Sorry it has taken me a few days to reply, Ann. This does happen to me a lot nowadays, when I manage to reply at all.
Of course, a number of years between siblings (with no others in between) happens, but it does seem as if one reason why people see something suspicious in the Paroo family is because of the 16-20 (or more) years difference in age, depending on the production, that there appears to be between Winthrop and Marian.
After I posted a few days ago, I remembered something in the dialogue that could be cited as evidence by those wanting to make the case that Marian is Winthrop's mother but perhaps I shouldn't mention it, especially since it tears down one point I cited in making the case that she is not. :) I feel like Perry Mason.
Anyway, it certainly would not have been odd in that time for there to have been children between Marian and Winthrop, children who have either died or moved away, or some of both.
There is a much bigger improbability in the script that no one ever mentions, perhaps because it was changed in the movie: the library being open till what seems to be around midnight on the Fourth of July. |
