The Psychobiography of Severus Snape

Author's note: Outside of writing, I studied and am now working in the area of Psychology. During the third year of my psychology degree, we were given the option of writing a Psychobiography about a fictional or non-fictional character. Naturally, i immediately latched on to the idea of analysing Severus' personality from a psychological perspective. This psychobiography is the assignment i handed in for that subject. I was so excited and proud when i learnt i received top marks in my class! In my mind i thanked JK Rowling for creating such an amazing character, and from there, i loved Severus even more than i did before! I sincerely hope you enjoy the psychobiography i have written. I would love to hear what you think, especially with regard to my analysis of Severus' personality. Do you agree with me? Or disagree? I would love to know! 

Disclaimer: This Psychobiography of Severus Snape's life is entirely of my own creation. Any quote, character description, or academic opinion that is not my own, has been appropriately referenced. As this is an academic paper, it is considered a violation of copyright law to copy any aspect of this piece of writing without providing full acknowledgement to its source (ie. Me). So please do not copy this piece of work onto another website or use any of these ideas without my expressed written permission. Please don’t plagiarise my hard work :) Thank you!

Please note that i needed to reference psychological literature (the analysis needed to be embedded in psychological theory) and i had a 1600 word limit. My original draft was MUCH longer- it was terribly sad that i had to cut it down. Nevertheless, i really enjoyed writing this Psychobiography of Severus' life and i hope you will enjoy reading it.

Acknowledgement of Cover artist: hayley_scott     

http://www.fanpop.com/spots/severus-snape-and-lily-evans/images/21775177/title/severus-lily-fanart

Please remember to comment on my article and vote when you are done! That would be amazing! Thank you :)

The Psychobiography of Severus Snape 

Character created by J.K. Rowling 

'Anti-hero' of the Harry Potter book series

JK Rowling's famous children's book series arguably contains one of the most complex characters in literary history: Severus Snape. Prior to the seventh and final instalment, everyone was asking one question: Is Severus good or evil? As the reader eventually discovers, the multifaceted answer leads us to Severus' childhood.  

Although many aspects of a person's past can influence who they are in the present, this psychobiography will focus on the events between the ages of 10 and 15 that contributed to Severus' adult personality. Severus was a detached and proficient spy and a cruel and hostile teacher, but beneath these facades, Severus was capable of love, loyalty and bravery. There are multiple theories that can account for an individual's adult personality, given their past. Attachment Theory proposes that the dynamic between an infant and their significant others, whether secure or insecure, will be reflected in subsequent relationships. This psychobiography will use Attachment Theory, derived from the findings of Bowlby (1969), Ainsworth (1982) and Bartholomew (1990), to explain Severus' intriguing personality. 

Severus Snape was born into a violent household where he was neglected by his mother, who did not defend him from his abusive father (Rowling, 2007, p. 535). Consequently, Severus lived much of his childhood feeling unloved, unwanted and fearful. These negative views of self and others, known as internal working models, are predicted to lead to a fearful-avoidant attachment: concealing an emotional need to be connected with others for fear of being punished or rejected, both of which Severus endured at home (Haggerty, Hilsenroth & Vala-Stewart, 2009; Shaver, Collins & Clark, 1996).