[HPforGrownups] Harry and the Dursleys.

[Peg Kerr]

No: HPFGUIDX 14618


Jamieson Wolf Villeneuve wrote:

> Quick question for everyone...
>
> Has anyone else wondered why Harry stays with the Dursleys?

<Snip>

> Why would Harry stay with people who treat him so poorly?

Chris added:


As much as I detest the Dursleys, I would miss Harry's interesting
interactions with them.  I also have a feeling that Dudley will become
an important part of the story one way or another.

Chris

I've written a series of essays which you'll find in the files (7 Deadly
Sins/7 Heavenly Virtues) which examine themes of moral development in
the HP books, and in the course of writing them, I came to the
conclusion that the Dursleys serve an important structural purpose: they
serve as a warning example, showing Harry how NOT to act.  I found them
rather tiresome at first, but now I understand how integral they are to
Rowling's thematic work--I mentioned at one point that I should have
realized immediately, for example, in PoA that Rowling was signaling at
the very beginning of the book that Sirius Black was innocent simply
because Vernon and Petunia were convinced that he was guilty.

Take a look at the essays for a fuller discussion of the Dursleys' role
in Harry's moral development.

Cheers,
Peg


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