Chapter Discussions - Chapter One, Dudley Demented

[Doriane]

No: HPFGUIDX 69357


> > This chapter starts with Harry hiding under a flowerbed, trying to
> > hear the TV news without being seen. It establishes that Harry 
> > isn't a cute little boy any longer;

I don't think Harry was ever described as a cute little boy.

> > he looks pinched and unhealthy, his jeans are dirty and the soles 
> > of his trainers flapping.
> >
> > Is this a choice of Harry's? Previously his clothes have been
> > secondhand and too big for him, but there was no mention of their
> > being worn out or dirty.
> 
> Possibly, in a sense. I think I'd interpret it as a symptom of 
> depression, actually. We do find out later that he's been having 
> nightmares about Cedric all summer, and we know he's worried about 
> V. being back. I think he is probably going through a depression 
> caused by the traumatic events at the end of GoF, by V.'s return, 
> by not hearing any news from R. and H. and finally on top of all of 
> that by the Dursley's continuing mistreatment of him.

I'm afraid I have to disagree with that. Harry's symptoms are not 
those of a depression. Stress, yes, anger and anxiousness, for sure, 
but not depression.
So why is he dressed that way ? 2 reasons in my opinion :
1. He's angry, and he wants to show it in the way he dresses. He's 
angry at his uncle and aunt, so he wants to annoy them by the way he 
dresses.
2. I guess the pool of clothes to choose from has reduced and their 
quality has gotten worse because Dudley is a teenager now. When he 
was a little boy, I guess his mom could buy him new clothes all the 
time, so his clothes were still in pretty good shape when Harry got 
them. But Dudley is a teenager now, he probably has a few favourite 
clothes that he doesn't want to part with. I mean, he's wearing a 
leather jacket in the middle of an extremely hot summer ! So he 
probably wears his clothes until his mom gets into a fit and forces 
him to abandon them.

Del