Chapter 3 Summarization

[arawa_99]

Original Yahoo! HPFG Header:
No: HPFGUIDX C5082
From: arawa_99
Subject: Re: Chapter 3 Summarization
Reply To: [Yahoo! #5070] Chapter 3 Summarization
Date: 7/25/00 11:06 pm  (ET)

S
p
o
i
l
e
r

s
p
a
c
e

d
o
t
d
o
t
d
o
t


<<Chapter 3 "The Invitation" starts out with Harry going downstairs
to breakfast, where we find out that ickle Dudleykins has been put
on a strict diet by the Smeltings school nurse, seeing as how he has
"become wider than he was tall." Naturally, Auntie P has put the entire
household on the "rabbit food" plan as well and makes sure Harry always
gets less to eat than Dudley.>>

This was brought up a little while ago - I think it was here, and I think
it deserves more discussion - I remember reading the post, and reacting,
but never typing in my reaction...

Somebody (forgive me - I can't remember who) said that they thought
that JKR had some kind of a prejudice against larger people - having
made Dudley (a bad character) and moaning Myrtle (an "ikcy" character)
fat. As a "larger" person (and I'm being nice to myself here) the thought
never crossed my mind. Personally - I don't see a prejudice, and I'm
interested to hear input from others on this subject - although I for
one would prefer not to hear any personal views on which looks better...

I just don't think its a prejudice - I think with Dudley, especially
in book four - he gets put on a diet, despite his parents "Oh it's just
puppy fat" - its kind of a come uppance for Harry - to see darling Dudders
deprived for the first time in his life brings comic relief to the scene -
especially after the tense opening. I don't think its meant to poke fun
at larger people, just incredibly greedy, uncaring, unsharing people,
like the Dursleys.