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Post by PrincessJennifer on Mar 1, 2007 4:05:04 GMT -5
This thread is to discuss a few puzzling things surrounding Gregory's house and Jennifer's stay there:
Why is it called the "Gingerbread House" in the first place?
When Jennifer tries to enter certain rooms there, she sees "visions" of Gregory. What are these, and what do they mean?
And what do you think her stay there was like?
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Stray Dog
Poor
" ... Stray Dog will have his Peas. "
Posts: 58
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Post by Stray Dog on Mar 1, 2007 5:30:29 GMT -5
This thread is to discuss a few puzzling things surrounding Gregory's house and Jennifer's stay there: Why is it called the "Gingerbread House" in the first place? When Jennifer tries to enter certain rooms there, she sees "visions" of Gregory. What are these, and what do they mean? And what do you think her stay there was like? I think the fact it's called 'Gingerbread House' refers in a certain way to sentences like "Stray Dog gives us sweet". Besides, there's a page of the Diary in which we discover that Joshua stole a candy or something similiar and this made Gregory angry. Anyway, I think that the answer to your second question is pretty simple. They're all flashes of memories; she actually saw those images, but they're all scattered around in her mind.
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Post by avidgamer77 on Mar 1, 2007 5:46:08 GMT -5
I'm thinking the Gingerbread House name was made up by Wendy as part of her Stray Dog myth, because Gregory likes to give the children sweets whenever he visits the orphanage. She must be suspicious of Gregory's behaviour and thinks he is dangerous with his "luring" attempt. Even though Wendy sees his house as dilapidated, she still labels it as so because she wants to warn the children of Gregory who lives inside and may pose a threat to anybody visiting his house.
The visions Jennifer saw behind those doors are her memories when she explored his house. Most probably how Gregory often behaves in each of these rooms, e.g. indulging in alcohol, writing stories, flustering while eating, etc.
Gregory is always kind to her so there may be no problem with her stay, but he can act a little unstable at times. I think his sanity is shifting between his awareness of Joshua being alive and Joshua already dead. Jennifer doesn't seem to mind him carrying his gun around and reciting poems to her before she goes to bed, she must have understood his plight of losing his son. As a curfew, Jennifer was not allowed to wander around at night and had to be locked up in the basement, which I think she may not be comfortable with. But at other times of the day, she's free to explore in and around his house.
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Post by PrincessJennifer on Mar 1, 2007 13:07:56 GMT -5
I 'd have to agree with your thoughts regarding her stay in his house. A lot of people like to think he kept her trapped in that basement room, because in her letter she writes things like "I've been in this room since he saved me." and "He won't let me leave.". But given how well she seems to know the house and those visions, that does not seem likely. Also, she had to have been able to go the bathroom and such.
I've always thought that the "Gingerbread House" name came more from Wendy making her everyday life into a fairytale. She was quick to turn "Joshua" into the prince in need of rescue and herself into the heroic princess. Much like in the story of Hansel and Gretel, where the witch had a house made of candy that she used to lure children to her to eat, there is a "boy" being held by a person who gives out sweets and a girl who must save him. A lot of people thought this name was proof Gregory was responsible for kidnapping and killing the missing kids, giving as how that is what the witch in the story did, but I don't believe that.
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Post by Azure Princess on Mar 2, 2007 1:31:09 GMT -5
Oooh! Agree! Agree!
The minute I had actually heard the words, 'Ginger Bread house' I was, "Oh, Hansel and Gretel!"
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Post by PrincessJennifer on Mar 2, 2007 1:47:06 GMT -5
An interesting thing is the visions though. They do seem to be her memories of Gregory, which would mean she was allowed to at least wander the house. I highly doubt she was allowed outside by herself, or else escaping with Wendy would not have been such a task. It is interesting to think she was allowed around the house, but had to be sprung at night by Wendy. Why couldn't they just escape together when she was not locked up?
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Post by avidgamer77 on Mar 2, 2007 7:02:14 GMT -5
Maybe Gregory is always watching on Jennifer? He could be checking up on Jennifer very often since he's very close to her as his Joshua. Wendy may think it's best to sneak in at night while Gregory's guard is low, i.e. after he "secures" Jennifer inside the basement every night. BTW was the door unlocked by lockpicking or using the key?
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Post by Azure Princess on Mar 2, 2007 8:23:31 GMT -5
Hmm... I wonder if Wendy knows how to pick locks.
I think the visions represent Gregory's presence in Jennifer's life so to speak.
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Post by PrincessJennifer on Mar 2, 2007 15:19:22 GMT -5
I think Wendy might have just unlocked the door. Some doors just have simple locks on them that you don't need a key for.
While it does seem he would keep a very watchful eye on her, her visions show him with his back to her and lying down, so it does not seem that he could have been very good at it.
And the visions just showing his presence in her life does not seem likely either. They appear to be things she must have actually seen. Plus her memory of his house, even if exaggerated, would indicate she's been around it often. Maybe she went into Joshua's room and that's why it got boarded up? She remembers it to well to have never been in there before...
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Post by avidgamer77 on Mar 2, 2007 20:39:40 GMT -5
I was also thinking that Gregory had been turning his back on Jennifer and hiding in his rooms, but I think he still kept a vigil on her every now and then, as you can see, even after he puts her to bed, he still checks up on her from the basement window outside. Another example like what you said Jennifer had tried to explore Joshua's room but get caught by him, and the room had been barricaded as a result. Maybe it might be a challenge for Wendy to rescue her even at night.
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Post by PrincessJennifer on Mar 2, 2007 20:46:43 GMT -5
I didn't mean that he was hiding from her, I just meant that it didn't seem like he was keeping that watchful an eye over her with how often we see him focusing on something else. Seems like she could leave quite easily.
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Post by avidgamer77 on Mar 2, 2007 23:03:55 GMT -5
I don't think Jennifer had any intentions of abandoning Gregory because he was too kind to her (whether this kindness was Gregory's part to make sure she stays with him forever), she must have been persuaded by Wendy to leave him. Guess she doesn't want to ditch Wendy's efforts to rescue her.
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Post by PrincessJennifer on Mar 2, 2007 23:10:06 GMT -5
Not what I meant.^^ I feel certain that she had no intentions of escaping prior to Wendy convincing her. My statement about it being easy for her to escape while not locked in the room was more directed towards when Wendy wanted to get her out. Seems like she went through more trouble than necessary.
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Post by avidgamer77 on Mar 3, 2007 1:32:01 GMT -5
Maybe Wendy had some other things to do at the orphanage?
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Post by PrincessJennifer on Mar 3, 2007 1:46:05 GMT -5
Then why not wait until the following day?
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