[HPforGrownups] Petunia's Emotional Removal WAS Re: Harry as last DADA teacher?
Alina
alina at distantplace.net
Tue Jun 8 04:02:38 UTC 2004
No: HPFGUIDX 100345
> > I also haven't seen answers to a few things I'm thinking of. In POA
> > when Aunt Marge is visiting she insults Harry's mother with the
> > female dog reference. Petunia is sitting right there. Does she not
> > care that this woman is insulting her sister? We know from OotP why
> > the Dursley's agreed to take Harry in even though they hate
> > everything having to do with the wizarding world, but I would think
> > Petunia would hate having her sister described that way. Did Aunt
> > Marge forget that Petunia was Harry's mother's sister? Couldn't she
> > say Petunia was the same?
>
> Honestly, I think Petunia was/is so removed from her late sister,
> since they've been estranged for so long. So I didn't think she'd be
> insulted at all. I mean, she's looking after her sister's only son,
> but look how she allows her husband and son to treat him. And
> Petunia's a Dursley now, and she seems to hold all of their ideals--
> well, she appears to, at least.
>
> Alia
Aunt Marge certainly didn't forget who she was talking about, here's the
dialogue:
Canadian edition page 26:
"...Now, I'm saying nothing against your family, Petunia" - she patted Aunt
Petunia's bony hand with her shovel-like one, "but your sister was a bad
egg. They turn up in the best families."
I think that Petunia didn't say anything because she was afraid that any
acknowledgement from her that Marge was out of line would incite Harry. And
besides, when you spend a lifetime despising someone, it must be very hard
to defend them in any way. For all we know, Petunia was keeping herself
mentally in check during that moment like Harry was throughout aunt Marge's
whole stay. Petunia's not a very redeemable character, but in book five we
have Harry feeling, for the first time, that she *was* Lily's sister and
understood things that Vernon didn't. Personally, I believe she doesn't like
people talking trash about Lily any more than she likes hearing people
praise her, herself having spend all that energy on forgetting she has a
sister at all.
Alina.
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