Just a little Snape musing...

[valis2]

rickfan37 did her own build-a-snape here and mentioned this really excellent point:

Here’s the Urbane!Snape myth again. I don’t know, and we’re given no clue in canon. I simply don’t believe he’s a closet opera buff and spends his spare time humming along to great arias, or that he can quote Dante or Shakespeare at will.

It really made me think of something new. I've always been a bit apprehensive about fics where Snape quotes Byron and listens to Bach.

I think what really is happening is that giving Snape these "pretentious" hobbies is a way for an inexperienced writer to "shorthand" their characterization of him, because in just a sentence of quoting/playing classical music, they set him up (in their minds) as a certain sort of character, aloof, mysterious, educated, etc. It's a short-cut.

The thing is, the sort of character they're trying to develop is not canon. Snape is a pure-blood, and would most likely know very little, if anything, about the Muggle world (his matchbox comment notwithstanding). And I'm certain that most pure-bloods wouldn't want to involve themselves in any sort of Muggle-world scrutiny.

So authors who attempt this short-cut are really doing canon a disservice, when what they really need to do is discover what would make him an aloof, mysterious, and educated character in Rowling's world.

Just my little musing for the moment.

Comments

[sophierom.livejournal.com]

Hi! Hope you don't mind that I stopped by ... Very interesting post. As someone who has written Snape as a character who knows a bit about Muggle art music, I found myself agreeing and disagreeing with your points at the same time (what can I say, I'm not a very decisive person!).

On the one hand, I agree that "pretentious" Snape or urbane! Snape can be a lazy way to develop his character. It's also unlikely that a pureblood would grow up with access to Muggle art music, literature and fine art. On the other hand, the general pureblood prejudice could be a very good reason to have Snape reading Dante or listening to Bach. Perhaps a Bach-loving Snape is not an urbane!Snape so much as a subversive!Snape. That is, perhaps he took a secret interest in Muggle culture as a youth; just as he studied the Dark Arts, much to the disapproval of the righteous Marauders, perhaps he also dabbled in bits of Muggle culture, much to the disapproval of his family. That being said, I don't think it's very plausible to make Snape an "expert" in Muggle high culture. It would have been difficult for him to read the classics, listen to Mozart, become a Death Eater, and become a Potions master all in his youth! :-) But, Snape strikes me as someone who loves knowing things, particularly things others don't want him to know. If Muggle culture was taboo in his society, he might have sought it out secretly. Who knows ... if he secretly loved the Mudblood Lily (though I don't necessarily subscribe to this theory), why can't he have secretly loved Bach or Mozart? :-)

I'll admit that I began this post a bit defensively, thinking of my own Snape, but I've committed so many fic "sins" (my OFC's a very good example of a Mary Sue, I'm slow at updating, plot is out of control, etc., etc.) that I'm not a good example of how to develop the character well! :-) But, I have read some really interesting fics (I'm thinking of Deeble's current fic, What E'er Therein Is Promised (http://ashwinder.sycophanthex.com/viewstory.php?sid=9325)) that use Snape's knowledge of Muggle culture as part of the plot or character development. So, I guess I'm arguing that this doesn't have to be a short-cut, and in fact, if used well, it can be a way to create a more interesting character.

Again, hope you don't mind me posting here, and thanks again for such interesting thoughts! On a slightly unrelated note, I recently came across your advice to newbie fic writers ... if only you had written that 10 months ago when I started writing! :-) It's a great post.

Best,
Sophie

[valis2.livejournal.com]

If his knowledge was explained well, and fit in properly, then I'd have no problem at all. Usually I'm not an "all-or-nothing" kind of person; I was a bit strident in this entry and didn't mean to be. :)

Anything, just about anything, can work, as long as it's written well.

On a slightly unrelated note, I recently came across your advice to newbie fic writers ... if only you had written that 10 months ago when I started writing! :-) It's a great post.

Oh, wow, thank you so very much! I loved writing it, really, and the response has been terrific.

Thank you so much for your reviews! It was wonderful to log in one day and see them all. I enjoyed them!

[sophierom.livejournal.com]

I was a bit strident in this entry and didn't mean to be.

No, you weren't strident! (And how dare you express your opinion in your own LJ! :-D )

Glad you enjoyed the reviews because you'll be hearing more from me soon! (I still have a few more chapters to read and review.) And besides, it's the least I can do considering I'm getting a great story to read for free!

[valis2.livejournal.com]

I really am excited to hear how you'll react to the latest chapters...

Newbie fic writers

[bell-witch.livejournal.com]

On a slightly unrelated note, I recently came across your advice to newbie fic writers ... if only you had written that 10 months ago when I started writing! :-) It's a great post.

As a fairly new writer, I'd be interested in seeing this post.

Granted, I do not recognise your name as a writer. That doesn't mean I haven't read your stories, though. I'd be interested in reading your advice anyway. Agree or disagree...

I'm new enough at this to be open to a lot of different possibilities. I'd like to think that fanfiction is all about possibilities. I know all of my stories won't be in the 'same universe' as one another, because I'm exploring my own different views of the characters. If I have Snape (as he's the character discussed in this thread) coming from a poor, abusive home at one point and a wealthy one in a different story, then that's poetic/artistic license. As long as one is consistent throughout a story/story arc/series, then you can do almost anything. If you do it well and back it up convincingly, then I'll be there with you.

But I do want to know what drives people mad, so that I can avoid doing it. Common sense isn't so common, and my brain doesn't work like yours does. Unless I'm writing a badfic...I've read some of those (not this fandom) that made me laugh so hard I fell out of my chair. And yes, these were deliberately written to be bad. The ones that are just that pathetic make me hit my 'back' button and swear at the author's stupidity.

Re: Newbie fic writers

[valis2.livejournal.com]

You can find the Fanfiction Writing Guide here (http://www.livejournal.com/users/valis2/57471.html).

There is definitely something to say for having artistic license, as long as it doesn't warp canon in unbelievable ways.

Though the best writers can accomplish quite a bit, honestly. I've read some pretty farfetched fanfics, but some of them were well-written and the author pulled it off.

Let me know what you think of the advice entry.