Petunia Evans Dursley : Character Analysis

[Moriath]

Originally Posted by Gemini123

I think Petunia's treatment of Dudley stemmed from her own insecurities. She was jealous of her sister who seemed to always outshine her. So she always wanted to make Dudley feel the best, even when he clearly wasn't perhaps because she didn't want him to feel the same way..JMO! Still no excuse for spoiling your kid, doesn't help your kid at all

Good point! She may also have wanted to reward him for being normal, in her own way. Especially in contrast to Harry.

[crmdy1023]

I think that would have been a great "add on" in the DH movie, since we have seen a significant amount of the Dursleys in the past movies. Some kind of scene where Petunia shows some emotion, gives Harry her reasoning for never caring for him as a son... maybe even saying something as pointed out in this thread like "You know, you do have her eyes." I think over and over hearing people that knew her make comments about Harry's eyes looking like his mother's... Petunia must have thought the same thing. And we know the sisters still kept in touch because in DH because Lily talks about Petunia giving her a horrible vase for christmas that Harry broke in her letter to Sirius. I just think more should have been played out on this issue both in the last book and in the movie because I don't think Petunia is evil or mad, I think she is just sensitive and she was hurt and rejected by the magical world .... n this made her bitter and angry... and unfortunately Harry has to suffer because of his ties to that world. I think Harry was a constant reminder of her sister and the world that would never accept her.

[FurryDice]

Originally Posted by crmdy1023

I think that would have been a great "add on" in the DH movie, since we have seen a significant amount of the Dursleys in the past movies. Some kind of scene where Petunia shows some emotion, gives Harry her reasoning for never caring for him as a son... maybe even saying something as pointed out in this thread like "You know, you do have her eyes." I think over and over hearing people that knew her make comments about Harry's eyes looking like his mother's... Petunia must have thought the same thing. And we know the sisters still kept in touch because in DH because Lily talks about Petunia giving her a horrible vase for christmas that Harry broke in her letter to Sirius. I just think more should have been played out on this issue both in the last book and in the movie because I don't think Petunia is evil or mad, I think she is just sensitive and she was hurt and rejected by the magical world .... n this made her bitter and angry... and unfortunately Harry has to suffer because of his ties to that world. I think Harry was a constant reminder of her sister and the world that would never accept her.

I think it would have been nice if Petunia had said something to Harry before she left. She seemed to be on thr brink of saying something, but then decided against it. I think, though, that was realistic, for Petunia. Petunia had spent so long denying and ignoring anything that didn't fit into her perfect little version of reality. IMO, any hurt she felt at Lily's death was probably covered up with her bitterness. If she felt any reminder of Lily, looking at Harry, she probably squashed it down, telling herself that Lily was a freak.

While Petunia was hurt at not being a part of the magical world, I think her anger was irrational - a person is either magical or they're not. It was nobody's fault that she was not magical. Petunia felt that their parents favoured Lily - whether they actually did, or whether Petunia only felt that they did is another matter. It's sad that Petunia wasn't magical, but it's also sad that she took her disappointment out on Lily and Harry. It's also sad, for her, that she allowed her disappointment to become bitterness.

[crmdy1023]

Originally Posted by FurryDice

I think it would have been nice if Petunia had said something to Harry before she left. She seemed to be on thr brink of saying something, but then decided against it. I think, though, that was realistic, for Petunia. Petunia had spent so long denying and ignoring anything that didn't fit into her perfect little version of reality. IMO, any hurt she felt at Lily's death was probably covered up with her bitterness. If she felt any reminder of Lily, looking at Harry, she probably squashed it down, telling herself that Lily was a freak.

While Petunia was hurt at not being a part of the magical world, I think her anger was irrational - a person is either magical or they're not. It was nobody's fault that she was not magical. Petunia felt that their parents favoured Lily - whether they actually did, or whether Petunia only felt that they did is another matter. It's sad that Petunia wasn't magical, but it's also sad that she took her disappointment out on Lily and Harry. It's also sad, for her, that she allowed her disappointment to become bitterness.

