Harry Potter : document professeur

		Chapter two. La présentation des personnages – Document professeur

	Dudley	Harry
General description	« Dudley Dursley was no longer a baby, and now the photographs showed a large, blond boy... ».	« He didn’t look it but he was very fast » he had « knobbly knees ».
Size and weight	« Dudley was very fat and hated exercise» « Dudley was four times bigger than he was ».	« Harry had always been very small and skinny for his age ».
Face	« He had a large, pink face, not much neck ».	« Harry had a thin face » He had « a very thin scar on his forehead which was shaped like a bolt of lightning ».
Eyes	« small, watery blue eyes ».	« bright-green eyes » « He wore round-glasses held together with a lot of Sellotape because of all the times Dudley had punched him on the nose ».
Hair	« thick, blond hair that lay smoothly on his thick fat head ».	« black hair » « His hair simply grew that way - all over the place ».
Called	Nicknamed « Duddy » by Petunia Darling when addressed to.	No nickname.
Impression on others	« a baby angel » for his mother, « a pig in a wig » for Harry Potter.	None
Personality	Has « tantrums »	Obedient and peaceful : « Don’t ask questions », does the cooking + serves
Proofs of the Dursleys’ love	« The table was almost hidden beneath all Dudley’s birthday presents » « the second television »	« Harry was used to spiders because the cupboard under the stairs was full of them »

Des pistes pour exploiter la grille et aller plus loin.
En italiques, des réponses possibles.

Harry’s life and personality

- Harry lives with the Dudleys. Why ? He is an orphan, he lost his parents in a car accident. His aunt and uncle took him with them and their own son.
- Aunt Petunia says Harry’s scar is due to the accident. What other cause could we imagine ?
- His hair can’t be combed. What about Dudley’s ? What could it suggest about the two boys’character and future ? Harry will be able to escape. He doesn’t always obey and can go anywhere whereas Dudley has no imagination, will stay where he is and remain what he is.
- Harry is already the hero of the book : what are his qualities ? The author mentions the presence of the spiders to insist on his courage. She says he is fast.
- Why did the author choose to make Harry Potter wear glasses ? Glasses are generally associated with serious students, people who think instead of acting. Here his glasses are broken : he is a victim. All this goes with the fact he is not sporty, he is small. J. K. Rowling was short-sighted too.

Harry vs. Dudley

- Is Dudley a pleasant boy ? Justify your opinion. The details given suggest a negative personality, he doesn’t move a lot, he is demanding and pampered/ spoilt (many presents), he is a coward (attacks Harry, knowing he won’t be punished).
- What is the relation between Dudley and Harry ? Probably jealousy. There is no love lost between the two boys. They don’t like each other. Dudley feels protected so he hits Harry « Dudley’s favourite punch-bag was Harry ».

The Dursleys

- Is there any personal physical description of the two adults ? Why not ? They are secondary characters. They don’t speak to Harry, so Harry doesn’t know them well. They are only interesting for the reader through what they do. They could look like anybody. They are ordinary muggles.
- The only detail we have about them is their voice. Find the terms that are related to it.

Aunt Petunia has « a shrill voice », she « screeched », she « snaps ».

Uncle Vernon « barked », he « shouted ».

- Could you imagine what Petunia and Vernon are like ? - physical description and character