘How many times have you suspected
Snape, and when have you ever been right? Dumbledore trusts him, he works
for the Order, that ought to be enough.’
‘He used to be a Death Eater,’ said Ron stubbornly. ‘And we’ve never seen
proof that he really swapped sides.’13
‘Dumbledore trusts him,’ Hermione repeated. ‘And if we can’t trust
Dumbledore, we can’t trust anyone’” (Rowling, 611).
Hermione’s change of heart should not go unnoticed by the reader as it is so explicitly stated
in the text, and is one of the many small pieces of information that the reader processes during
the reading. It may seem insignificant, but, knowing that Hermione historically is the one who
is the most knowledgeable and sensible, it gives pause for thought. This allows the readers to
form their own opinion. They can choose to trust Hermione’s judgment or they can side with
Ron, still believing that Snape truly is bad.
Once Harry is fully aware of Snape’s situation he does a complete turnaround and,
despite their earlier feuds, hails Snape as a hero. He even goes on to give his son the middle
name Albus Severus, after Dumbledore and Snape. With this in mind, should the reader go
back and reread the books, there are several passages where Harry seems to obtusely refuse to
listen to those who try to convince him that Snape is on their side. In a conversation with
Professor Lupin Harry doesn’t want to hear Lupin out and also questions Dumbledore’s
judgment.
“Harry to Lupin: ‘But,’ said Harry, ‘just say – just say Dumbledore’s wrong
about Snape – ‘
‘People have said it, many times. It comes down to whether or not you trust
Dumbledore’s judgment. I do, therefore, I trust Severus.’
‘But Dumbledore can make mistakes,’ argued Harry. ‘He says it himself. And
you’ –
He looked Lupin straight in the eye –
‘do you honestly like Snape?’14
‘I neither like nor dislike Severus,’ said Lupin” (Rowling, Half-Blood Prince,
394-395).
Harry’s judgment is clouded by his personal feelings toward Snape and a parallel can be
drawn here to the reader, whose attachment to Harry may cause an unwarranted belief in
taking Harry’s view as always being a neutral and correct one. Once readers have all the
information on hand it is easier to not be affected too much by Harry’s feelings toward Snape,
instead making their own mind up as to how they feel about him.
There are a few instances where Snape objectively treats Harry unfairly. These are not
major instances but as they frequently occur they form a pattern of Snape’s general behaviour.
This is of course one of the reasons why Harry dislikes Snape enough to refuse to see any
good sides. One example is from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire where Snape says “All
this press attention seems to have inflated your already overlarge head, Potter. […] You might
be labouring under the delusion that the entire wizarding world is impressed with you, […]
but I don’t care how many times your picture appears in the papers. To me, Potter, you are
nothing but a nasty little boy who considers rules to be beneath him” (Rowling, 561). These
seemingly insignificant occurrences in the books serve as a repeated reminder to the reader
that Snape is not a nice person in the way he treats Harry. As described by Tyson (173), here
is the text at work acting as a blueprint and reining the readers in, ensuring that they are kept
aware of Snape’s bad sides. Believing that Snape is bad is of course a fundamental part of the
story. As readers form their own opinion and theories, Rowling had to ensure that Snape’s
plot twist was not something easily foreseen. Harry’s view on Snape and the way Snape treats
him is integral for the narrative regarding Snape being good or bad.15
“Always”
Being such a pivotal moment, it is prudent to look specifically at the scene where the
reader finally finds out all about Snape and the reason for his actions. This is also the first
time the information about Snape is willingly provided by himself. There is the
aforementioned passage where Harry manages to see Snape’s memories in the Pensieve but
they were not willingly provided. These memories therefore hold huge gravity for many
readers as they can finally begin to understand Snape. The smoke and mirrors disappear and
any knowledge the reader has previously had of Snape is turned on its head when seen in its
new context. The disclosure of his story begins with a dying Snape giving Harry a portion of
his memories to look at. One of these memories is a conversation between Dumbledore and
Snape, where the former talks about Harry having to sacrifice himself to defeat Voldemort.
Snape objects to Dumbledore’s plan.
“’But this is touching, Severus,’ said Dumbledore seriously. ‘Have you grown
to care for the boy, after all?’
‘For him?’ shouted Snape. ‘Expecto Patronum!’
From the tip of his wand burst the silver doe: she landed on the office floor,
bounded once across the office and soared out of the window. Dumbledore
watched her fly away, and as her silvery glow faded he turned back to Snape,
and his eyes were full of tears.
‘After all this time?’