I agree but i think Jo had room for some remorse or emotion on Petunias part. I jus expected it ... Not from the fat idiot muggle she married but definitely from her.

[RemusLupinFan]

Originally Posted by FurryDice

I think it would have been nice if Petunia had said something to Harry before she left. She seemed to be on thr brink of saying something, but then decided against it. I think, though, that was realistic, for Petunia.

I'd have liked to see her say something to Harry as well. I can imagine that doing so at that particular time was just too much for her, and so she didn't say anything. I agree this was realistic, even though I'm curious to know what she would have said. After all, Dudley had about 2-3 years to think about his relationship with Harry after his incident with the Dementor before saying something kind to Harry. So it stands to reason that Petunia would have needed at least as long to start changing her thinking (probably longer, given her baggage). But I believe it's possible that Harry's departure could have evolved into just such a turning point for her. Of course, we never see her again within the story, so it's impossible to say, but I think there was hope for her to possibly begin thinking about her sister (and Harry) in a more positive light after Harry left.

[Garwain]

I do think that Petunia always cared for Harry! She just didn't necessarily take very good care of him. The way she favoured Dudley wasn't really because she actually cared so much more for her own child than for her sister's ... it was more superficial, it was all about pride.

I think she pretended to be a certain way for Vernon, and she ended up being the kind of woman who identifies herself by her husband. I definitely separate in my mind Petunia Evans and Mrs Dursley, if you know what I mean. I think there still is a Petunia Evans in there somewhere, and she's just not allowed to have a say in things anymore.

I'm not sure if Petunia allows herself the awareness to regret her treatment of Harry. It would be too difficult for her to do at this point; she has spent years in denial and repressing a lot of emotions that she didn't know how to deal with because of her intense jealousy of her sister, whom she did in fact love. If she was to attempt a little remorse, it would open a floodgate!! Yes - irrational or not, she's definitely guarding something personal and painful.



I am certain that she was upset at the death of her sister! The reality of the distance between them was, at its root, so petty - there's no way she really could have stopped caring for her sister. She might have been too stubborn and entrenched in her habits to admit much, but I'm certain this is the case.

I just think about the first day Vernon went to work and left her alone with those two baby boys... reading Dumbledore's letter... It was probably a moment of sincere solitude for Petunia, having to face a lot of the things that she works so hard to ignore her whole life. Although, to be honest, it might not have lasted much longer than that! With Dudley learning to talk, every day becoming more and more like a real person She had to be Mrs. Dursley in front of her son, too. Petunia Evans wasn't allowed



I'm inclined to say that Petunia was fairly blind when it came to her son - even if she wasn't as extreme as her husband (she did force him to diet! Though I don't think she would have if the school wasn't an instigator ). Dudley expressing gratitude to Harry would have just made him seem like a saint to her Like, an unnecessarily kind gesture towards her nephew.

I think this is the way she tells herself to think, though... when it comes to Harry and Dudley, she is probably projecting a lot of jealousy from her own relationship with her sister. If their parents were so accepting of a witch that they were proud of Lily, I'm sure they frowned upon Petunia's extreme behaviours towards her sister - it would make sense that was why Petunia thought they favoured Lily, and she would get all indignant every time they tried to tell her to be a decent person . I bet the family dynamics were enough to drive stubborn Petunia into a relationship with an idiot like Vernon.

...anyway, I think that Dudley displaying such gratitude (at least in Dursley terms) would have been evidence to self-deluding Petunia of the superior integrity of the boy she'd raised with Vernon. She definitely clings to any excuse to think of her lifestyle choices as the right ones.

