Redeemed!Dudley?

[bluesqueak]

No: HPFGUIDX 56216

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Kelly Grosskreutz" 
<ivanova at i...> wrote:
> From: herm - own - ninny
> 
> I came upon this quote from JKR when reading the summery 
of 'things we know
> about OOP' from Book
> Magazine(http://www.bookmagazine.com/issue28/unfogging.shtml)
> 
> "Also, fans should keep an eye on [their son] Dudley. It's 
> probably too latefor Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon. I feel sorry 
> for Dudley. I might joke about him, but I feel truly sorry for him 
> because I see him as just as abused as Harry."
> 
> I know there's been a lot of talk about Redeemed!Draco, but this 
> quote just screams Redeemed!Dudley to me. The fact that JKR tells 
> us to keep an eye on him, and then says it's too late for Vernon 
> and Petunia, implies that it'snot too late for Dudley. Not that I 
> necesarily want Dudley redeemed - he's no Draco Malfoy that's for 
> sure <g>. But it's a thought, and something I've never even begun 
> to consider. 

<Snip>

Pip!Squeak.

Yup. Redeemed!Dudley even has his very own 'ambiguous scene', like 
Redeemed!Draco's 'did he/didn't he warn Hermione' in GoF.

It's in CoS Chapter One. Dudley comes out and starts teasing Harry 
about how no one has sent him any cards or presents on his birthday.

It's not until you start to think about it that you realise how 
*odd* it is that Dudley should remember Harry's birthday. His 
parents have completely ignored it, being wrapped up in the all-
important visit of the Masons. The average twelve year old often has 
to be reminded of the exact date of their sibling's birthdays. 
Dudley remembers without any prompting. 

Further, the teasing shows that he's noticed something else that his 
parents are ignoring - that none of Harry's school friends have sent 
cards.

So it's ... odd. Was Dudley just teasing Harry? Or was there 
actually a vague feeling of concern at the back of the teasing? Did 
he want Harry to say something like 'my cards arrived by owl, that's 
why you haven't seen any.' Then they could have a fight (because 
Harry's not supposed to use owls), but Dudley would be reassured 
that yes, his cousin did have friends at his new school.

Or did Dudley genuinely not know what his motives were, having been 
brought up all his life to bully Harry?  

> 
> From:  Kelly
> 
> Perhaps.  I remember thinking about a year ago along the same 
> lines as JKR.We always think "Poor Harry" when we think about his 
> life at the Dursleys, but she's right.  Dudley is abused as well, 
> but just differently.  They indulge his every whim.  They overfeed 
> him,  turning him into a huge person that is completely out of 
> touch with reality and how it really works, as his life is not how 
> everyone else in the Muggle world lives.
> 

Yup, again. Petunia treats Dudley like a baby, not like a boy of 
secondary school age. Look at her nicknames for him. 'Dinky 
Duddydums' [PS/SS Ch. 2 p.22]. 'Ickle Dudleykins' [PS/SS Ch. 3 
p.29]. 'Duddy' [PoA, Ch.2 p. 20] (where she also says 'Mummy's 
bought him a lovely new bow-tie'; as if Dudley was three, rather 
than 13). 'Diddy darling' in GoF Ch.3 p. 29.

Look at the way she acts when the 11-year-old Dudley can't add 37 + 
2 in his head [PS/SS ch. 2 p.21]. Dudley is actually struggling his 
way through to the answer. Instead of letting her child practice a 
necessary skill, Petunia just tells him 'Thirty-nine, sweetums'.

Ironically, the Dursley's prepare Harry much better for adult life 
than they do Dudley. In Book 1, Harry can cook breakfasts. In Book 
2, he can do the standard household things like wash cars, clean 
windows, mow lawns, simple painting, basic gardening. In Book 3 we 
see that because he knows he can expect *no* monetary help from the 
Dursley's, Harry's careful with the money he has got. 

At 18, Harry is probably going to be quite capable of looking after 
himself. He can cook, clean, and budget.

Dudley, on the other hand, shows no sign at all that his parents 
have ever asked him to do anything for himself. He has others cook 
for him, he doesn't do any household jobs, and if he wants something 
enough to scream for it, his parents buy it for him. So he can't 
cook, he can't clean, and he's been encouraged to buy whatever he 
wants when he wants it, whether or not he can afford it.

Dudley's weight progresses throughout the four books so far. In the 
first book he's very fat. At this point he's lived at home all his 
life, and (as you say) has very little contact with the real world. 
Dudley is the king of his little world, at home and at school. 

In the second book his bottom is so large it droops over the side of 
the chair, he's demanding second helpings at breakfast, and he's 
waddling. He's interacting normally with Harry, though (well, 
normally for Dudley) and is co-operative towards his parents.

In the third book (PoA) Dudley has five chins, is living in the 
kitchen and is eating continuously. Which is scary. It's the sort of 
behaviour you'd expect from an unhappy child, who was eating for 
comfort. His behaviour to his parents doesn't seem as co-operative, 
either. His father's friendly offer of a ride to the station to meet 
his Aunt is met with a flat 'No.'