‘Always,’ said Snape.” (Rowling, Deathly Hallows, 753)
This is how Harry together with the reader discovers that the reasoning for all of
Snape’s actions are based on his undying love for Lily, Harry’s mother. The simple16
word ‘always’ has come to in many ways symbolise Snape as a person. Rosenblatt
says that “so interwoven are the aesthetic responses to a text, that when the response to
one word is changed, it may affect the organization or structure of the whole work” (p.
76). She goes on to describe the text as a mesh curtain, where the words are the strands
of the curtain. When these strands are pulled in different directions, the reader sees
different parts of the story through the mesh (Rosenblatt, 76). After Snape’s
declaration of love, the curtain opens to reveal a whole new side of the story for the
reader to interpret.
These shared memories are what makes Harry change his mind about Snape
and goes from calling him a coward (Rowling, Half-Blood Prince, 712) to declaring
him “probably the bravest man I ever knew (Rowling, Deathly Hallows, 830). For the
reader, it turns out it is not as straight-forward. For the duration of almost 4,500 pages
they have developed a relationship with the world of Harry Potter and its inhabitants.
There have been actions, reactions and opinions that are proving to be difficult to shift
for some, whilst for others finding out about Snape’s story completely changed their
viewpoint. As discussed earlier, many Snape fans were not fans from the start but
became so upon re-evaluating their opinions after uncovering his full story. Changing
their minds suggests that the Snape fans read into this something that they feel
vindicates Snape and turns him into a good guy. It also therefore implies that the anti
Snape do not feel that his eternal love for Lily justifies his actions towards Harry and
others for the past 18 years or so.
One of the anti-Snape respondents in the poll explained that their feelings on
Snape actually worsened after reading about his background, saying about Snape that
“He had a crush on Lily and refused to leave her alone even after she asked him too
[sic]. He refused to stop working for Voldemort even though his only real goal,17 except for power, was to oppress people specifically like Lily. He refused to act until she personally was threatened, and then only acted to try to save her and her alone” (Answer 4, Appendix B). There are several more responses that seem to agree that loving one person doesn’t make all the bad actions in the past go away. One respondent who appears to be a neutral Snape fan says “I think he’s the most interesting character in the book series, since his overall actions are heroic (spying for the Order, dedicating himself to saving Harry’s life after Lily dies, his motivation being of a such an [sic] everlasting and pure love etc.) which ought to make him a heroic and even a romantic figure. But it doesn’t, since his everyday actions are so petty and spiteful. […] If someone was that verbally abusive to children in real life you’d call the police, but since it’s fiction you allow more nastiness” (Answer 6, Appendix B). This is an interesting comment as the reader recognises that liking a fictional character may not mean that they would like them in real life. Iser argues that “it is only by leaving behind the familiar world of his own experience that the reader can truly participate in the adventure the literary text offers him” (Tompkins, 57). Readers differentiate fiction from real life and can therefore favour a fictional character when immersed in a story regardless of how they would feel for a real person behaving in the same way. Separation between fiction and reality is one explanation why so many readers like Snape despite his objective malice towards Harry and others. Another respondent also alludes to this in saying that Snape is their favourite character in the Harry Potter books “because he is the most unique, complex and ambiguous person to inhabit Rowling’s world of magic, not in spite of his many flaws but because of them” (Answer 3, Appendix B). Perhaps unwittingly the respondent here specifies that Snape is part of a
18
different world, meaning that his actions are seen in the context of the fictional
world of magic.
The separation of fiction and reality does not mean that the readers leave
their own experiences and opinions completely behind when reading the books. It is
one of the basic principles of TRRT that readers bring a lot of themselves into the
reading of a text. On the topic of readers changing their minds about a text,
Rosenblatt writes that “the change, of course, occurs in the attitude of the reader, in
what dimension of his response to the text becomes central to him” (36). One
example is given by a respondent who was bullied as a child, therefore becoming
more compassionate towards Snape when it was revealed that he was bullied at
school. In finding this out, the central importance to the respondent was no longer
Snape’s behaviour as an adult. The bullying became a more important factor and
changed the respondent’s mind on Snape (Answer 8, Appendix B).
To summarise why Snape telling his story changed so many readers’ minds,
one respondent eloquently writes that Snape at first “chose the darkness because
that’s where he came from, but he then got the chance to make another choice out of
love, and that’s the choice he stuck with until the end” (Answer 11, Appendix B).
