Reading, Writing, Rowling

A Valentine for...Uncle Vernon?  In this episode of Potterversity, Katy and Emily talk with scholar Tim Jennings about Vernon Dursley in a way that, if it doesn’t redeem Harry’s uncle, does seek to humanize him. Why is Uncle Vernon the way that he is? What motivates him? Why is he so awful to Harry? We explore Vernon’s relationships with his wife Petunia and his sister Marge to determine what we know about how Vernon grew up, his social influences, and why he loathes the magical world. Enjoying contrarian readings of texts and using psychology to analyze literary characters, Tim provides a nuanced view of why Uncle Vernon acts as he does.  Although the series almost exclusively follows Harry’s perspective, the first chapter of the very first book begins from Vernon’s perspective, indicating his importance as a foil for Harry and the wizarding world. The Dursleys’ desperate clinging to the “perfectly normal, thank you very much” has a profoundly significant effect on the reader’s experience of the series.