What is the significance of the grandmother's missing finger?
In the 1990 movie "The Witches" the camera shows the Grandmother missing the end of a pinky finger on one of her hands. It's hinted that it was from a possible confrontation with the head witch during the grandmother's child-hood, but it's never expressly explained. Is there a full explanation of what happened to the grandmother and how or why she lost her finger?
Best Answer
Not as far as I can tell. From the book, there is only this discussion. Likely changed for the movie since a shortened pinky finger was an easier special effect than a missing thumb.
"Grandmamma," I said, "when you were a little girl, did you ever meet a witch?"
"Once," my grandmother said. "Only once."
"What happened?"
"I'm not going to tell you," she said. "It would frighten you out of your skin and give you bad dreams."
"Please tell me," I begged.
"No," she said. "Certain things are too horrible to talk about."
"Does it have something to do with your missing thumb?" I asked.
Suddenly, her old wrinkled lips shut tight as a pair of tongs and the hand that held the cigar (which had no thumb on it.) began to quiver very slightly.
I waited. She didn't look at me. She didn't speak. All of a sudden she had shut herself off completely. The conversation was finished.
"Goodnight, Grandmamma," I said, rising from the floor and kissing her on the cheek.
She didn't move. I crept out of the room and went to my bedroom.
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