Quote from comet on December 14, 2024, 2:08 am

When Petunia saw Snape, she contemptuously referred to him as "Spinner’s End's Snape boy." I believe that Petunia must have learned about Severus and the Snape family’s reputation from adults. My reasoning is as follows:

1-Children, when speaking negatively about someone they don’t know well, usually mock their appearance, clothing, or create derogatory nicknames based on the person’s name.

2-For instance, James Potter referred to Snape as "Snivellus" after hearing his name. Similarly, Sirius, who was aware of Snape’s poverty and unkempt appearance, described him to Harry as having an "ungroomed appearance" and also mentioned Snape’s knowledge of dark magic during their school days.

In most cases, when children ridicule someone they are unfamiliar with, they typically do not criticize the person’s family name.

To put it simply, Petunia’s use of "Snape Boy," invoking Snape’s family surname, is not something children would ordinarily come up with on their own. The way she not only uses his name but also disparages the neighborhood he comes from reflects a level of disdain that surpasses what children typically develop independently. While Spinner’s End, the neighborhood where Snape lived, was already stigmatized due to its poverty, outright contempt for the area is more likely to be an attitude instilled by adults rather than one children form on their own, especially without direct exposure to such biases.

In the story, another character who targets a family name is Draco Malfoy. Draco, having been raised by pure-blood parents who disdained the Weasley family, mimicked this sentiment by mocking Ron for his family background. This highlights how such attitudes are often shaped and reinforced by adults rather than naturally originating among children.

The issue of children in contemporary elementary schools dividing each other based on family background and parental occupations remains prevalent today. Parents often pass their prejudices down to their children, encouraging them to avoid or exclude certain classmates. Consequently, marginalized children become targets, with others mocking their homes and families and labeling them as being from "poor neighborhoods" or "poor households."

When I saw Petunia calling Severus "Snape Boy," it reminded me of these harmful societal prejudices. This suggests that Snape’s family had a poor reputation among the townspeople, much like the way such biases are perpetuated in real life.

Petunia’s hobby, as seen in Book 1, is eavesdropping on the neighbors. If neither Mr. nor Mrs. Evans were critical of Snape’s family, it is likely that Petunia picked up the term "Snape Boy" from other adults in the town.

neighbors and strangers, who hardly know him, would judge him with prejudice by mentioning the father he dislikes and wishes to avoid. Based on what we see from Petunia’s words and actions, I believe there are plenty of reasons, beyond his father’s issues, for young Snape to have no attachment to the Muggle world.