I haven't posted anything for the Snape fans in a while (yes, the last few chapters of Severus Evans, Year One, are being written) so here's an essay I posted over on Snapedom. It started as a few notes to reply to Torino's question of the week about Severus in Fanon, and turned into an essay covering my views (to date) about the character in general as well as about how he is depicted in fanon. Not everyone on my f-list with an interest in Severus Snape reads Snapedom, so I am re-posting here for your reading and analytical pleasure. ;-)


My View of Severus, and of Severus in Fanon

I haven't read nearly as much fanfic as some of you have, but between what fanfic I have read and the numerous meta/essay discussions I've taken part in, online and in real life, I guess I have picked up on a few fanon interpretations of Severus Snape, after all. This is long, but probably not comprehensive: I'm sure I'll think of more points after I've posted this.

Many thanks to everyone who's posted their thoughts, so far, on the subject of Severus in Fanon! Some of what I've written clearly reflects your influence. What follows, of course, is purely my opinion: in some cases well-reasoned, in other cases just reflecting my personal preferences and tastes. While I do offer my views of how Severus would or would not interact in sexual relationships, I kept it general--except in the section about Lily, of course--and tried to avoid stepping on any specific "shipping" toes.


How I see Severus:


One thing to keep in mind, in all discussion of "fanon" vs. "canon," is that what would be "in-character" for Severus depends greatly upon his age and the context in which the scene takes place. What might be wildly out-of-character behavior for thirty-something Severus might be plausibly in-character for young-teen Severus, and vice-versa.

I have a soft spot in my heart for Nerd!Severus, revealed to us in "The Prince's Tale": socially awkward, intellectually curious, inquisitive, insecure, yearning to belong; an inwardly sensitive misfit who gets knocked around for being superficially "weird" and so develops defenses, and tends to withdraw and avoid giving opportunity to inflict further harm upon him. He wants recognition; he wants power; he wants to be special, appreciated, loved. He wants to be calm and controlled and ruled by the head, but in truth he is led by his heart--and he hates this, because it makes him feel very, very vulnerable.

He seems to be a quiet person at heart, fundamentally gentle, easily wounded, tending toward possessiveness because of early experiences of material and emotional lack. I see him being rather simple in terms of emotional and romantic desires: to love and to be loved. He would be the conventional working-class man in some ways, but with the verbal aptitude he has developed over the years he would also be capable of communicating in words as well as actions. I don't see him as the "man of few words" some people do; sometimes he is taciturn, and sometimes he is quite verbal, to the point of great eloquence. And sometimes, when under duress, he becomes a stammering explosion of emotion!

I think his verbal eloquence would emerge in an intimate relationship, given time; he would not, as an adult, remain the awkward adolescent of "The Prince's Tale," except maybe at first when he is still uncertain about the other person. As an adult I think he'd tend to just hold back and proceed with caution until he gradually "warmed up" to the relationship.

In general, I see the "snarky" side of him as a surface defense against feelings of emotional and social vulnerability. With people who treat him well, the defenses slip away, at least a little, and what is revealed is someone who seems to be genuinely caring and concerned for the well-being of others. But if he feels threatened, watch out! The nastiness re-emerges, in self-defense.

The snark is what he does to protect himself. It is not who he is.

I also think a great deal of his nasty side in canon is due to the simple fact that he is miserable and feels trapped in the duties he promised, under duress, that he would perform. (Grief over Lily, and his role in her death, of course also plays a role, here.) The fact that he does perform them, and does not at some point say "screw you" and stalk off, indicates to me that he has an internal code of honor and ethics that drives him. He might behave irascibly, but at heart he seeks to do the right thing and to keep his word.

One of my personal convictions is that we would see a very different, more favorable side of Severus in situations where he is liked, respected, and feels comfortable and safe--and free. I also believe, very strongly, that there was likely more to his life than what we saw of him in canon: People have been quick to assume he led an utterly miserable life without respite, but the misery he felt at Hogwarts and over being Harry's sworn protector--not to mention over fear of Voldemort's return and rule--does not necessarily translate into finding NO friendships or lovers over the years. I'm pretty adamant on this point, as most of you know. ;-) In real life, very few people's lives are entirely Hopeless Wastelands or Gardens of Eden. Most lives are a mixture of sunlight and shadow, and I suspect that Severus had his share of sunlight amidst the shadows. He simply chose not to show it to Harry, or to anyone else within the Harry point of view, most of whom were people Severus neither liked nor trusted.

