Harry Potter's Upbringing

Most will agree that Harry Potter’s upbringing was not one of happiness and love. J.K. Rowling depicts Harry’s home life with his aunt and uncle in an extremely negative light. For starters, Harry was forced to live in a small cupboard underneath the stairs. This decision was not made due to lack of space within the house or any sort of financial troubles but plainly because of an unreasonable dislike of their 11 year old nephew. Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon actually dedicated an entire room to the toys of their son, Dudley. The text states, “The Dursleys’ house had four bedrooms: one for Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia, one for visitors…one where Dudley slept, and one where Dudley kept all his toys and things that wouldn’t fit into his first bedroom” (Rowling 37). Such a blatant form of favoritism would undoubtedly give Harry behavioral problems, depression, low self-esteem or any other trauma induced issues, yet this isn’t the case. 

At times, food was even withheld from Harry as punishment, “Go—cupboard—stay—no meals” (29). Not only was Harry neglected by the closest parental figures he had, but he recalls multiple instances of being physically abused by their son, Dudley. Dudley also keeps Harry from being able to make any new friends. “At school Harry had no one. Everyone knew that Dudley’s gang hated that odd Harry Potter… and nobody liked to disagree with Dudley’s gang (30). 

Considering just a few examples of the mental and physical trauma Harry endured in some of the most important years of growth in his life, he shows little to no evidence of growing up in such a home. J.K. Rowling vividly paints the picture of “the underdog saving the day” or “the chosen one” but never accounts for the long term effects that an abused child would display. At Hogwarts Harry acts as a normal child who has grown up in a normal household. Sure, he values meals more and doesn’t receive any presents from the Dursley’s on Christmas, but he still possesses characteristics not normally found in abused children. He demonstrates kindness, patience, selflessness, and courage that have never been exemplified to him before. Rowling may have purposefully portrayed Harry Potter as a good person formed amongst bad people to emphasize Voldemort’s unnecessary evil nature, or it simply may have been an overlooked detail in her writing.