[pumpkinpuff]

Petunia. I think she did regret her treatment of Harry in the end. I really think she wanted to say something, but just couldn't bring herself to. There's no doubt Harry would've reminded her of Lily, and that was probably very painful in many ways. Petunia loved her sister, and was likely very hurt that the wizarding world took her away, and then killed her.

I can kind of relate to Petunia's feelings about Lily. My own sister is very smart, beautiful, successful, highly respected and has a wonderful husband and beautiful children. I have none of those things, and so sometimes my feelings for my sister are complex. I don't hate her for having everything I want, because she's my sister and I love her. But sometimes I wish I had it all too. I think perhaps it helped in my case that my parents loved and displayed equal affection for us. In Petunia's case, she thought her parents favored Lily and that added to her resentment. And certainly Vernon's views fueled Petunia's. Vernon certainly seemed more insistent on not letting Harry display any magic and tried to keep him from returning to Hogwarts. Petunia seemed more to ignore Harry, than try to repress him. I think this is because, as stated earlier, Harry was a painful reminder of Lily.

[SirDobster]

1. Do you think Petunia ever came to care for Harry? Do you think she regrets her earlier treatment of him?

I think she cared for him on some level as a family member and as her nephew, or else she wouldn't have taken him in. I think regrets may have entered her mind at some point; however she allowed her strong opinions and beliefs to stand between her and a closer relationship with Harry.

2. What do you think of Petunia's hatred of magic after the revelations of DH?

I think she had two reasons to avoid the magical world: not being magical herself, and possibly feeling jealous and resentful about that; and the loss of her sister and brother-in-law, which was probably devastating to her. She probably did not want any reminders of her loss.

3. Do you think Petunia regrets Lily's death? Do Harry's eyes remind her of Lily?

Yes, I think she regrets Lily's death. They seemed to have had a typical relationship: hanging out together, mostly fun times, some bickering. It would be a significant loss. Not sure if Harry's eyes mean anything to Petunia.

4. How do you think Petunia reacted to Dudley's declaration that Harry wasn't a waste of space?

Well, we know she cried. Beyond that, perhaps when they got in the car and drove away, they chatted about it further. Just a little.

[ignisia]

This kind of has to do with both Vernon and Petunia, but I don't think there's a joint thread for them, so I guess I'll put the question here.

I've been wondering for a while now why the Dursleys, who try as much as possible to ignore Harry or punish him for things he can't control, bothered to give Harry Christmas gifts, even if they were old socks or a coat hanger. Pangs of conscience? Rubbing in his low status in the household? An attempt at some semblance of normalcy during the holiday?

[OldMotherCrow]

My pet theory is that Hedwig shows up at the Dursleys house right before Christmas, and just wont go away until they give her something for Harry's Christmas. I've no evidence for it, but she did fly to France on her own initiative to get Harry's birthday present from Hermione. Plus, I just think it's funny to imagine Hedwig eyeing the Dursleys balefully and them desparate to get rid of her, and finally realizing that all they have to do is give her a present with anything at all in it and she'll go away.

[horcrux4]

Originally Posted by OldMotherCrow

My pet theory is that Hedwig shows up at the Dursleys house right before Christmas, and just wont go away until they give her something for Harry's Christmas. I've no evidence for it, but she did fly to France on her own initiative to get Harry's birthday present from Hermione. Plus, I just think it's funny to imagine Hedwig eyeing the Dursleys balefully and them desparate to get rid of her, and finally realizing that all they have to do is give her a present with anything at all in it and she'll go away.

I'm inclined to agree with you, although I can't remember if Harry mentions getting any Christmas presents before he went to Hogwarts. When did Vernon's old socks date from?

[ignisia]

I know he had them in PoA, because he used them to muffle the Sneakoscope's whistle. My books are MIA at the moment, so I can't give a precise time.

The Hedwig explanation is a good one. I like the mental image.

