A Butterbeer for Aunt Petunia, By Texas Lupine |
 Mar 28 2009, 05:55 PM
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Knight Bus Driver in Training  Posts: 550 Joined: 3:19pm December 21, 2006 Location: In training to perform ninja wandwork.    |
A Butterbeer for Aunt Petunia
By Texas Lupine Abstract: Petunia Dursley wanted no part of the wizarding world, but it kept intruding on her life. This essay takes a semi-sympathetic look at Harry Potter’s guardian aunt as a child and as an adult. It attempts to explain why she treated Harry so shabbily and concludes that Petunia was, after all, one of the good guys. Biography: Texas Lupine is the author of two non-fiction books and dozens of magazine articles. She keeps Harry Potter on a handy shelf near her writing desk, along with The Lord of the Rings, Harriet the Spy, and various tellings of the King Arthur story. This essay can be read here. This post has been edited by caltheous: Mar 28 2009, 06:08 PM --------------------  Shipping Lupius to the end! “Happy St. Dumbledore’s Day to all and to all a good night!” |
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Mar 29 2009, 01:25 PM
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Just Through the Brick Wall Posts: 2 Joined: 2:41pm March 20, 2008 |
I think that the Dursley's most valuable legacy to Harry was the selflessness their treatment instilled in him...the selflessness that enabled him to unite the Hallows and make his own sacrifice.
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Mar 29 2009, 02:23 PM
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Buying a Half-Kneazle Posts: 511 Joined: 7:56pm December 28, 2008 Location: Quidditch Pitch, team practice  |
This is such a great essay! Your view is really interesting and really humanize Petunia, and gave great motives for her actions. After reading this, I do not sympathize for her, but I do understand her, thank her, and drink a butterbeer for her.
-------------------- "Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry,
but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?" |
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Apr 19 2009, 11:48 AM
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Flesh-Eating-Slug Catcher Posts: 163 Joined: 9:06am March 22, 2006 |
JKR made it quite clear why Petunia abhorred magic, your essay underlines it perfectly.
She however never made it clear why Vernon abhorred magic and reading your essay it sort became clear to me that Vernon's behaviour could very well be the result of the fight he had with his Petunia the day she took Harry in. She must have defended the reasoning of protecting Harry with Vernon first, who had no bloodties with this orphan and neither the nature of being protective over the weak and funderable. It is of course pure speculation, but quite possible that Petunis had threatened to leave taking Harry and Dudley with her when Vernon not accepted Harry in their home. It was probably the only real domestic fight Vernon had with his wife and it went bad enough for him not to risk it again. When Petunia says in OotP: " the boy will have to stay." he deflates like an old tyre in no time. -------------------- It is tough to be an objective Slytherin
 when y're a Ravenclaw |
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May 3 2009, 09:07 AM
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Just Through the Brick Wall Posts: 1 Joined: 6:38pm April 13, 2009 |
Great essay. Petunia is a character I've been thinking a lot about since Deathly Hallows. I didn't think that JKR could change my perception of Petunia so late in the game but with just a few glimpses into her childhood in book 7 she made me understand her character much better. I can't imagine what it would be like to discover that magic and Hogwarts was real but that I couldn't be a part of it. So I felt really bad for her. But then I remember how she kept a child locked up in a cupboard and didn't feed him regularly.
Very interesting theories on Vernon, too. |
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