child abuse; was Re: FAT

[meboriqua at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 20452

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., joym999 at a... wrote:

> 2. Much as we do not like to admit it, THE HP BOOKS ARE WORKS OF 
> FICTION.  The authorities did not intervene in the Dursleys 
treatment 
> of Harry because JKR wrote it that way.  I have said this many times 
> before, but I believe that the somewhat unbelievable meanness of the 
> Dursleys may be a kind of literary tribute by JKR to Roald Dahl, 
> whose books are full of sadistic parents and guardians just like the 
> Dursleys.  Dahl often exaggerated negative things for effect (e.g. 
> the mean parents and headmistress in Matilda, and Charlies poverty 
in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory)>

That is very true, and I am very much aware of that.  I suppose that 
is also why I laughed at the Ton-Tongue Toffee incident (and re read 
it about 10 times), even though others thought it was mean, and why I 
cannot wait to see Harry use magic against Dudley, as JKR hinted at in 
an online chat.

We love to hate the Dursleys and want to see them get what they 
deserve because they do mirror real life.  The sad truth is that there 
are many parents out there who are much worse than the Dursleys, and 
bullies much meaner than Dudley and Draco, and teachers more vicious 
than Snape (a lovely man was arrested here in NYC for sodomizing his 
fifth grade male students just a few weeks ago).  We cross our fingers 
and hope that the Dursleys will be severely punished, or that Harry 
will get to live with Sirius, or even that the Dursleys will become 
better people somehow.  Fiction can give us a sense of justice that 
real life, sadly, cannot.

I am not one to wish harm on other people in reality (what goes around 
comes around, IMO), but in Harry's world I sure hope the Dursleys get 
it good for abusing our dear hero the way they have!

--jenny from ravenclaw*****************************