[FurryDice]

Originally Posted by OldMotherCrow

My pet theory is that Hedwig shows up at the Dursleys house right before Christmas, and just wont go away until they give her something for Harry's Christmas. I've no evidence for it, but she did fly to France on her own initiative to get Harry's birthday present from Hermione. Plus, I just think it's funny to imagine Hedwig eyeing the Dursleys balefully and them desparate to get rid of her, and finally realizing that all they have to do is give her a present with anything at all in it and she'll go away.

I love that idea, I can see Hedwig being that persistent and concerned for Harry.

Originally Posted by horcrux4

I'm inclined to agree with you, although I can't remember if Harry mentions getting any Christmas presents before he went to Hogwarts. When did Vernon's old socks date from?

I'm not sure about Christmas, but in PS, it is mentioned that for his tenth birthday, the Dursleys gave Harry a coat hanger and a pair of Uncle Vernon's old socks. There was no Hedwig, and nobody else pressuring them to give him a gift then.

I'm leaning towards the "gifts" as some kind of humiliation or reminder that Harry was inferior in their eyes, or else as a way to dress up some necessities for Harry as gifts.

[leah49]

Originally Posted by ignisia

This kind of has to do with both Vernon and Petunia, but I don't think there's a joint thread for them, so I guess I'll put the question here.

I've been wondering for a while now why the Dursleys, who try as much as possible to ignore Harry or punish him for things he can't control, bothered to give Harry Christmas gifts, even if they were old socks or a coat hanger. Pangs of conscience? Rubbing in his low status in the household? An attempt at some semblance of normalcy during the holiday?

I see it as keeping up appearances. "Yeah, we sent Harry a Christmas gift." I also think that they think giving him a bad gift is better than ignoring him since he might want the latter. They don't want to give him what he wants. Maybe they think he'll be embarrassed opening up a gift of old socks in front of his friends. They want to embarrass him.

[leckleck]

1. Do you think Petunia ever came to care for Harry? Do you think she regrets her earlier treatment of him?

Yes, but I think she was hesitant to care for him at all. Just as when she cared for her sister, who turned out to be a witch and leave Petunia to go to Hogwarts (not to mention that Petunia hated magic), and then Lily was killed my Voldemort. So I think she was afraid that if she cared for Harry a) Something would happen to him and he'd end up dead b) The magic would end up ruining what little of a relationship they had. So for her, ignoring Harry and his magic was the best choice. That's just my way of interpreting it.

2. What do you think of Petunia's hatred of magic after the revelations of DH?

I mean, I can't really blame her much. If it were me, I'd be so incredibly jealous of Lily, ugh. But I wouldn't end up hating magic.. I'd end up desperately wanting it to the point where I'd curl myself up into Lily's suitcase and refuse to come out until I saw Hogwarts, haha. But Petunia has always been a rather... weak person, and by that I mean that she doesn't let herself get hurt, she doesn't exactly stand up for herself and try to make things better for anyone other than herself. So I think that Petunia's jealousy was understandable, but the hatred? Not quite as much, although jealousy does often lead to hatred.. hm.

3. Do you think Petunia regrets Lily's death? Do Harry's eyes remind her of Lily?


Well, I doubt Petunia wanted Lily dead. But I don't think she regretted it to the point where she had nightmares over it. I think it came more as a shock.. that faded over the years. But I do believe she held a fair amount of pain at not having had a better relationship. I could picture her being guilty for not caring more about Lily's death, but I couldn't picture her not regretting it. As for Harry's eyes.. Yes! This might be another reason she avoids Harry: so that she doesn't have to be reminded of the pain that was brought to her by her relationship with Lily. This adds to what I said earlier, about Petunia being rather selfish, and avoiding confronting situations and things simply because she was too coward for internal pain.

4. How do you think Petunia reacted to Dudley's declaration that Harry wasn't a waste of space?

Oh, secretly it was everything she wanted to say. I loved Dudley when he said that.

