Dudley the Victim

[jenny_ravenclaw]

No: HPFGUIDX 43139

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "darrin_burnett" <bard7696 at a...> wrote:
 
> First, I think the connection between "he got what he deserved" 
> and "it's her fault she was attacked" is faulty.
> 
> The latter is typically used in describing a rape victim. I do not 
> know if that is the connotation you are trying to put forward, but 
if so, it is quite unfair.>

Actually Darrin, if I believe Dudley is a victim, than my opinion is 
not faulty.  You really need to watch the way you express yourself 
here and find ways to disagree with others that aren't so... fautly.

I never said Dudley was an innocent victim, but he is a victim 
nonetheless.  He is as much a target of his parents' abuse as Harry 
is, but obviously he is suffering in other ways.  Here in the States 
there have been cases where parents have been accused of and found 
guilty of abuse because they have young children who are obese.  
Wouldn't you say that is the case with Dudley?  He doesn't have a 
gland problem; his parents feed him constantly.  They never say no.  
He has only been given boundaries because his school nurse had a chat 
with Vernon and Petunia, and my guess is she told them that his weight 
could kill him at a young age.

Kids who kick their own parents, scream their brains out at any 
opportunity, break all of their toys and then get all new ones are not 
being raised in a loving and protective environment.  Dudley is being 
taught that he will always get what he wants, and that is wrong.  He 
will not do well out in the real world when his parents aren't there 
to pick up after him.  At the rate he is going, Dudley will end up a 
45 year old who still lives with Mommy and Daddy, doesn't work to 
support himself and has no family or friends of his own to care about.

Dudley is awful.  He is rude, hideous to look at, not particularly 
intelligent and has a mean streak as long as the Grand Canyon.  He is 
not innocent because he is perfectly aware of how nasty he is to 
Harry.  However, he didn't become this way in a vacuum.  I'd say the 
real "great bullying gits" here are his parents, and Fred and George 
know they wouldn't get away with dropping Ton-Tongue Toffees at Vernon 
and Petunia's feet.  
 
--jenny from ravenclaw *******************