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
2358 Views
Chapters 1-3
- 19/07/2010 09:32:52 AM
1591 Views
Dobby
- 19/07/2010 02:39:06 PM
1559 Views
I hate Dobby.
- 20/07/2010 11:32:58 AM
1674 Views
Stuff
- 20/07/2010 05:54:26 PM
1589 Views
The Dursleys.
- 23/07/2010 11:35:31 PM
1639 Views
Re: The Dursleys.
- 26/07/2010 06:02:14 AM
1471 Views
Re: The Dursleys.
- 26/07/2010 02:58:31 PM
1505 Views
Chapters 4-6
- 19/07/2010 09:33:18 AM
1544 Views
Another character we love to hate! 
Gilderoy Lockhart. Plus Weasley vs Malfoy.
- 20/07/2010 03:29:39 PM
1590 Views
Gilderoy Lockhart. Plus Weasley vs Malfoy.
- 20/07/2010 03:29:39 PM
1590 Views
I can't remember how much I hated him the first read
- 21/07/2010 03:44:15 AM
1672 Views
You're right. It's not as bad the second (or third) time around with him.
- 21/07/2010 01:54:01 PM
1478 Views
My problems with Dobby are very different from my problems with Lockhart
- 21/07/2010 07:02:55 AM
1581 Views
More stuff
- 21/07/2010 07:00:04 AM
1518 Views
This section really brought home to me how well Rowling writes about love and relationships.
- 21/07/2010 07:22:43 PM
1601 Views
That last remark made me check out the names in the French translation...
- 26/07/2010 05:18:36 PM
1628 Views
Don't get me started on the Norwegian translation.
- 26/07/2010 09:52:09 PM
1560 Views
That is indeed genuinely awesome.
- 27/07/2010 12:24:07 AM
1569 Views
Re: That is indeed genuinely awesome.
- 27/07/2010 09:07:35 AM
1556 Views
McSnurf? MCSNURF?? WTH? *NM*
- 27/07/2010 08:47:55 PM
940 Views
Chapters 7-9
- 19/07/2010 09:33:44 AM
1517 Views
Colin Creevey.
- 22/07/2010 06:55:17 PM
1564 Views
Re: Colin Creevey.
- 23/07/2010 10:13:33 PM
1514 Views
Even more stuff
- 23/07/2010 10:10:39 PM
1587 Views
Chapters 10-12
- 19/07/2010 09:34:13 AM
1429 Views
Three good chapters
- 22/07/2010 02:28:20 PM
1490 Views
Yup.
- 23/07/2010 11:32:03 PM
1531 Views
I agree. And plain jealousy that Harry's hogging the spotlight time and again.
- 26/07/2010 05:28:09 PM
1610 Views
Chapters 13-15
- 19/07/2010 09:34:50 AM
1303 Views
Heh. I'd forgotten how near the end of the book the spiders are.
- 23/07/2010 11:26:43 PM
1372 Views
"Goodbye friends of Hagrid..."
- 26/07/2010 01:58:25 PM
1388 Views
Chapters 16-18
- 19/07/2010 09:35:20 AM
1468 Views
Voldemort's (sometimes) hilarious names in translation.
- 26/07/2010 06:14:58 PM
3688 Views
- 26/07/2010 06:45:55 PM
1573 Views
- 26/07/2010 06:45:55 PM
1573 Views
Overall thoughts
- 19/07/2010 09:36:06 AM
1556 Views
Thoughts on the movie quality
- 21/07/2010 04:15:20 AM
1305 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
859 Views
I wonder if Rowling ever looks back and wishes she could change some stuff
- 21/07/2010 06:44:41 PM
1413 Views
Suggestions for the re-read?
- 19/07/2010 09:37:32 AM
1372 Views
Do we want a wee break before the next book?
- 24/07/2010 10:47:07 AM
1343 Views
we need an impatient smiley that taps its foot while looking grumpy. *NM*
- 27/07/2010 08:51:30 PM
824 Views
It's not Wednesday yet! 
*NM*
- 27/07/2010 09:26:21 PM
752 Views
*NM*
- 27/07/2010 09:26:21 PM
752 Views
But it was a question:
- 27/07/2010 10:25:27 PM
1364 Views
Yes, but the two possibilities in Rebekah's post were either Wednesday or next Monday.
- 27/07/2010 10:33:10 PM
1705 Views