[MerryLore]

Originally Posted by leckleck

2. What do you think of Petunia's hatred of magic after the revelations of DH?

I mean, I can't really blame her much. If it were me, I'd be so incredibly jealous of Lily, ugh. But I wouldn't end up hating magic.. I'd end up desperately wanting it to the point where I'd curl myself up into Lily's suitcase and refuse to come out until I saw Hogwarts, haha. But Petunia has always been a rather... weak person, and by that I mean that she doesn't let herself get hurt, she doesn't exactly stand up for herself and try to make things better for anyone other than herself. So I think that Petunia's jealousy was understandable, but the hatred? Not quite as much, although jealousy does often lead to hatred.. hm.

Maybe I'm wrong, but I'm not sure Petunia hated magic until after Lily died. I see Petunia as very jealous of her sister, and as a result deciding to marry someone who would make her feel special because she was only a muggle, and reminding her that there's nothing wrong with not being magical. When Dudley came along, she'd want him to feel loved and special as well, because i think she felt Lily was the favorite and she never wanted Dudley to feel second rate (not that spoiling him was the best route, IMHO).

But then Lily was murdered, which I think hurt Petunia to the core. Lily was killed by people who saw muggles as inferior, which would have offended Petunia, i think. Plus the fact that Lily lived in their world, and she would probably have blamed that very magical world for Lily losing her life.

I think she was abusive to Harry because, by the time he was left on her doorstep, she hated magic and the magical world and was angry with her sister for ending up being dead, and she was determined that Harry know nothing about that world and not become a wizard himself. She also decided that her muggle son would never feel inferior to him because he was a muggle. The problem, i think, is that Petunia's feelings were so intense that she over reacted - spoiling one boy and abusing the other.

I'm just not sure she was that angry until after Lily was murdered.

[LilyDreamsOn]

I don't think she ever actually hated magic. Intense jealousy can make one lash out at the things one wants, or the people who have them. I think Petunia always wanted it (despite being a little afraid of it), even into her adult life. I think it was just easier for her to cope with her jealousy by putting magic down and embracing everything Muggle, because magic was forever out of her reach, something that would have tormented her. It was never a possibility for her, and that thought turned to an outward hatred for the things she was denied.

[Goddess_Clio]

Originally Posted by MerryLore

But then Lily was murdered, which I think hurt Petunia to the core. Lily was killed by people who saw muggles as inferior, which would have offended Petunia, i think. Plus the fact that Lily lived in their world, and she would probably have blamed that very magical world for Lily losing her life.

I wonder if Petunia had this much knowledge of the political situation in the wizarding world, so much that she knew enough about the situation to formulate her own views on it. To a certain extent I do imagine she would know something; Lily probably came home on breaks talking about how there was this prejudice against her because she didn't come from a magical family so I think there would be some sort of foundation there Petnuia could build on but Lily was really her only link to the wizarding world. She would only have known as much as she could overhear (as I don't imagine she and Lily had lengthy conversations about the wizarding world) or as much as was discussed at the dinner table. Once Petunia had moved out of her parents house (perhaps in Lily's sixth year) all information would have stopped.

I do agree, though, that Petnuia , learning just enough of the situation and prejudice in the wizarding world to form an opinion about it no matter how unfounded or uninformed that opinion might have been, would have been offended by accusations that she wasn't as good as someone with magic and would have probably taken the knee-jerk opposing position not necessarily because she believed it but simply to be contrary. I do think she would have believed it, though.

[MerryLore]

Originally Posted by Goddess_Clio

I wonder if Petunia had this much knowledge of the political situation in the wizarding world, so much that she knew enough about the situation to formulate her own views on it. To a certain extent I do imagine she would know something; Lily probably came home on breaks talking about how there was this prejudice against her because she didn't come from a magical family so I think there would be some sort of foundation there Petnuia could build on but Lily was really her only link to the wizarding world. She would only have known as much as she could overhear (as I don't imagine she and Lily had lengthy conversations about the wizarding world) or as much as was discussed at the dinner table. Once Petunia had moved out of her parents house (perhaps in Lily's sixth year) all information would have stopped.

