Toons, Petunia, and the Horrible Vase

[Sali Morris]

No: HPFGUIDX 175452

> Carolyn says: 
> I can understand why Petunia sends her sister gifts -- and
> I firmly believe that Petunia believes she has wonderful 
> taste and that her sister will appreciate the gifts. These 
> are not used tissues she is sending.

> PJ:

> My brother went overseas for a couple of years but when he 
> returned and decorated his apartment I knew who lived there 
> from the moment I walked through the front door. His style, 
> his colors and his trinkets were all over it!

> After over 20 years of being sisters, even with one away at 
> school, Petunia would have at least a general idea what Lily 
> found attractive.

Sali:

Not to say that either of these is more likely than the 
other, but just to point out that being someone's relative 
does not necessarily mean you will know whether they will 
like something. After over 50 years of being sisters, my 
aunt has only the vaguest idea of what my mother's taste 
in knick-knacks is - they usually now go for safer presents 
like bottles of wine. There is often a tendency to assume 
that everyone likes what one likes - my grandmother is like 
that, much as I love her I've had some (what I consider) 
awful presents from her (she would have loved to receive 
them). I have friends who are sisters who only know what 
the other likes by going for what they hate and these two 
are very close, unlike Petunia and Lily had become. But 
the possibility that Petunia is motivated by spite is also 
possible. I don't feel I have enough background on Petunia 
to make a definitive personal judgement in that respect.

Also, whatever motivation Petunia might have had for giving 
the vase, I don't see Lily as the kind of person who would 
ever say to her sister's face how much she disliked it 
(although maybe needing to vent about it to others) in 
case she hurt her feelings. So if Petunia's motivation 
was good, it's possible she would not be able to then 
learn that she had mistaken Lily's tastes.