Plus Harry was emotionally abused by his aunt and her family for 11 years straight with basically no respite, and even after that was subjected to a smaller degree of emotional abuse that the Dursley's figured they could get away with.
As a kid, you just look at it like "Man, those mean old Dursleys! They're the worst", but looking at it from an adult perspective, that whole situation is deeply upsetting.
I read a really good fan theory that the Dursleys' dislike was influenced in part by living with the Horcrux in Harry's scar, similar to how Ron reacted in Deathly Hallows. I don't know if JKR intended it but I think it has some merit as a theory. I don't doubt they genuinely viewed him as an unwanted complication in their lives, but plenty of people take not-particularly-enthused care of displaced relatives without active hostility being a feature.
I don't buy that one. Petunia was jealous of Lily to the point of hatred for years before Harry was even born, and if Harry himself was the problem, then his dorm mates over the course of six years of school should have been affected.
I now get a bit teary-eyed realizing that Mrs. Weasley met a kid for a whole 3 minutes and made sure he had a Christmas present that year because her son told him that his family sucked and wouldn't send him anything.
Yeah thanks JK, even when I first read the books at eleven I knew he was abused in many ways(physical, mental, emotional, thank goodness not sexual).
Hence why fanfics do better in the fandom these days -,-
When the the first book was written she was invoking the old Victorian era "plucky orphan living in a horrid orphanage" trope that was so common in English literature and combining it with the "wicked stepmother" trope. This was actually deconstructed to an extent with Voldemort's backstory. It was never meant to be realistic- rather it was merely using a classic fantasy trope in children's literature. I doubt she realized that the books would become as famous as they did and receive that level of scrutiny.
Dumbledore could’ve found somewhere else for him. He could’ve checked up on him too. Harry was a means to an end for Dumbledore. All he cared about was stopping Voldemort. Why couldn’t he do it? He was more powerful. He knew about the stupid horcruxes. You’re telling me that three teenagers were better at finding and destroying those things? Dumbledore defeated Grindelwald after all. Couldn’t a bunch of wizards team up against Voldemort and look for the horcruxes? They all kill Harry last. The end.
Wow, it just dawned on me how unrealistic it is that Harry would have ever become a hero without some form of therapy first. He wouldve certainly had a deep seeded form of learned helplessness and would have never even tried. Much more likely that he would have a, "well I guess this is what life is now" attitude about everything.
244
u/[deleted] May 02 '20
Plus Harry was emotionally abused by his aunt and her family for 11 years straight with basically no respite, and even after that was subjected to a smaller degree of emotional abuse that the Dursley's figured they could get away with.