I think Dumbledore informed Petunia of everything that happened after Lily died when he told her he wanted her to take Harry, because he wanted to use her blood as protection. I think Vernon was kept in the dark, however. I think Petunia could have refused to keep Harry, and it says a lot about her when she didn't.

[Suzuran]

1. Do you think Petunia ever came to care for Harry? Do you think she regrets her earlier treatment of him?

I don't think she was ever able to care for Harry. We don't learn much about what Petunia feels or specifically why she feels that way until much later in the series, but I remember one outburst where she expressed anger and pain over her parent's preferential treatment of Lily. I can't help but think how that must have hurt her a great deal, especially as a child, being pushed aside due to circumstances she not only couldn't control, but would never be able to influence no matter what she achieved or did. She would never be magical and so could never compete or feel equal. From that perspective I don't think it possible Petunia was ever able to put aside the gulf that separated her from her sister long enough to accept Harry as a real member of the family.

That isn’t to say I don’t think she felt anything for him at all. I think there was a slight family feeling but it was very weak, and probably happened due to the fact she and Lily once loved each other as children. This is further proved by her accepting him into her house and saving his life, even though she resented having to do so. This makes me believe her animosity didn't extend as far as wishing him dead, and that's something, but not enough to prove care or regret.

Seeing Harry every day would have been a constant reminder of the pain she felt as a little girl, so I expect it must have been very difficult for her in the haven of 'superior normalcy' she tried to surround herself with, being confronted with the pain of her past every day, never having successfully dealt with it.

So in summary, no, I don't think she regretted her early treatment of Harry. When he finally left she must've felt greatly relieved but that's probably about it. Feeling any sense of love for Harry or regret would've meant a tremendous change of heart would've had to take place for Petunia. She would've had to embrace the very thing that made her feel insignificant and 'less than' - the magical world. I think a tremendously significant event would’ve have had to take place to bring about such a change of heart, and since none did, I doubt her feelings changed. The damage done in childhood is likely irreparable.

2. What do you think of Petunia's hatred of magic after the revelations of DH?

I think it's understandable. It makes me wonder why - and what was failing in her life - that she never developed - or was helped to develop - a healthy sense of her own achievement, of her own uniqueness as a person, why she never developed enough confidence to not see herself in competition with Lily for her parent's love. I wonder why she couldn't have been as proud of her sister as her parents were. Why she felt herself pitted against her sister and why she felt she had to prove herself superior in order to feel better.

They could've been great friends and help to each other as women had that block not been placed between them. Somewhere, somehow, someone made Petunia feel she was less than Lily and this was a grave mistake. Maybe whoever or whatever the cause it wasn't intentional, but it wasn't addressed within the family, and so Petunia grew up with a grudge against her sister for circumstances neither could control.

3. Do you think Petunia regrets Lily's death? Do Harry's eyes remind her of Lily?

Of course. I don't get the impression she's that unfeeling. But she probably replaces that regret with a sense of vindication that her hatred of the magical community is well founded, and Lily's association with that community was at fault for her death.
Yes I think Harry's eyes remind Petunia of Lily, and that's part of her problem with him.

4. How do you think Petunia reacted to Dudley's declaration that Harry wasn't a waste of space?

I think she must've had mixed emotions. She was proud of her son, obviously, but maybe not for the reasons we think. Superficially it appears she praised Dudley for being such an admirable boy, period. But in private she may have meant he was an admirable boy because he arrived at a place, on his own and unaided, that she was never mature enough to get to. Namely, no longer seeing Harry as an enemy, seeing his actions for what they were and not a constant threat, and making peace. Maybe deep down Petunia wished for that kind of resolution and peace between her sister and herself but was never able to achieve it.