Summary
I can’t make up my mind aboutHarry Potter’s Petunia Dursley. Like many adult characters in J.K. Rowling’s series, Harry’s aunt is deeply complicated. For much of the series, she is presented in a particular light, but this changed in the final few chapters ofHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Of course, much of this was left out of theHarry Pottermovies, which means many viewers have judged Petunia unfairly. On the other hand, book readers often give her too much slack and sympathy.
This confusion when judging thecharacters ofHarry Potter’s moralityisn’t unusual. The series is filled with ambiguous or morally complicated characterssince this is a significant theme of Harry’s story. In the case of Petunia Dursley, there is no denying throughout the series that she is simply awful. There can be no justifying her neglect and abuse of her nephew. However, a more complete look at her story reveals why she might have closed her heart and mind off from Harry, perhaps earning Petunia the tiniest sliver of sympathy.
How To Watch The Harry Potter Movies In Order (Chronologically & By Release Date)
The Harry Potter chronology may be more confusing than you think - so when does it all take place?
There’s So Much More To Petunia Dursley Than The Harry Potter Movies Let On
The Harry Potter Books Revealed The Deeper Truth Regarding Petunia’s Character
First, it’s important to note that theHarry Pottermovies didn’t provide the full picture. Petunia was a prominent figure inSeverus Snape’s memories in theHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallowsbook, while the film only briefly showed her hate for Lily, even at a young age. On the page, we learn that Petunia, while also a bit of a brat, had deeply loved Lily when they were children and was heartbroken that her sister was being sent away to a magical school. She wanted so much to stay with Lily that she wrote a letter to Dumbledore begging to be allowed to attend Hogwarts herself.
Of course, Dumbledore could not permit Petunia to go to Hogwarts, and this rejection by the magical world really stung. To make matters worse, Lily and Snape found out about Petunia’s letter, and the shame of it led the two sisters to argue. Petunia said horrible things to Lily, but, in this scene, it’s clear that this is just a hurting child. It wasn’t the same kind of spite and jealousy-fueled moment that Petunia had implied back inHarry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. She didn’treallythink that Lily was a freak.
Another way theHarry Pottermovies failed Petunia’s character is the adjustment to her age. Lily Potter was only 21 years old when Voldemort murdered her, and Petunia was only a year or so older. They were just years into adulthood, and this detail highlights the fact thatthe two sisters hadn’t been estranged for nearly as long as is often assumed. In fact, Rowling has revealed that Lily and James had attended the Dursleys' wedding only a couple of years before their deaths, and there is further indication that Lily and Petunia hadn’t fully cut one another off.
I Think Petunia Might Have Worked Things Out With Her Sister If Lily Hadn’t Died
Petunia & Lily Were Both So Young When They Lost Their Chance To Mend Things
The thing that strikes me the most about Petunia and Lily’s relationship is the evidence that they tried to work things out. Rowling provided a more thorough background on the Dursleys onWizarding World, outlining how Petunia and Vernon met and their relationship with the Potters. Petunia was drawn to Vernon because of his normalcy—after being rejected by the wizarding world, she wanted a life as typical as possible. However, Vernon didn’t mix well with James Potter, soPetunia and Lily’s attempts to maintain a relationship always went south.
According to Rowling, Petunia and Vernon went on a double date with Lily and James, but James misbehaved, causing Vernon to storm out and Petunia to follow. Lily was left in tears.
At some point after her wedding, Petunia decided to end all contact with Lily and devote herself entirely to her very ordinary life on Privet Drive. However, givenher young age and the hints throughoutHarry Potterthat she still carried suppressed love for Lily,I can’t help but feel that this wouldn’t have lasted forever. Prior to their deaths, James had promised Lily that he would work things out with the Dursleys, and it’s even revealed inDeathly Hallowsthat Petunia had sent Lily an ugly vase as a Christmas present. However, Lily’s murder, something Petunia couldn’t have foreseen, made a resolution impossible.
Petunia Dursley Doesn’t Deserve Redemption (But I’m Still Sympathetic Toward Her)
My Conflicted Feelings About Petunia Are Precisely The Point
Looking at things from Petunia’s perspective, I can understand why she would have despised magic and anything out of the ordinary. By no choice of her own, she was immensely ordinary, and this fact had separated her from the magical sister she loved. Vernon Dursley loved her for being normal, so Petunia would have gone to any lengths to cut ties with the magical world. Good riddance, really, sinceher sister’s world had rejected heranyway. To make matters worse, the wizarding worldkilled Lily Potter—all the proof Petunia needed that magic was bad and dangerous.
The characters ofHarry Potterchallenge the idea that any one person is all bad or all good, and Petunia Dursley is further proof that no one is ever that simple.
I can understand and sympathize with all of this. Rowling constructed a subtle but impactful story for Petunia, which resonates greatly with me. However, it doesn’t excuse the fact that Petunia Dursley was downright abusive toward her nephew.Her desperation to be loved by Vernon meant that she allowed him to treat Harry cruelly, and her fear of the wizarding world led her to reject the boy herself. All of this leaves me conflicted, but this is entirely the point. The characters ofHarry Potterchallenge the idea that any one person is all bad or all good, and Petunia Dursley is further proof that no one is ever that simple.
Harry Potter
Harry Potter is a multimedia franchise about an orphaned boy who enrolls at Hogwarts School of Wizardry, where he learns the truth about himself, his family, and the terrible evil that haunts the magical world. Adapted from the novels, Harry Potter is an eight-episode film saga that follows the journey of Harry Potter and his friends, Hermoine Granger and Ron Weasley, as they navigate the tricky world of growing up, school life, and magic. Starting from year one and moving to their seventh year, the films chronicle the students' time at Hogwarts while unfurling a sinister plot that centers around the unsuspecting Harry. With the return of the dark wizard, Voldemort, the students and professors at Hogwarts will fight to carry on as the world around them may change forever. Harry Potter has expanded beyond the world of its films and novels with several video games, a spin-off film series titled Fantastic Beasts, and even attractions at Universal Studios.
