Another, related, thing that struck me was that the Dursleys' preoccupation with keeping Harry from Hogwarts seems to suggest they actually care for him, in a warped, twisted way -- if not they would just leave him to magical life, surely? It would be less of a liability for them to have him at Hogwarts 10 months out of the year, than locked up in his room in their house (where he might suddenly lose control and start magicking the neighbours?
I don't think they want to keep him away from Hogwarts as a way of caring for him. I think it's all about themselves. What if people found out that the boy who has lived with them for 11 years was one of Those Weird People? It's (strangely) better for people to think that he's just a wild, disturbed child than someone who is part of a world so outside their understanding. And I think there's some malice in it as well: trying to prevent Harry from doing something he enjoys.
Petunia's a bit more complex than that. I think there is some love for Harry deep (deep) down. (Of course, we do see a glimpse of that later in the series.) But any love she does have for him is only because he's her sister's child.
I agree with all. I just wonder about Petunia. I don't know why she is so at war with herself about caring for Harry. I know she was very conflicted about her sister being a witch. I wonder if Petunia was going to mend the rift with Lily "one of these days" and then Lily died and Petunia was left with all that guilt or something like that.
I know I'm rambling, but I've always wanted to understand her better. I understand Vernon's motivations for why he treats Harry badly and I agree totally that he is trying to keep Harry from Hogwarts because it is something he enjoys, but Petunia I just don't understand.
Sour grapes. It is fairly obvious Petunia became "the worst kind of muggle imaginable" precisely because she couldn't do what her sister could, and she wanted to. I think she has one massively problematic subconscious.
*MySmiley*
structured procrastinator
structured procrastinator
The Great Harry Potter re-read: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
- 19/07/2010 09:32:22 AM
2381 Views
Chapters 1-3
- 19/07/2010 09:32:52 AM
1617 Views
Dobby
- 19/07/2010 02:39:06 PM
1581 Views
I hate Dobby.
- 20/07/2010 11:32:58 AM
1692 Views
Stuff
- 20/07/2010 05:54:26 PM
1613 Views
The Dursleys.
- 23/07/2010 11:35:31 PM
1662 Views
Re: The Dursleys.
- 26/07/2010 06:02:14 AM
1490 Views
Re: The Dursleys.
- 26/07/2010 02:58:31 PM
1527 Views
Chapters 4-6
- 19/07/2010 09:33:18 AM
1559 Views
Another character we love to hate! 
Gilderoy Lockhart. Plus Weasley vs Malfoy.
- 20/07/2010 03:29:39 PM
1615 Views
Gilderoy Lockhart. Plus Weasley vs Malfoy.
- 20/07/2010 03:29:39 PM
1615 Views
I can't remember how much I hated him the first read
- 21/07/2010 03:44:15 AM
1695 Views
You're right. It's not as bad the second (or third) time around with him.
- 21/07/2010 01:54:01 PM
1509 Views
My problems with Dobby are very different from my problems with Lockhart
- 21/07/2010 07:02:55 AM
1600 Views
More stuff
- 21/07/2010 07:00:04 AM
1539 Views
This section really brought home to me how well Rowling writes about love and relationships.
- 21/07/2010 07:22:43 PM
1625 Views
That last remark made me check out the names in the French translation...
- 26/07/2010 05:18:36 PM
1649 Views
Don't get me started on the Norwegian translation.
- 26/07/2010 09:52:09 PM
1578 Views
That is indeed genuinely awesome.
- 27/07/2010 12:24:07 AM
1585 Views
Re: That is indeed genuinely awesome.
- 27/07/2010 09:07:35 AM
1575 Views
McSnurf? MCSNURF?? WTH? *NM*
- 27/07/2010 08:47:55 PM
947 Views
Chapters 7-9
- 19/07/2010 09:33:44 AM
1535 Views
Colin Creevey.
- 22/07/2010 06:55:17 PM
1585 Views
Re: Colin Creevey.
- 23/07/2010 10:13:33 PM
1542 Views
Even more stuff
- 23/07/2010 10:10:39 PM
1604 Views
Chapters 10-12
- 19/07/2010 09:34:13 AM
1453 Views
Three good chapters
- 22/07/2010 02:28:20 PM
1508 Views
Yup.
- 23/07/2010 11:32:03 PM
1546 Views
I agree. And plain jealousy that Harry's hogging the spotlight time and again.
- 26/07/2010 05:28:09 PM
1635 Views
Chapters 13-15
- 19/07/2010 09:34:50 AM
1321 Views
Heh. I'd forgotten how near the end of the book the spiders are.
- 23/07/2010 11:26:43 PM
1397 Views
"Goodbye friends of Hagrid..."
- 26/07/2010 01:58:25 PM
1411 Views
Chapters 16-18
- 19/07/2010 09:35:20 AM
1483 Views
Voldemort's (sometimes) hilarious names in translation.
- 26/07/2010 06:14:58 PM
3712 Views
- 26/07/2010 06:45:55 PM
1588 Views
- 26/07/2010 06:45:55 PM
1588 Views
Overall thoughts
- 19/07/2010 09:36:06 AM
1579 Views
Thoughts on the movie quality
- 21/07/2010 04:15:20 AM
1323 Views
I always felt that the first two movies were the best, and the others bungled the atmosphere. *NM*
- 21/07/2010 03:08:29 PM
867 Views
I wonder if Rowling ever looks back and wishes she could change some stuff
- 21/07/2010 06:44:41 PM
1433 Views
Suggestions for the re-read?
- 19/07/2010 09:37:32 AM
1391 Views
Do we want a wee break before the next book?
- 24/07/2010 10:47:07 AM
1370 Views
we need an impatient smiley that taps its foot while looking grumpy. *NM*
- 27/07/2010 08:51:30 PM
834 Views
It's not Wednesday yet! 
*NM*
- 27/07/2010 09:26:21 PM
759 Views
*NM*
- 27/07/2010 09:26:21 PM
759 Views
But it was a question:
- 27/07/2010 10:25:27 PM
1388 Views
Yes, but the two possibilities in Rebekah's post were either Wednesday or next Monday.
- 27/07/2010 10:33:10 PM
1727 Views