I feel the same way. Certainly, I was happy to hear that JKR changed her mind about our hero. But it's the same kind of happiness I feel when any learned person agrees with me.
Word! It was confusing that her first (media-botched) statement was so different to the message of the book! It really annoyed me. That things authors say about their books shouldn't influence our opinion of the book, positively or negatively, is true, too!
Exactly! The person doing magic which never appeared is the perfect example! She also contradicts herself so much . . . just last week on the Today show, she mentioned that Ron and Harry revolutionize the Auror department. Now she says Ron helps his brother out at the shop . . . which is it?
Therefore, saying Snape is 'sadistic' in an interview (long ago) doesn't mean he's sadistic. And frankly - she never once showed him as sadistic in canon to my interpretation. Petty, vindictive and bullying yes, perhaps. But sadistic is more Umbridge's line.
I am extremely happy JKR clarified it too. Honestly the other day I thought about it and I concluded that we were probably not getting the whole answer on Snape. Today she was more prepared to answer the questions and explain. There was just no way I could imagine after reading Deathly Hallows that Snape was not a hero. That made no sense, the proof of his heroism is in the book.
I felt freed after reading the transcript of the the online chat. Parts of it were informative, but where JKR differs with my reading of the characters, it's interesting, but it no longer irritates me or makes me defensive.
Thanks to Subtle Science for her sweet little essay, and thanks to me for reading it and being able to infuse it into my shallow mind so adequately. DH is mine again, to interpret as I will, and as you say, Orthoclase, the evidence that Snape's a hero is in the books.
I woke up this morning full of dread, but the Chat turned out to be JKR's redemptive act. : ) She was more honest about Snape, instead of mincing words about the topic of love and redemption.
Yesterday I was full of anger and disgust that JKR would diss such a wonderful character, and I felt as if she wasn't being honest about how much she liked him. Today was much better. I thought the whole thing about why Snape's portrait wasn't in the Headmaster's Office was lame - he had left his post and wasn't technically working there anymore. But didn't Dumbledore also flee in OotP? I liked her answer that Harry would fix the situation, but it would be better if she added a sentence in the future that Snape's portrait was there just to the right of Dumbledore's. : )
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It was confusing that her first (media-botched) statement was so different to the message of the book! It really annoyed me.
That things authors say about their books shouldn't influence our opinion of the book, positively or negatively, is true, too!
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Therefore, saying Snape is 'sadistic' in an interview (long ago) doesn't mean he's sadistic. And frankly - she never once showed him as sadistic in canon to my interpretation. Petty, vindictive and bullying yes, perhaps. But sadistic is more Umbridge's line.
So - yeah - I agree with you 100%! :D
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Thanks to Subtle Science for her sweet little essay, and thanks to me for reading it and being able to infuse it into my shallow mind so adequately. DH is mine again, to interpret as I will, and as you say, Orthoclase, the evidence that Snape's a hero is in the books.
Reply
Yesterday I was full of anger and disgust that JKR would diss such a wonderful character, and I felt as if she wasn't being honest about how much she liked him. Today was much better. I thought the whole thing about why Snape's portrait wasn't in the Headmaster's Office was lame - he had left his post and wasn't technically working there anymore. But didn't Dumbledore also flee in OotP? I liked her answer that Harry would fix the situation, but it would be better if she added a sentence in the future that Snape's portrait was there just to the right of Dumbledore's. : )
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