[HPforGrownups] Petunia

[Amanda Geist]

No: HPFGUIDX 41154

The virtuous, eloquent, and wonderful Jenny from Ravenclaw proclaimed

> As far as the comparison of Snape and Petunia, I can't go there at
> all.  Snape may not be a nice person, but he is brave, self-searching
> (enough to stop being a DE), and a very capable teacher.   Petunia has
> shown us no evidence of real intelligence or ability so far.  After SS
> (and I mention this whenever she comes up), we never quite hear her
> speak again.  Snape is also not a parent and has, as far as we know,
> never been given the responsibility of raising a child.  I find it far
> worse that Petunia has actually chased Harry with a frying pan and has
> allowed him to skip meals, wear broken glasses and hand-me-downs that
> don't fit, etc. than Snape's general nasty comments towards Harry,
> because she *was* given the responsibility to raise Harry.  Somehow I
> don't see Snape treating someone as badly if that person was living
> under *his* roof.

thank you thank you thank you thank you etc. I can't go there, either. While
it appears a reasonable comparison on the face of it, the two are completely
different motivationally.

It seems to me that Snape has an internal integrity and code which he
adheres to, even against his preferences and possibly to his personal
detriment. However, Petunia is handling a problem by giving it as little
personal involvement as possible. Snape has an internal motivation, whatever
it turns out to be, closely bound to Harry's parents, Snape's past, and
Dumbledore's trust. Petunia has an external motivation, having to do with
What The Neighbors Think, and with Keeping Anyone From Knowing We're Related
To That Sort of Person. Snape doesn't give a damn what anyone thinks. That
is all Petunia gives a damn about. Snape is, albeit very nastily,
shepherding. Petunia is squashing. They are nothing alike.

--Amanda