Snape through the Reader
As shown above, an aesthetic reader has several factors that affects their judgment of
Snape. There is what is actually written in the text, what Rowling has deliberately left out
only to add later, Harry’s personal feelings toward Snape, the opinions of those around him
and of course the emotional way in which Harry and the readers find out about Snape’s true
self. This section will analyse the readers’ reactions to the above further and try to explain
how readers can feel so differently when presented with the same text and the same plot twist.19
It is not only towards Harry that Snape acts harshly. His close friends also get their fair
share of Snape’s anger aimed at them. He manages to affect Neville Longbottom to the point
where Neville’s boggart takes the form of Snape (Rowling, Prisoner of Azkaban, 147-150).
This is an important argument for some of those who remained anti Snape even after his full
story was told. It can be argued that Snape was undercover and could not reveal his true
intentions to Harry and his friends. It is also somewhat understandable that he dislikes Harry
given that he is a constant reminder to what Snape wanted but could not have. However, those
anti Snape do not believe that this justifies his cruelty towards Harry and it especially does not
justify him being vicious and a bully to other students. Plenty of replies in the poll mentioned
this, with one respondent saying “I understand his tragic childhood and life. With his big
love 1. Dumping him and then being in a relationship with his enemy. 2. Dying. But like
you were 15? Why bully Neville?” (Answer 12, Appendix B). Several of the replies show
that a lot of thought has been put into the matter of Snape’s behaviour towards his students,
like one comment from someone anti-Snape arguing that Snape got hurt because Lily did
not want to be more than friends and subsequently makes innocent children suffer,
rendering him unsuitable for teaching. (Answer 16, Appendix B). The respondent goes on
to say about Snape that “I know why he were at Hogwarts, being close to Dumbledore, the
double game etc. But nothing can ever justify abusing children” (Answer 16, Appendix B).
This shows that they have taken Snape’s motives and background into consideration and
still came to that conclusion. Many of the readers would have been students themselves the
first time they read the Harry Potter book series. Rosenblatt explains that “Each reader […]
feels his way toward a vital principle of coherence for his own inner responses to these
particular words in this particular order” (50). An example of Rosenblatt’s theory is when a
student reads a text about a bad teacher it perhaps becomes a personal matter, and they do not
feel that Snape is justified in his behaviour despite knowing the whole story.20
The replies to the poll show that the readers have often gone beyond the stage of
going back to reread a text after new information is provided, which is often mentioned in
TRRT as a vital part of the reading process. They have most likely read the books several
times and put some real thought into their feelings about Snape. There were a few
examples where the readers said that the way Snape’s story is told made them change their
mind about Snape more than once. They describe going from disliking Snape to feeling an
understanding towards his character and liking him. They then find themselves after further
reflection and revisiting the books that they not like Snape after all. One respondent
provides a possible explanation for the change of heart and writes “I have gone from loving
him for what he’s been through to hating him for abusing Harry the way he did. […] I
think my opinion changed when I grew up myself, realizing that grown ups cannot act like
that towards children” (Answer 14, Appendix B). The respondent’s answer suggests that
even after a full disclosure of Snape’s story is made and the books are finished, the
reader’s opinion of Snape is still subject to change. One explanation is that as the reader
gains new personal experiences, their values and priorities change and therefore also their
perception of Snape. The reader in Answer 14 has gone from being of the opinion that a
bad childhood and unrequited love was justification enough for Snape’s actions to feeling
that there is no justification for behaving badly towards children. It is not unreasonable to
see the younger reader as a romantic, perhaps a teenager in love, whilst the older reader
now has children of their own and would not want them to be treated badly due to the
teacher holding grudges.
Readers are often unaware of the internal creative process that takes place whilst
reading (Rosenblatt, 52). For Harry Potter readers the initial opinion on Snape, shaped
whilst reading the books, is mostly formed unconsciously. If the reader then goes on to
actively consider Snape and his story this may well change their opinion again. What the21
unconscious mind found acceptable, a more aware consideration might find unacceptable
and vice versa. Once readers distance themselves from the reading process, the realisation
that Snape is part of a fictional world with its own morals and traditions occurs. Some of
the comments mentioned in relation to Snape’s behaviour towards Neville that other
teachers weren’t exactly up to par with real life modern western standards either. The
respondent in Answer 2 writes that “McGonagall made a student sleep outside in the
corridor in the midst of an alleged murderer having gained access to the castle. Hagrid
gave a muggle child a pig’s tail because the child’s father had said something that upset
him. But Neville’s boggart? Yes, Severus was Neville’s boggart. But McGonagall was
Hermione’s” (Appendix B). So as much as Snape might seem very harsh, once readers
consider the apparent differences in school and teaching rules, they seem able to look past
Snape’s teaching methods and general behaviour towards the students.
