/empathy/

[Anne <urbana@charter.net>]

No: HPFGUIDX 49214

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, jodel at a... wrote:
> 
> I'm pretty sure that Harry had it worse. The Dursleys didn't *just* 
> emotionally torment him: they skimped on his food and clothing, he 
couldn't 
> have had much of a bed in his cupboard, if the parents didn't 
physically 
> chastise him, Dudley did -- whatever horrors early twentieth 
century 
> orphanages are blamed for, the Dursleys tried to provide the same.<<

Yes, yes, of course. I'm suffering from some "Movie Contamination" 
since I've seen TMTMNBN(1) more recently than I've read PS/SS. The 
Dursleys in PS/SS were even meaner than they were portrayed in TMTMNBN
(1).

> The real difference is that Harry, unlike Tom, was not thrust into 
this kind 
> of hostile environment from birth. He may have no consious memory 
of it, but 
> he got the advantage of having had 15 months as a loved and wanted 
child, and 
> acto everything I've ever read on the subject, that is likely to 
make a big 
> difference on the development of the "self". Tom never knew 
anything but 
> hostility, indifference and cool charity.

IMO this hits the nail on the head. TMR has a very narcissistic, 
manipulative and obviously pathological personality. OTOH while 
Harry's self-confidence has been tarnished somewhat from having been 
abused by the Dursleys, deep down he was truly *loved* for those 15 
months, and that love stayed with him and helped to form the 
unshakeable essence of his character, his, well, Harry-ness. 

Anne U
(of the "Harry *is* special, for many reasons" crowd...does that have 
an acronym??)