Snapping implies a loss of control. In terms of character development why did Butcher have Harry lose his shit? What did the passage accomplish? What was it meant to do? I understand the emotional shorthand that Butcher is using, at least in part.
Butcher is saying first and foremost, Harry is a human being. His reaction given his love for Murphy and the stress of being on a war footing is normal! Audie Murphy spoke of the same thing happening to him in a battle, his best friend was killed in front of him, something snapped and he took out a whole hill of machine gun nest all by himself. That psychologist says it is built into the human brain, it is a normal reaction though not all are perhaps as extreme as Harry's was, but there are those that are.
Not anyone.
Yeah, anyone, if you have never had that kind of reaction you don't understand. When our son killed himself, my husband tried to stop me from going to his room. I literately ran over him in the hallway to get to his room. Nothing was going to stop me. Apparently two trained Holy Warriors couldn't stop Harry from going after Rudolph. Oh they could have shot him, I suppose, but other than that Sword burn, nothing else would have brought him back to his senses.
If Michael had stood in his way?
Mouse? You think he would have attacked Mouse?
No, Michael wouldn't have been able to stop him. Mouse perhaps with sheer physical animal strength, taking him down and sitting on him. Or maybe not even him because the Winter Knight Mantle would have taken over. We are talking about the same combination of hormones that take over that allows an 80 pound kid to lift a car that has fallen on his father.
Sanya is a very-iffy "maybe" to me: Harry knows Sanya as one of the "good guys," always an ally, always trustworthy. But also, always a fighter; so I can kinda-sorta see Harry fighting Sanya to get what he wants so badly (to kill Rudy).
Rationally maybe, and you'd be right, except when a person "snaps" they are no longer thinking rationally.
As Dr Fields says
“Why We Snap” outlines nine, but some of the most common ones are a life or death threat, threat to a loved one, threat to your home, or threat to your tribe. “Our brain is wired to constantly be on the lookout for threats,” Fields says. “In response to sudden danger, we react automatically; you can't think about
Butters, I think, is off-limits to a Harry not "under the influence." Butters has just barely emerged from the "helpless nerd who needs protecting" stage of things. I can see rage-Harry pushing Butters aside, shoving even. But not an outright attack with deadly force; again: unless "under the influence."
Which proves the point actually, a rationally thinking Harry would never attack Butters. Heck even in Skin Game when Butters was attacking him, Harry did his best not to hurt him.
Butcher is showing you the monster. The other Harry. the Harry that is arrogant, full of rage, and absolutely cock sure of himself. Who is certain that what he is doing is right, and the way it's supposed to be.
No, Butcher is showing us a human being. You and I under the various circumstances are capable of snapping just like he was. Oh you can claim you wouldn't but apparently it isn't a voluntary reaction according to Dr Fields, it is wired into a part of our brains. What you are saying might apply to Harry in other ways, but had nothing to do with his reaction to Murphy being shot and dying in his arms in that moment.
My contention is that now you know. Harry was programmed to react in this way.
No more that you are or I am... He maybe programmed but his reaction to Murphy's death had nothing to do with that.
I feel sorry for Harry because as a character he's been abused by people close to him. He was programmed to be a psychopath. He's trying to be something more. I wish I was going to see how it all turns out.
No, he isn't a psychopath..
Psychopathy is a maladaptive personality disorder character- ized by such traits as a lack of remorse, manipulativeness, egocentricity, superficial charm, and shallow affect (Cleckley, 1941; Hare, 1991).
Harry was totally remorseful, and he feels empathy for those that suffered and died, he is no psychopath.
