[HPforGrownups] School year system in the UK/Gluttony

[Laura Ingalls Huntley]

No: HPFGUIDX 128742

Catkind:
> I'm not so sure gluttony is a sin in the Potterverse. The first thing
> Hagrid does to cheer Harry up is feed him sausages and later
> ice-cream. Hogwarts' feasts are amazing, and there are always
> desserts, and then there is the sweet-shop. If gluttony is a sin, why
> all this wonderful food all around? Ron's also quite keen on his
> dinner if I recall correctly.
>
> Or is there a technical definition of gluttony beyond eating lots that
> I don't know?

Geoff:
> I believe there is a subtle difference between the pupils eating well
> and being gluttons...
>
> My dictionary gives definitions as follows:
>
> Glutton>noun an excessively greedy eater
> Gluttony>noun habitual greed or excess in eating
>
> I think it's the /excess/ in eating that is the difference.

Excess, but also -- notice how both definitions use the concept of 
Greed.  So, a glutton is someone who eats excessively, but is also 
obsessive and greedy about it.  Thus, Dudley's tendency to take Harry's 
food, even if it makes him sick (to paraphrase PS/SS).  The contrast 
between Harry's experience of food when he's with the Dursley's vs. 
when he comes to Hogwarts is very important, IMO.  It also sheds a 
rather positive light on his character -- note how he's *happy* to 
share the food he gets on the Hogwarts Express with Ron.

I think there is a rather interesting (although old) essay at the 
Lexicon about food in the Potterverse, if you want to look it up.  I'm 
not sure that it deals with gluttony/greed especially, but I remember 
that is does hit on a lot of interesting themes dealing with food in 
the books.

Laura (noticing that the word "greed" looks very odd indeed after one 
has typed it six times.)