Others have pointed out the none-too-subtle ethnic stereotyping in the depiction of Severus--"sallow" skin, "greasy" black hair, "hooked" nose, "angular" face--contrasting with the "wholesome" image of the perfect Anglo-Saxon English boy. This is one more area in which he would feel marginalized and misfit in the culture of Hogwarts and among the biases of the wizarding world.

Canonically, I see Severus as being straight. Until the last book it was still an open question for me--I confess, I was hoping it would be revealed that he and Remus had a history--and of course it's possible to interpret his love of Lily in other ways that leave the way open for him to be gay or bisexual. As a rule, though, I tend to write him straight. For purposes of fiction, I'm willing to suspend disbelief and pretend Severus is gay if the story focuses on exploring him psychologically, especially how he would interact in the development of a romantic relationship. It's also a chance to explore just how welcoming the wizarding world is towards gay people: A lot of fanfic seems to assume a much more open and tolerant environment than I pick up from reading canon!

Other interpretations of Severus which I like include:

• Working Class Hero Severus - seeing his working class background as influential in shaping his personality and character and standing in society. I wish I had a handle on Yorkshire accents, because I would LOVE to "hear" him speaking (in a tenor voice, by the way) in his "native" accent, going back to his roots and dropping the "refinements" of his wizarding education.
  
  
• Fuck the Wizarding World Severus - in which he turns his back on the wizarding world and reintegrates (or, perhaps, integrates for the first time) into Muggle life, incorporating his magical gifts and practice into living among the world at large instead of confining himself within the small and insular "magical" subculture.

I find the idea of Severus in jeans and a t-shirt to be very, very appealing, and not only for prurient reasons. ;-) To me, it symbolizes him becoming relaxed, at peace with his Muggle heritage, and comfortable in his own skin. (In a post-war AU in which he becomes more at peace with himself, I think he also would expand his clothing choices beyond all-black.) And, too, I see him as innately more casual than dressy or elegant in style. He is not shabby or neglected or unkempt, merely comfortable and casual and free of the robes of wizardry (his costume) and everything that those robes represented. And, after all, he is a child of the 70s!

As a child of the 70s, he would, I think, be partial to the music of the 60s and the 70s: Beatles, John Lennon, Elton John, et al. I don't really see him getting into metal, still less the newer forms of music that some (younger?) writers have him listening to. Social protest singer-songwriter and rock of the era would be more his style. I can see him being really into John Lennon's solo work, and maybe even identifying with John Lennon, the original "working class hero."

I've grown quite fond of post-war AU fiction in which Severus Lives! So much so, that I sometimes forget that's not canon. Not yet, anyway. ;-)

One theme that recurs in the fiction I write and read is seeing Severus make peace with himself, and with his past, find some kind of inner healing, and move on with his life. That tends to favor post-war AU scenarios, naturally, although exploring his life between the gaps in canon is another way to explore this theme. I think that's why I also lean towards having him leave the wizarding world and build a life among Muggles, again: It just seems more conducive to healing the wounds he acquired in the wizarding world. I'm also rather put off the wizarding world at this point!

Oh, yes, and last, but not least, in my personal fanon the man should be granted the dignity of being referred to by his first name, Severus, not by the impersonality, bordering on contempt, of merely being "Snape"--unless the narrative point of view dictates otherwise. Calling him Professor Snape, of course, is another matter entirely, though I think post-war he would rather you didn't. Because post-war, in my fanon, he gets as far away from Hogwarts, and from Britain's wizarding world, as humanly possible! "Good-bye, Yellow Brick Road," indeed.


What doesn't work for me, to some degree or other:


Really Really Ugly Severus - People taking at face value the image of Severus we receive through Harry: assuming that the horrible, ugly, greasy git we see through Harry's eyes is how everyone in the world sees Severus. And, being so ugly, "Who'd love Snape?" Looking objectively at his physical description, we see someone who certainly does not live up to Hollywood beauty standards, but who just as certainly sounds no worse than many people in real life. Big nose? Crooked, discolored teeth? Oily hair? Meh. Lots of people have one or more of these traits. Who really cares? Without the bias of those who know and dislike him, would he really stand out, or would he be just another ordinary face in the crowd? How would he look to someone who loved him?

Bath What Bath Severus - People assuming that "greasy" hair and "oily" skin means the man never went near bath water. As I recall, we don't get any suggestion in the books (except maybe in childhood flashbacks, where he was clearly neglected and impoverished - perhaps no indoor plumbing at home?) that Severus was dirty or unbathed, especially as an adult. I read him as simply having oily skin and hair, the kind that gets slick within eight hours of being washed. And yes, it's important to analyze the "greasy hair" business, because it's given so damned much emphasis in the books!