By book four, Dudley is, of course, on the famous diet. He's too fat 
to fit any of the school uniforms. The school nurse is worried about 
his health. His parents are finally concerned enough to take action.

> My thoughts did lead me to this observation, though.  Is it just 
> me, or do the Dursleys sometimes act like they're afraid of 
> Dudley?  At his 11th birthday party, for instance, he notices he 
> has less presents than this year.  He is on the verge of throwing 
> a temper tantrum.  The Dursleys scurry to do anything they can to 
> pacify him so he will not get angry.  There have been other times 
> in the series when the Dursleys give in to Dudley.  From a normal 
> child-rearing standpoint, this obviously is not good for the child.
> However, what if they are afraid of what he might do if he has a 
> temper tantrum?  One of the things Hagrid said to prove to Harry 
> that he was a wizard is asked him if he'd ever done magic when he  
> was angry or frightened.
> It makes me wonder if the Dursleys are afraid that Dudley might 
> end up taking after his aunt Lily.  

I don't think so myself. 

The first time we actually see Dudley (on the very first page of 
PS/SS), he's screaming his head off. And he's being ignored. He's a 
bit too young for 'ignore him, it's only a temper tantrum' (fifteen 
months); but Vernon is selecting what tie he should wear for work, 
Petunia is gossiping, and both are ignoring the fact that their baby 
son is screaming.

A little later, Dudley has a full-scale tantrum, and Vernon finds 
this amusing.

So right from the start of Dudley's life, his parents show 
inappropriate behaviour towards him. They never seem to see a 'real 
Dudley'. They see a Dudley who is 'no finer boy anywhere'. The fact 
that their `fine boy' is unhappy is inconvenient, and is ignored.

When Dudley is older, Vernon uses him. Vernon constantly threatens 
Harry with physical violence. Now, if Vernon actually hits Harry, 
and someone at school notices Harry's bruises, Vernon will be in big 
trouble.

In canon, there is no time when Vernon *actually* hits Harry.

But we are told that Dudley constantly bullies Harry. Dudley chases 
him, pokes him, hits him [Chapter 2 of PS/SS]. And Vernon encourages 
this:

`Get the post, Dudley' said Uncle Vernon 

`Make Harry get it.'
`Get the post, Harry.'
`Make Dudley get it.'
`Poke him with your Smeltings stick, Dudley.'
[PS/SS Ch. 3 pp.29 – 30]

Vernon uses Dudley. He uses him to physically attack Harry, because 
he doesn't dare do it himself, and he knows that Dudley (as a child) 
can get away with it. Far from *discouraging* his temper, they 
ignore or *encourage* it.

Aunt Marge (a truly horrific creation) repeats exactly the same 
pattern, in spades. Dudley's used to get at Harry. `She delighted in 
comparing Harry with Dudley, and took huge pleasure in buying Dudley 
expensive presents while glaring at Harry, as though daring him to 
ask why he hadn't got a present too.' [PoA, Ch. 2, p.24] 

Does Dudley feel genuinely loved by Aunt Marge? Or does he realise 
that all the presents are really just so Marge can enjoy hurting 
Harry? There's a hint that he's got Marge sized up earlier – `Harry 
knew that Dudley only put up with Aunt Marge's hugs because he was 
well paid for it
[p.22].

I doubt very much that Dudley feels safe in his parents' house. His 
father consistently threatens his foster brother with violence, and 
really, I think that `is he going to turn on me?' must be somewhere 
in the back of Dudley's mind. His Aunt is also a horrific bully, and 
his mother doesn't do anything to stop either of them. 

In fact, the only child in the Dursley household who is actually, 
canonically hit by an adult is 
 Dudley. [PS/SS Ch. 3 p.35].

It's probably also pretty significant that Dudley destroys the 
things his parents and relatives buy him. They don't pay attention 
to what Dudley needs (really needs), they just buy him expensive 
toys. And when he loses his temper – he destroys the expensive toys. 
Those destructive tantrums are a way of getting back at people who 
don't show him real affection.

Another interesting point is when Mr Weasley sees Dudley in GoF.  Mr 
Weasley is an adult outside the family dynamic and a fairly 
competent parent. Mr Weasley spots Dudley's behaviour as really 
worrying almost as soon as he sees him. Even Harry notices that Mr 
Weasley is `genuinely concerned'. [GoF Ch. 4 p. 45]  It's in line 
with the school report, with its worries for Dudley's health. Adults 
outside the Dursley family are worried about Dudley.

Is Dudley redeemable? Probably. Like Harry, he spends most of the 
year outside his family environment. Unlike Harry, he's not adapting 
well to being outside the family (bad marks, bullying others) – but 
at least, like Harry, he has other adults who are becoming concerned.

Perhaps by the end of Book Seven, we'll understand the comment JKR 
makes in Book Two:

`Malfoy made Dudley Dursley look like a kind, thoughtful and 
sensitive boy.' [CoS Ch. 3 p.27]

Perhaps by Book Seven, we'll find that Dudley has it within him to 
be kind, thoughtful and sensitive.

;-)

Pip!Squeak (aka Pip)