Blog Response #1: Our Experiences Define Our True Nature

Throughout the first two books of the series we experience Professor Snape and Professor Dumbledore through the eyes of Harry Potter, a neglected, bullied, and immature adolescent child. The two characters represent the age-old battle between good and evil, and love and hate. It is through Harry, i.e. Rowling, that these two characters are viewed as polar opposites. Professor Snape is portrayed as being dark, in appearance as well as personality, and as having the utmost hatred for Harry. Professor Dumbledore is alternatively seen as being good, light-natured and eccentric, and as having love and respect for Harry. Harry’s backstory, combined with his young age, could explain why he ponders the reason for Snape’s hatred while never questioning Dumbledore’s love. Perhaps Harry is so starved for affection that he is willing to accept love from anyone that offers it.

 

 

As the series was originally intended for children, we can infer that Rowling expected readers to initially perceive these two characters at face value as does Harry. My two sons read the first two books during their grade school and middle school years and were subsequently “occupied by the thoughts of the author” and believed these characters to be true as written. While it is easy to follow Rowling’s misdirection and dislike Professor Snape while adoring Professor Dumbledore, having read the series for the first time as an adult, I was careful not to believe that these characters were necessarily one-dimensional. Having had experience with human relationships it was easier to understand that people can be a mixture of both good and bad and that it is our life experiences and how we deal with them that define our true nature. Everyone has a backstory, even Professor Snape and Professor Dumbledore.