The effects of the Dursleys on Harry

[Jennifer Carlson]

No: HPFGUIDX 151139

> Jen (Reese, in #151113): 
> <snip> He [Dumbledore] said: "It is our choices, Harry, that show 
> what we truly are, far more than our abilities."  To me this quote 
> is saying that everyone has innate abilities or talents, certain 
> features a person is born with, but what you choose to do with 
> yourself is far more important. That is, *what* you are--the things 
> you stand for and believe in, the actions you take--are far more 
> important than *who* you are--who a person is born. 
> 
> That seems to be an interpretation consistent with Dumbledore's 
> quote in GOF when he is railing on Fudge and tells him, "you fail 
> to recognize that it matters not what someone is born, but what 
> they grow to be!" (p. 708, Scholastic, chap. 36)
>
> JKR clearly said Riddle was not born evil, but that he has 
> never known love. In Potterverse that is the greatest evil of all 
> from what I can tell. <snip> 
>
> From your original post on the subject, my best guess is JKR is 
> going for the idea that Harry became who he is in spite of the 
> Dursleys rather than because of them. <snip>


Jen  (me, lol!): Jen, I COMPLETELY agree with everything you have put 
forth here and would like to put forth my own personal story and 
opinions to back up why I believe this!

I have a very severe mental illness, and I was raised in a very 
abusive household, in every way.  But here I am, 21 years old, 
married, with 2 beautiful boys, and a GOOD PERSON.  Why? Because *I* 
made the choice to overcome my hardships.  *I* made the choice to 
seek medical help to get over my past, and to learn how to cope with 
my disorder both through medicine and therapy.  *I* chose not to 
become like my parents!

Therein lies the meat of what DD keeps saying.  Do our inherent 
traits and abilities have an effect on us?  Absolutely, but we 
*still* have the CHOICE not to let those things control our lives!

Voldemort and Harry's lives closely parallel each other 
obviously...the difference is merely in the choices they make.

Voldemort was abandoned and unloved...so was Harry (though not by 
his parents' choice).  I would venture to say that Harry's childhood 
was actually worse than Voldemort's.

But Harry's anger towards Voldemort at the loss of his parents 
drives him to overcome his abuses, to *choose* to be a stronger, 
better person in order to accomplish what he feels needs to be 
done.  Voldemort, despite being unloved, could certainly have chosen 
to use his talents for good, but he did not.  He let his anger 
overcome him, BECOME him.  Does Harry have that liability?  Yes, and 
I wonder where JK will go with it.

Blessings,
Jen