Dursley's bribed?, charmed? or afraid?

[Steve <bboy_mn@yahoo.com>]

No: HPFGUIDX 50746

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Melissa McCarthy" <risako at n...>
wrote:
> > bboy_mn: (originally said)
> > ... if, along with an explanation of what happened to Harry's 
> > parent, there wasn't some additional /incentive/ for the 
> > Durley's .... If there is, I think it is withheld until Harry 
> > successfully completes school.

> Melissa respomds:
> 
> That's certainly plausible, but if the incentive is being withheld 
> until Harry completes school, why were the Dursleys so dead-set 
> against having him go to Hogwarts? 
> -end this part-

bboy_mn:
Sorry, just a bad case of foot-in-mouth syndrom. What I really should
have said, is until Harry comes of age which just happens to coincide
with when he gets out of school.
-bboy_mn-end this part-

> Melissa continues:
> I'd be more inclined to think that ... the letter ... contained 
> some sort of veiled threat rather than a ... reward.  The Dursleys' 
> love of money and resentment of Harry is enough, IMO, to explain
> their reluctance to spend much on him.
> -end this part-

bboy_mn:
I think that view is probably how we are intended to interpret that
book at this time. We really won't know until we find out what's in
that letter. I have a feeling this summer (in the book) Harry will
demand to see the letter.

> bboy_mn: (originally)
> > Vernon  doesn't own Grunning's Drill Company. If he did, it would 
> > be Durlsey's Drill Company.
> > -end this part-

> Melissa continues:
> Are we sure Vernon doesn't own the company?  ...edited...
> 
> Melissa, devoted Dursley-hater

bboy_mn:
 If he owned the Drill company then why  wouldn't JKR refer to him as
the owner of a drill company rather than the Director of a drill
company. Could someone from the UK enlighten us about the term
'Director' as it applies to a business person? I'm taking it to be the
same as the US title 'manager'. He was the Directory of Sales for
Grunning's Drill Company. Her was the Manger of Sales for the
Grunning's Drill Company. Certainly, if the had a substantial above
management title, JKR would have used it, as in Vice President of
Sales for the Grunnings Drill Company. 

I took 'Director' as Director of Operations, which would be roughly
the equivalent of a General Manager. They oversee all aspects of
operations and the regular department managers answer to them.

Of course, this is a lot of speculation, but if he was the owner, that
would be very siginificant and JKR would have mentioned it. Also,
although I don't know much about the English economy, Dursley's don't
live like he owns a company, that would give him substantial wealth.
They live like someone who works in upper management; firmly middle to
upper middle class, but not rich.

Just a few more thoughts.

bboy_mn