Severus the Sharp-dressed Man - Severus is elegant, cultured, refined, and a very dressy man. No casual day for Severus! I'm guessing this is a leftover from the pre-HBP "Snape Manor" characterization. But what do we actually see in the books? Besides his working-class roots and haphazard castoffs in childhood, revealed in the last book, all through the books we see him wearing billowy, too-large black robes as an adult. And he wears boots. That hardly sounds like a fashion plate, even in the wizarding world. In Muggle clothing, I picture Severus being casual to the point of indifferent--not so indifferent as to wear a woman's blouse, but throwing together jeans and t-shirts, or casual trousers and shirts, with no great attention to detail. Of course, I usually picture Severus in Muggle wear in a relaxed setting, one in which he has made some kind of peace with himself and has distanced himself from the wizarding world and all of its machinations. In canon, I think he chooses his clothing to make himself appear imposing--which suggests the debunking of another fanon meme.

Super Tall Severus - A man who swathes himself in billowing yards of black cloth, all the better to swirl for dramatic effect, and wears boots instead of shoes, probably does not have an imposing physique. He was small and thin as a child and youth. My impression is that he still has a slight build, even as an adult: not so short as to be remarked upon for shortness, but on the short side of average. I picture him as being about 5'8" (5'10" being the average for Caucasian males) and rather wiry in build. He feels small and insignificant, and it shows in the way he dresses himself, simultaneously commanding attention with and hiding beneath the yards of black cloth.

24/7 Nasty Asshole Severus - Severus has no kinder and gentler side; he's a relentlessly nasty bastard who really really likes to inflict pain and torment upon other people, just because he enjoys watching them suffer. There is no soft heart, just sarcasm and meanness all the way through. This is another effect of believing the view through the Harry/Marauders Filter, rather than looking at the whole picture and the whole person. He behaves differently in different contexts; for most of the books, Harry sees him in one, not very flattering context. As I noted in my "Severus the Teacher" essay, how someone behaves in the classroom is not necessarily how they behave in their personal lives outside of the classroom. We only get a few glimpses, here and there, of the gentler side of Severus emerging.

Truly Evil Severus - a.k.a. Severus as Snidely Whiplash. Bwahahaha!!! Ummm... no. No. The man who worries about damaging his soul if he kills Albus Dumbledore, even as an act of mercy killing which will also prevent Draco Malfoy from harming his own soul, is not evil. The man who feels pangs of conscience over lying (even if For The Greater Good) is not evil. The man who puts his life on the line, time and again, to save Harry, and who watches out for the other students as well, is not evil. The man who sings a healing cure to an injured Draco Malfoy, who prepares wolfsbane potion for a man he dislikes, who fusses and frets over Albus Dumbledore as he does what he can to heal him from a terrible curse, is not evil. The man who can never shake the guilt of having done something that led to his childhood best friend's death is not evil. Based on how Dumbledore phrases his response--will it harm your soul to help an old man--I wonder if Severus ever, in fact, ever directly killed another human being before he killed Albus Dumbledore, or if he was merely the witness to deaths and contributor of information which enabled others to kill. Surely Dumbledore would have reminded him of past murders, had Severus committed them! Severus does not act like a man with a history of murder. He is guilt-ridden over simply being a passive witness to murder, over lives he could not save. He does not act like a man who delights in committing murder or other acts of evil. He joined the Death Eaters out of youthful insecurity and a desire to prove himself powerful and gain recognition--not out of a fundamentally "evil" temperament that enjoyed tormenting others.

Hopelessly FUBAR Severus - In which he is depicted, basically, as being a walking DSM-IV. Severus has shortcomings; Severus has issues; Severus has blind spots and points of dysfunction. But I don't think he's completely gone from the realm of mental health; he's simply wounded, and seeking alleviation of his wounds. I also agree that, while he was insecure, and would be hesitant to rush into the risk of a relationship that might not work out, he probably did not go through life thinking himself Utterly Unworthy of Being Loved or Even Getting Laid.