As shown in Appendix A, most Snape fans became so only after knowing about the
real motive for Snape’s actions. However, there were still 8.8% of the readers who rated
Snape as an eight or higher even before this. As the main argument so far has been that the
readers understood Snape after knowing his background and how it cast a new light on his
behaviour, it is noteworthy that almost 10% of readers did not need the backstory to like
Snape. In order to understand what makes readers like a character which is mostly still
seen as a villain, Iser describes ‘gaps’ in the text that are there for the reader to complete.
Leitch describes Iser’s theories, writing that “the reader constantly modifies her or his
viewpoint, connecting new segments of text and filling in the ‘gaps’ of what the text does
not mention” (1672). This means that there is room for readers to read the same text but
take away different meanings as the gaps are filled with the readers’ own thoughts and
experience. Snape’s complexity contributes to this; he is never described as purely bad.
Harry of course seems to think he is, but Rowling always makes sure that the text also tells22
the reader that Snape is not a villain. Even before knowing the truth about Snape’s
motives, the readers are aware that for example Lupin, McGonagall, Hagrid and
Dumbledore all trust Snape. An explanation might therefore be that the readers who
sympathise with Snape at an early stage are those that do not take Harry’s view on the
world for granted, but instead respond more to the text itself. From one teacher’s point of
view, Snape is somewhat of a hero despite his teaching methods. The teacher calls Snape
their “biggest role model” (Answer 17, Appendix B) and explains that the reason for this is
how Snape looks after the less well liked children instead of only seeing those easy to like,
Harry for example. Instead he takes Draco Malfoy under his wings and this is something
the respondent also aspires to do. This again shows that the personal experiences brought
by the reader greatly affect their view on the text.
Another reason why Snape is so divisive is that he at times is perhaps the most
human of all characters. No one in real life is purely good or purely evil, even if this is
often a preferred view. One respondent touches upon this and argues that some people
simply do not want to sympathise with Snape as that would acknowledge that they could
recognize a little of themselves in him. “Snape is human and that is why I think he splits us
so, because some don’t like to see this part of us and some doesn’t see it that way. I find
him fascinating and even before the reveal I liked him” (Answer 15, Appendix B).
As the readers have such varied opinions, discussions often occur where the Snape
fans and those anti Snape get into a debate. The need to defend their viewpoint could
contribute to the strength of their opinion regarding Snape. Having to discuss the opinion
that Hermione is a good and likeable character does not often take place as she is not a
controversial character; the readers do not need to find arguments defending their stance.
On the topic of Snape every reason for his behaviour has been discussed repeatedly,
meaning that the readers have evaluated and re-evaluated their opinion several times.23
Ågren and Holst write that there are plenty of arguments online where the debate gets
rather heated and the participants (mostly Snape fans) resort to name-calling and bad
language (49-51). They say that the discussion itself is not a bad thing but that “Problemet
som vi ser det är att samtalen lätt blir infekterade och att det sker en stark polarisering fans
emellan, beroende på vilken “sida” vi väljer att ta. (The problem as we see it is that the
conversations get easily infected and that there is a strong polarisation between the fans,
depending on which ’side’ we choose to take)” (54).
This suggests readers have divisive opinions based on their own experiences
and how they interpret the text, as supported by the philosophies of TRRT. The strength of
these opinions comes from having considered all sides more than once, often including at
least one change of mind, and also from having to defend them in discussions.
Conclusion
“The world isn’t split into good people and Death Eaters.”
- Sirius Black to Harry Potter (Rowling, Order of the Phoenix, p. 336)
In Severus Snape, J.K. Rowling has created a very human character. Some good and
some bad, his complexity invites the reader to choose which part of him they see. These
choices are sometimes conscious but just as often unconscious as it is not always obvious to
the reader that they are forming an opinion. “Such responses may be momentary, peripheral,
almost woven into the texture of what is felt to be the work itself. Or the reaction may at times
take more conscious form” (Rosenblatt, 49). At first the reader is unaware of Snape’s
complexity and he is portrayed as a villain. As the book series progresses and the reader finds
out more and more about Snape, there are also other reflections to be made. Whilst at first24
Harry’s opinion is taken as canon, the reader later on has to take into consideration that Snape
is trusted by some of the main characters and he also saves Harry’s life more than once.
There are two main sides when it comes to the arguments regarding Snape. There are
those who like Snape and believe he is a good person despite his bad sides. They feel that
although the character has flaws, he ultimately does an incredibly difficult job for the good
side, all based on his love. They see him being bullied in his childhood as a reason for his
later actions. The other side of the argument is that Snape is a bad person who performs some
good actions but mainly out of selfish reasons. They do not feel that his background justifies
his behaviour as an adult. This can be explained by the gaps described by Iser, that each
reader reads between the lines, the interpretation being dependent on their own experiences.
