FAT

[Rosmerta]

No: HPFGUIDX 20403

Saitaina wrote: Having Dudley grotesquely obese and having Harry a 
skinny rail is a great difference between the treatment of the two of 
them that a seven year old could easily pick up on. 

And Magda wrote: It's not a weight issue per se but rather an 
abundance one. Kids reading the book get the symbolism right away. 

But Meredith wrote: <snip> kids don't need many excuses to 
see 'Dudley is gluttonous and selfish and so he's fat. Johnny is fat, 
too, so he must be selfish and gluttonous, I bet he's a bad person, 
like Dudley.' 

I read my 7-yr-old all four books twice--including straight through 
the Cedric death scene and Harry torture scene without leaving out a 
single word--and I can say the ton-tongue toffee chapter was the 
single hardest thing I had to get through. He didn't think it was 
funny, and I didn't either, but out on the playground, it's 
still "Dudley is fat and he's stupid and we hate him and you're a 
Dudley." And I'm talking about a bunch of kids who have already had 
enough sensitivity curriculum to double as canaries in coal mines! 

IMO the Dudley scenes are hands-down the weakest writing in the books 
and I sure hope JKR takes a different tack with him next time out. 
Anyone who can make werewolves, convicted murderers and former death-
eaters appealing ought to be able to do better than to demonize fat 
kids. 

~Rosmerta
who's realizing she has a pretty strong opinion on this one