Hangin' Out with the Ho's Severus - Severus gets laid. Early and often. Courtesy of the friendly women of Knockturn Alley, or a red-light district in Muggle London, or anywhere a man can buy a woman's attentions for an hour. I guess this bit of fanon assumes that no woman would voluntarily sleep with Severus. (See "Really Really Ugly Severus," above.) I have a hard time believing Severus would pay for sex. First, because I think it would go against his own inner code of honor: He seems to respect women, generally speaking, which tends to contraindicate collaborating in their prostitution. I think his pride would also prevent him from paying for sex, precisely because it would say to him, I'm so ugly and awful I can't even get a woman to sleep with me without paying for it. He'd brew up an extra-large batch of lotion for, *ahem*, personal use before resorting to paying for sex! Most importantly, I don't think he would go to a woman merely to alleviate physical needs: Contrary to the popular image that for men sex is Just Physical, for many men it has a very strongly psychological and emotional component. (Anyone ever have to deal with a male friend or relative in the throes of a breakup?) I think Severus would be seeking to have his NON-physical needs met at least as much as his physical, hence, at a minimum, the sex (even if a "casual" encounter) would have to be voluntary on the woman's part, not just doing her job for a paying customer.

Romanticized Rape - This bothers me in ANY fic, involving Severus or not. Rape is an act of violence; it is assault. It is not fodder for hot fantasies and romantic bonding between perpetrator and victim. Severus committing rape is completely out of character. Severus being a victim of rape is, unfortunately, plausible, at least as a what-if scenario. I can very well see James Potter being capable of rape. But there would be nothing sexy or romantic about it.

Dungeon Master Severus - In which the dungeons of Hogwarts become a lair for Sexual Adventures with the Potions Master. I just don't see Severus engaging in any kind of domination scenarios or role playing or anything pushing boundaries or involving violence, mutually consenting or otherwise--certainly not with students. (See below.) Yeah, he wears black, and yeah, he wears boots, and yeah, he works in a dungeon, but in terms of his actual personality, versus his persona, Severus really strikes me as a fairly conservative man. He would be looking for fairly conventional things from a sexual relationship. He'd be a straightforward love-and-affection kind of guy, not mushy, but quietly and deeply affectionate. And not likely to take the initiative or be the "leading" partner. Frankly, I think Severus would be kind of shy, until he got comfortable and secure in the relationship. The Dungeon Master scenario assumes a degree of self-confidence that Severus does not appear to me to possess.

Creepy Child Molester Severus - In which a sexually frustrated and romantically deprived and possibly also mentally disturbed Severus lusts after the jail bait, big time. This sounds more like adolescent teacher-fixation fantasies than anything resembling in-character conduct for Severus Snape. I see Severus having a very strong sense of honor and boundaries regarding conduct towards the students; anything he does in canon that seems "mean" or "controlling" is within the bounds of his role as a teacher, at least in light of a "strict" or "authoritarian" disciplinary approach. (An approach I personally do not advocate, by the way.) If anything, any student so much as hinting at wanting sex with him would be dealt with summarily, and told in no uncertain terms--perhaps kindly but firmly if in Slytherin, and with varying degrees of scorn and derision if in one of the other houses, especially Gryffindor--that such contact is wholly inappropriate and Not Going To Happen.

Child Hater Severus - If Severus isn't lusting after the kiddies, then he's totally hating their guts: He hates children, and--assuming any woman would even sleep with his ugly greasy-git self--he would never ever ever have children of his own. What I said above about his conventional and conservative temperament would also apply, I think, to how he views children and family: The part of him that yearns for security would find appeal in an idealized "home and family I never had as a child." As a teacher, beneath the superficial irascibility Severus really does seem to take his responsibilties seriously. He's prepared, he's organized, he expects his students to apply themselves and work to learn what they need to learn. And he watches out for their safety, time and again, and demonstrates concern when they are injured in Potions accidents or otherwise endangered. Severus is not crabby and mean because he hates children; he is crabby and mean because he hates himself, carrying a heavy burden of guilt for which he has not yet found absolution.

Pining Eternal Virgin Severus - He'll never get over Lily. Never. He'll live and die a virgin, in tribute to the Only Woman He Will Ever Love. I don't find this scenario particularly romantic or appealing; I find it to be tragic and repugnant. I am more inspired by the view of Severus as a mixture of functional and dysfunctional, partly healed and getting on with life the best he could, integrating his youthful love of Lily into his mature life, and partly still wracked with guilt and hindered somewhat by that guilt. That seems to fit with the mixture of functionality and dysfunctionality that we see in canon. Healing and moving on is inspiring to me; staying eternally stuck in guilt and obsession over a dead woman who had rejected him years before her death is not.

Note: I realize this last point is probably a critique of canon as well as fanon. *sigh*