Against all odds, Harry isn't a mass murderer

[fandulin]

No: HPFGUIDX 56522

Kia wrote: 
> This is actually the very first thing that bothered me about the 
> books. If a child from the age of one to the age of eleven isn't 
> shown any kind of love, especially no physical signs of 
> affection (hugs etc), the chances to have a soon to be dead, 
> mentally retarded or very disturbed child are excellent. 
> 
> Harry however is doing great, not a stutter, no clumsiness, no 
> extreme shyness, no problems communicating, having friends 
> etc. It's weird.
> 
> There two explanations - number one : The Dursleys are mcuh 
> better people than JKR has shown us so far.
> 
> Number two was revealed to once I actually asked for an 
> explanation regarding this issue. I will paraphrase the bit of 
> wisdom I actually received: "He (Harry) is fictional. That's really 
> the best  cure for everything."
> 
> I think that actually sums up nicely more than one issue in HP.
> 
> 
>  Kia

me:

     I'm glad i'm not the only one that thinks Harry's childhood was 
pretty darn wretched. I know we're going to learn more about the 
Dursleys, and maybe as some have suggested, they'll turn out to be 
alright.  However, whether the rotten upbringing they inflicted on 
him was through malice, mistrust, or simple negelect, they did some 
pretty horrible things.  Nothing excuses someone from throwing a kid 
in a cupboard full of spiders, plain and simple.  Unfortunately, it 
pales to some of the stuff you read in real life newspapers every 
day.  

     As for reason number two, that's the one that actually held me 
back from joining this list for a bit.  I thought "Hmmmm.....a bunch 
of folks that write volumes of critique and analysis on something as 
simple and entertaining as Harry Potter." It sounded like something 
that could get way out of hand, but since I started visiting these 
boards i've had a lot of fun.  I think most folks here realize that 
in the end it's really the author's creation, and that a lot of what 
we come up with and muse over, she's thought of too.  In the end she 
decides to go one way, and explain it to us or not as she sees fit.  
Of course a lot of things in the novels can be explained simply by 
applying reason number two.  For me though, that would negate most of 
the fun of something like HPFG.  It may seem goofy in retrospect to 
write in depth about who's going to date who, and the connection 
between Voldemort and Harry's wand, but hey, it's fun!  Once again, 
all credit to the wonderful author that inspires us to do it.

     I guess the best way I can explain the way Harry manages to come 
out of his childhood unscathed, without resorting to reason number 
two is this.  MOST kids would have been severely affected by all the 
things that happened to him (heck, most adults would).  MOST kids 
would not have made it to Hogwarts, and would probably have been 
consigned to a sterile room with padded walls.  Harry is the 
exception because he's the heroic archetype.  Granted, he's in it's 
fledgeling form, but he's the literary figure that can rise above it 
all because he has bigger fish to fry.  The Hero doesn't let spiders 
in cupboards and schoolyard bullys get him down, because there is a 
Voldemort waiting for him down the road.  The trials and tribulations 
that he fights through to get there will make him capable of facing 
him when that time comes.

Fandulin