Class origins

[poppy at moonprincess.co.uk]

No: HPFGUIDX 29920

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., tenpinkpiggies at h... wrote:

> - Cornflower O'Shea
> 
Hi Cornflower (cool name, btw!). I found your post very thought 
provoking, so I'm going to dive in with my own take on the Dursleys 
(I'm British, btw, so hopefully I'm picking up on the semiotics, but 
who knows?)

The Dursleys' rigid views on "being normal" and distaste for 
the "abnormal" and such things as their choice of newspaper (Daily 
Mail), Vernon's idea of "genteel" swearing ("ruddy" - maybe it's just 
toned down for the book, but it seems perfectly in keeping with his 
character that he'd actually say that) strike me as, um, towards the 
lower end of the middle class -- I see them as quite aspirational, 
but not quite accepted by the people they'd like to think of as their 
peers -- not quite poised enough, not quite educated enough, trying a 
little too hard. (As you rather poignantly put it, they're trying to 
get into a club that doesn't want them.)

However, Dudley is a second-generation Smeltings boy, so what does 
that tell us? Maybe it's a second-rate public school, but it was a 
big deal when Vernon's dad managed to send him there and Vernon's 
decided to make it a family tradition? I'd guess it was Vernon's 
father who made the Dursley money (such as it is -- they're well off, 
but certainly not super-rich). I'd certainly say it was on the 
Dursley side of the family rather than the Evans, judging by Vernon's 
sister, who reminds me a bit of Mary Woodhouse (TV presenter who used 
to show us all how to train dogs in her show). For some reason, I 
don't see Petunia as bringing much in the way of money to the 
marriage (although that's just an impression and I can't back it up 
at all).

I think we're meant to laugh at the Durleys for being snobs (and, 
worse, failed snobs!), but being from a rather aspirational family 
myself, the laughter can be a bit hollow at times :-)

Amalia