Gum Wrappers

[Hannah]

No: HPFGUIDX 112779

> Naama wrote:
> >More importantly is the emotional content of the scene - Alice,
> >insane and unconnected, tries to reach her son from the fog she is
> >in. If this was a disingenous attempt at communicating (and why
> >couldn't she just talk to him?), it would rob the scene of its
> >emotional impact. Also, it would mean that she is not insane, or 
not
> >as insane as she seems, which would make her an extremely cruel
> >mother - having her son believe her insane when she is not.
> 
Leah wrote:
<snip>
> GOF that Alice and Frank don't recognise Neville, so it's not an 
> attempt to reach her son per se, but she knows there is something, 
> certainly about Neville, and perhaps about the wrappers, that she 
> should be remembering.  While, it's not conclusive, if we weren't 
> meant to notice the wrapper, couldn't Alice just have touched her 
> son's face in an uncomprehending way?

Hannah now: I agree that the principal point of this scene is its 
emotional impact, but one thing does interest me.  Where is Alice 
getting all the gum from in the first place?  Is 'blowing gum' 
usually handed out to mental patients?  If she's given Neville 
enough wrappers 'to paper his room' (probably an exaggeration, but a 
lot anyway) she must have had access to gum/ sweets, either given 
her or to buy.  Is Neville giving her gum, in a clumsy gesture of 
affection, and she handing back the wrappers?
JKR chews gum constantly as a substitute for smoking (from her 
website).  But maybe all those wrappers are meant to be a clue...