More on Dursleys

[a_rude_mechanical]

No: HPFGUIDX 56244

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "darrin_burnett" 
<bard7696 at a...> wrote:
> Something that just hit me as I was re-reading the beginning of 
PS/SS 
> to doublecheck another tidbit.
> 
> Why on earth did the Durseleys take Harry in? Why not just ship him 
> off to an orphanage, or call the proper authorities, pretend you 
have 
> no clue who the kid is, and send him into the system.

and later...

> 
> Why did Dumbledore allow the abuse, emotional and physical, of 
Harry 
> to continue? 
>

and later... 

> And the Dursleys are just too earthy a people not to raise their 
> hands to Harry.
> 
> As has been pointed out, it's damned lucky Harry didn't grow up to 
be 
> a serial killer, being locked in a cupboard for 10 years and made 
to 
> be a slave. Dumbledore, to my way of thinking, took an awful 
chance, 
> letting that continue.

and later..
> 
> And lastly, I don't believe for a second that the Dursleys have 
done 
> Dudley any favors. 
> Darrin

Whoa!  I like to think of Rowling's description of Harry's life with 
the Dursleys as being as fantastical as his life at Hogwarts, but 
without the magic.  Clearly, penning a child into a cupboard, feeding 
him only bread and cheese, and throwing frying pans at him are all 
horrible forms of child abuse, but these are still children's books.  
My point, and I do have one, is that I don't think that Harry's life 
is meant to be taken seriously in any form--his mistreatment (and 
arguably that of Dudley's) at the hands of Vernon and Petunia are 
exaggerated to be funny--this is, after all, fantasy!! =)

Elisabeth
>