"Too clean" Dursley's

[Wanda Sherratt]

No: HPFGUIDX 73432

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Cindy" <xpectopatronum at y...> 
wrote:
> JKR never spends so much time on a scene without it being 
important.
> The thing that I found extremely strange in the 'Advance Guard'
> chapter was certain comments made by Order members at the 
Dursleys. If
> JKR wants you to remember something - she repeats it because she 
means
> it, and it usually means something. a few Order members make 
comments
> about how the Dursley's house is "too clean", and "unnaturally 
clean".
> I think that we are getting somewhere with this, but slowly.
>
I have to disagree.  I think the cleanliness of the Dursleys house 
isn't meant to be considered in isolation - I saw it as a contrast 
with the Burrow.  The sterile house reflected the barren emotional 
life inside it, while the Burrow was warmly untidy, reflecting the 
warmth and intertwined loves inside it.  As for spending so much 
time on the rescue scene, frankly, I suspect that was because 
Rowling found it easy to write.  I don't think anyone is editing her 
anymore, and she can just go on and on as long as she wants.  Some 
scenes in the book sound very stiff and were probably difficult to 
write, because she was working hard to both give and conceal 
information.  This one just rattles on.

Wanda