Kill the Spare’s comment > Likes and Comments

But Snape would not have become a Death Eater had he not been so mercilessly bullied by arrogant people who were better off than him.

And I would rather go for intelligence rather than arrangance and idiocy.

How can you say for sure that he wouldn't have? Certainly not all the Death Eaters joined because they were victims of bullying. Snape was always highly interested in the Dark Arts and surrounded himself with a circle of friends at Hogwarts who shared his interest. I think his decision to join the Death Eaters was likely more influenced by these factors than bullying.

I cannot remember which book it was in but I do recall something being said about how the way he was treated affecting the decisions he made - if I can locate the quote I'll post it.

Your point about him already being interested in Dark Arts is valid though - but again, his upbringing and early school experiences will also have influenced him.

Just because James and Sirius are seen as the so called good guys doesn't mean that the results of their actions can be ignored. A good book and a good character should be flawed - no-one is perfect after all.

Has anyone thought of the fact that his interest in the Dark Arts might've come about as a way to take control and to have power over those that bullied him? (I'd include his parents in this, because he came from an unhappy home. However, so did Sirius and Harry. But Sirius and Harry were lucky to find Hogwarts a haven, not another hell like Snape did, and James is largely responsible for that.)

Hmm.. you guys make me sway.. But here's another one: Maybe it's a hen and egg thing.. What came first.. Snape's inclination towards dark magic born out of his in-built reverence for Slytherine or James’ scorn inspired by Snape’s obvious love for Slytherine (and later dark magic)?
Or to put it simply, was it James’ meanness that made Snape get all hard-core dark magic-y or was his being sort of an obsessive Slytherine fanatic that inspired James’ slinging?
Plus there’s that whole Lily angle.. You gotta do what you gotta do to win your love..

I don't think that James's picking on Snape was solely because Snape wanted to be in Slythern. James would've had to hate a quarter of the student body, if it's just explained that he hated Slytherns. James picked on Snape because Snape was an easy target.

I don't think that hating Slytherns is all that noble. I think Rowling started the series portraying them as the evil group, but softened. Not every Slythern is dark or bad. To think so, as James apparently did, is to be prejudiced. After all, Pettigrew turned out to be bad, even though he was in Gryffindor.

As to the bullying, people that are bullied often fantasize about overpowering or getting even with their tormentors. I don't think you can over-emphasize the damage that James's actions did to Snape.

@Mickey Yeah, I get what you are saying and there is NO excuse for bullying.. But I'm a romantic *smiles sheepishly* and still can't hate the hero's dad who died protecting the hero and his mom.. I want THAT fact to remain untarnished.. Otherwise it kinda kills the fun for me a little when I read James from that bully angle..

I think Rowling did a great job in giving most of her characters good and bad points. I don't think James being a bully changes the fact that he was also brave and self-sacrificing. Snape was also a bully and he also did very brave and self-sacrificing things.

I don't think Rowling wants us to excuse James or shrug off the bullying. People aren't saints. You have to learn to accept people for their good and bad points. This is a particularly hard lesson for children, who tend to see the world in black and white.

Hmm.. perfectly put :)