Parents' attitude towards HP (was Re: Fred and George: The Bullies You Do Know)

[purple_801999]

No: HPFGUIDX 43037


Alina wrote-

> That reminds me of something my mom said. She hasn't read the 
books, but watched the movie with the rest of the family when I got 
my DVD and here was her reaction to it: "It might be very exciting 
for kids, but a parent can'twatch this calmly." 

>Though the younger readers/movie watchers feel very sorry for Harry 
>and his life with his relatives and later happy for him when
> he moves into Hogwarts, parents feel about it even stronger. My 
>mother said she couldn't stand seeing a child abused like that, 
being >a mother herself,even if it was just a movie.
> 
> Of course, the book was intended for children not adults, but 
>Rowling herself is a mother, I wonder what she was feeling when she 
>herself wrote about Harry's life with the Dursleys.
> 
 
 
A reviewer I read likened the Dursleys to characters out of Dickens 
novels with their exaggerated proportions and cruelty. But, if you 
want to get psychological, they also serve as useful stand-ends for a 
child's feelings of having horrible, unloving parents and bullying 
siblings who are petted and adored over them even if they really 
aren't.

I recently read a quote about how every child no matter how loved has 
at one time or another hated their parents. With the awful Dursleys 
we have parent and sibling substitutes that a child can hate with out 
feelings of guilt getting in the way. If Harry's real parents treated 
him as the Dursleys do I doubt anyone could enjoy the series. But to 
have a more distant relation like an aunt and uncle doesn't seem to 
have the same horror of being mistreated by a parent. Even their names
(Vernon, Petunia, Dudley, Marge Dursley)point towards unattractivness 
compared to Harry's family (James, Lily, Harry Potter). The 
Slytherins also are given deliberately unattractive names if you want 
to open that can of worms.

Rowling seems to be following the time honored tradition of having a 
down trodden hero (and who among us hasn't felt a little down trodden 
at times?) who rises above his/her unhappy surrondings and many 
trials to find happiness in the end.

-Olivia, 
Hey Darrin, how about the Dreadful Dursleys for a band name? 
 
>