Abuse in HP

[Shelly]

No: HPFGUIDX 1622

Hi all.  I finally got caught up with all my messages since the move, 
and have enjoyed them.  But one has touched me a little more than 
others.
Regarding the abuse to Harry.  I happen to agree with Peg.  I think 
because she is such a good writer JKR was able to do such a great job 
with this area of the books.  As Penny says there is no evidence to 
show she was an abused child, this is just a product of her great 
imagination.  Besides I know first hand how hard it is to write about 
something like this.
Growing up I lived in an abusive home.  My mother was an alcoholic 
and a nasty abusive person when she was drunk, which was a lot of the 
time.  And though the abuse in my home was mostly physical, unlike 
Harry whose is emotional, the end result is often the same.  I was 
lucky in the respect that I got out when I was fourteen.  I went to 
live with my father.  My mother had denied contact with him since 
their divorce when I was four.  He did everything he could to help 
erase the ten years of abuse, but it will always be with me to a 
certain extent.  I was always the quiet child, with my nose in a 
book, doing what I was told and staying out of trouble.  Books have 
always been my salvation and in someways that is probably one of the 
reasons I love these books.  When I was in college I had to write a 
paper about child abuse and realized I just couldn't.  It was alittle 
to close to home.  This was about the same time I lost my mother so I 
was just a little bit of a basket case.  But looking back on 
everything now as an adult I realize my mother probably was raised 
the same way I was and just didn't know any better.  Her parents 
drank a lot also, so this probably is the case.  And I suppose that 
is one reason why I never drink.  I wanted to break the cycle and am 
happy to say I think I am.  At least my three aren't growing up like 
I did.  In fact I think I over compensate sometimes which isn't great 
but at least they don't know the fear that I did as a child.  The 
point to all this I guess is just that it is probably just as easy to 
write about if you are a good writer.  In some ways it just might be 
harder for some one who has been through it.  I know it would be for 
me.  And even though I am 35 now and see things through the eyes of 
am adult, there is always that little girl in me that wonders why.  I 
also have to agree with Carole.  For us to be happy to see Harry 
leave the Dursleys and face what is ahead of him I believe JKR wrote 
them to the extreme.  You really hate the Dursleys and that is the 
whole point.  And anyway isn't that what any good writer is supposed 
to make us do,  Feel for the characters?  Okay enough for now.  I 
have to go tuck the kids into bed.  I'm reading them  the first book 
and they are hounding me for another chapter.  Later all   Shelly