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
3070 Views
Chapters 1-3
- 19/07/2010 09:32:52 AM
1973 Views
Dobby
- 19/07/2010 02:39:06 PM
1901 Views
I hate Dobby.
- 20/07/2010 11:32:58 AM
1997 Views
Stuff
- 20/07/2010 05:54:26 PM
1963 Views
The Dursleys.
- 23/07/2010 11:35:31 PM
1977 Views
Re: The Dursleys.
- 26/07/2010 06:02:14 AM
1814 Views
Re: The Dursleys.
- 26/07/2010 02:58:31 PM
1840 Views
Chapters 4-6
- 19/07/2010 09:33:18 AM
1885 Views
Another character we love to hate! 
Gilderoy Lockhart. Plus Weasley vs Malfoy.
- 20/07/2010 03:29:39 PM
1961 Views
Gilderoy Lockhart. Plus Weasley vs Malfoy.
- 20/07/2010 03:29:39 PM
1961 Views
I can't remember how much I hated him the first read
- 21/07/2010 03:44:15 AM
2047 Views
You're right. It's not as bad the second (or third) time around with him.
- 21/07/2010 01:54:01 PM
1829 Views
My problems with Dobby are very different from my problems with Lockhart
- 21/07/2010 07:02:55 AM
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More stuff
- 21/07/2010 07:00:04 AM
1881 Views
This section really brought home to me how well Rowling writes about love and relationships.
- 21/07/2010 07:22:43 PM
1954 Views
That last remark made me check out the names in the French translation...
- 26/07/2010 05:18:36 PM
1987 Views
Don't get me started on the Norwegian translation.
- 26/07/2010 09:52:09 PM
1912 Views
That is indeed genuinely awesome.
- 27/07/2010 12:24:07 AM
1907 Views
Re: That is indeed genuinely awesome.
- 27/07/2010 09:07:35 AM
1901 Views
McSnurf? MCSNURF?? WTH? *NM*
- 27/07/2010 08:47:55 PM
1134 Views
Chapters 7-9
- 19/07/2010 09:33:44 AM
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Colin Creevey.
- 22/07/2010 06:55:17 PM
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Re: Colin Creevey.
- 23/07/2010 10:13:33 PM
1906 Views
Even more stuff
- 23/07/2010 10:10:39 PM
1935 Views
Chapters 10-12
- 19/07/2010 09:34:13 AM
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Three good chapters
- 22/07/2010 02:28:20 PM
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Yup.
- 23/07/2010 11:32:03 PM
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I agree. And plain jealousy that Harry's hogging the spotlight time and again.
- 26/07/2010 05:28:09 PM
1983 Views
Chapters 13-15
- 19/07/2010 09:34:50 AM
1681 Views
Heh. I'd forgotten how near the end of the book the spiders are.
- 23/07/2010 11:26:43 PM
1715 Views
"Goodbye friends of Hagrid..."
- 26/07/2010 01:58:25 PM
1721 Views
Chapters 16-18
- 19/07/2010 09:35:20 AM
1808 Views
Voldemort's (sometimes) hilarious names in translation.
- 26/07/2010 06:14:58 PM
4101 Views
- 26/07/2010 06:45:55 PM
1898 Views
- 26/07/2010 06:45:55 PM
1898 Views
Overall thoughts
- 19/07/2010 09:36:06 AM
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Thoughts on the movie quality
- 21/07/2010 04:15:20 AM
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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
1050 Views
I wonder if Rowling ever looks back and wishes she could change some stuff
- 21/07/2010 06:44:41 PM
1754 Views
Suggestions for the re-read?
- 19/07/2010 09:37:32 AM
1728 Views
Do we want a wee break before the next book?
- 24/07/2010 10:47:07 AM
1690 Views
we need an impatient smiley that taps its foot while looking grumpy. *NM*
- 27/07/2010 08:51:30 PM
1033 Views
It's not Wednesday yet! 
*NM*
- 27/07/2010 09:26:21 PM
941 Views
*NM*
- 27/07/2010 09:26:21 PM
941 Views
But it was a question:
- 27/07/2010 10:25:27 PM
1671 Views
Yes, but the two possibilities in Rebekah's post were either Wednesday or next Monday.
- 27/07/2010 10:33:10 PM
2032 Views