Identifying with Muggles in Potterverse WAS: Re: DD at the Dursleys:

[hickengruendler]

No: HPFGUIDX 158099

 
> Betsy Hp:
> Hmm, see I have it as exactly opposite.  The wizards are the 
insular 
> xenophobes, with little that is beautiful and soul enriching 
> surrounding them.  They know nothing of art or music or 
literature.  

Hickengruendler:

To me, you have exactly described the Dursleys. That's how they are. 
The son, who didn't touch the book. The bigotted father, who asked 
Dudley after his breakdown, if he hadn't gotten something *foreign* 
for tea. The man, who supports death punishment and judges people by 
their looks and their cars. The man, who shouts at Harry because he 
is talking about *a dream* with a flying motorcycle. The woman, who 
spends her freetime spying on other people.

Sure, there are probably examples like this in the Wizarding World as 
well. JKR even said in an interview, that she doesn't think the 
Wizarding World is much better than the Muggle World, and only 
preferable for Harry, because he meets nicer people. It all comes 
down to the specific individuals. But really, at least in this regard 
the Dursleys *are* the worst kind of Muggles. They are the ones with 
no art, no culture and insularic xenophoby. 

That said, I still don't think it's a coincidence, that JKR casts 
them from book 2 onwards almost solely in the roles of the victims. 
It emphasizes their vulnerability (in spite of their nastiness) 
against all things magical, which is especially highlighted by the 
Dementor attack. The Dursleys reached the highlight of their meanness 
by book 2, when they practically hold Harry prisoner in his room. 
Since then, they are merely nuisances, partly because Harry learns 
how to deal with them and partly because JKR for obvious reasons puts 
the light on the dangers within the wizarding world. By now, they are 
no danger anymore, and I suspect that's one reason, why some readers 
are not happy with their scenes. It's like they get hit again and 
again for things that happened in the past, when while they happened 
nobody within the Wizarding World seemed to care enough to actually 
do something. Given how rude Hagrid was towards them, from the very 
beginning, he had to know something. I wonder why it is Dudley, who 
gets the worst deal so far. JKR said, that she feels sorry for him 
and she almost solely puts the blame on Vernon and Petunia. Yet it is 
him, who gets "punished" the worst by the other characters. 

Hickengruendler