By completing parts of the story themselves, readers can have vastly different impressions of
the same text. One reader sees Snape’s love for Lily as him having “a crush on Lily and
refused to leave her alone even after she asked him to. […] Lily did not want him, and told
him so. Him not backing off but rather inserting himself into her life and the life of her
child without her consent is not romantic, nor does it have anything to do with the actual
person Lily. Only with his image of her [sic]” (Answer 4, Appendix B). Another reader
writes that “in order to live with his actions that led up to her death, he dedicates his life to
protect her son, whom he hates, and destroy Voldemort. When he dies, he doesn't die for
Harry but for Lily. He gives up everything that is Him for his love to Lily” (Answer 7,
Appendix B). These two readers have read the same text but their own personal opinions
cause different views on Snape. Another part of the explanation is that the reader takes away
from the text what they bring into it. Someone who is bullied may see this as a more forgiving
reason than someone who has never experienced bullying.
The life and story of Severus Snape is memorable and complicated. Readers are prone
to change their mind not once but several times throughout reading the books, as they get to25
know more about Snape. This causes a more conscious reaction to Snape, which is one
explanation why readers feel so strongly about him. Disputes with those of a different opinion
causes the reader to really consider their stance and find the reason for their belief. So is it
possible that both Snape fans and those anti Snape are correct in their arguments and
conclusions as to whether he is a good or bad character? Those in favour of TRRT would say
yes. The facts are there in the text of what Snape was like as a child and what he did as an
adult. What differs is what each reader brings to the text. A romantic person who was bullied
as a child may feel that Snape’s later actions and his love for Lily forgives all his bad sides,
whilst a more pragmatic person would argue that although his later deeds were good, he is
still a bad person and having a bad childhood is not an excuse for his actions as an adult.
As a character in the Harry Potter book series, Snape adds an extra dimension to the
story. Most other characters fall into one of the ‘good’ or ‘bad’ categories. Snape, however,
fits in both, or neither. Without him, the books would be less multifaceted and it could be
argued that they would be less interesting. One respondent to the poll comments that “The life
and character of Severus Snape moved me to the core, both emotionally and intellectually”
(Answer 3, Appendix B) and this is a major part of his contribution to the books. Snape’s
presence and ambiguity rounds the narrative and completes the story, showing the reader that
there are other characters than only heroes and villains. To summarise, Snape is complex and
controversial. He does many good things but also many bad. Readers are still arguing over
which ‘side’ is right and the debate is likely to continue as long as people keep reading the
books and, using their own experience, bringing the story of Severus Snape to life once more.26 Works Cited Primary Literature Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, London, 2004 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, London, 2004 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, London, 2004 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, London, 2004 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, London, 2004 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, London, 2006 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, London, 2008 Secondary Literature Decker, Todd et al. “The Treatment of Geological Time and the History of Life on Earth in High School Biology Textbooks.” The American Biology Teacher, Vol. 69 No 7, September 2007; (pp. 401-5), doi.org/10.2307/4452191. Accessed 7 June 2020. Gustafsson, Emma. Severus Snape, The Complexity and Unconventional Heroism of Severus Snape in the Harry Potter Books. 2016. Karlstads Universitet, Bachelor’s Dissertation. urn:nbn:se:kau:diva-41253 Leitch, Vincent B et al., editors. The Norton Anthology of Theory and Criticism. W. W. Norton & Company, Inc, New York, 2001. urn:asin:0393974294. Lewis, C.S. An Experiment in Criticism. Cambridge University Press, London,1961. www.fadedpage.com/books/20140725/html.php Rosenblatt, Louise M. The Reader, the Text, the Poem: The Transactional Theory of the Literary Work. Vol. Pbk. ed,, Southern Illinois University Press, 1994. EBSCOhost,
27 search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=shib&db=nlebk&AN=11607&lang =sv&site=eds-live. Tompkins, Jane. Reader-Response Criticism: From Formalism to Post-Structuralism. John Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, 1981. urn:oclc:record:1036821571 Tyson, Lois. Critical Theory Today: A User-Friendly Guide, Second Edition. Routledge, New York, 2006. archive.org/details/criticaltheoryto0000tyso/mode/2up Ågren, Rebecca and Holst, Lina. ”It’s not a phase, Mom!!!” Om identitetsskapande inom fankultur. 2019. Göteborgs Universitetsbibliotek, Bachelor’s Dissertation. hdl.handle.net/2077/60293
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