Wilt

[WiltsAKGirl17]

Originally Posted by pitbulllady

In that scene in GWH when Larry falls on Wilt's arm, you can actually HEAR the sound of bones crunching, which is really pretty serious stuff for an animated "kids' show" when you think about it. You can SEE that expression of pure agony and shock on his face, so there's no doubt that he felt excruciating pain. I've seen wild animals that had a limb "just fall off" after some injury that left that limb deprived of adequate blood supply, and it leaves a very ragged and uneven stump, usually with a piece of dead bone sticking out-NOT a pretty sight. In contrast, Wilt's remnant left arm has been neatly removed, padded(that's why the end is wider than the corresponding part of his right arm), and sutured-clearly the work of a skilled surgeon. No magic involved, other than the magic of modern(for that time period, anyway)medicine, and maybe the compassion of a medical staff who were caring for a patient that they KNEW would never be able to pay for the surgery and treatment.

Wilt might indeed have some fear of re-adjusting to having a left arm again, even if it is a prosthesis, especially if there was a long period of time between his arm being crushed and him actually receiving medical treatment, since that arm would have really been in bad shape, to the point where Wilt's life would have been in grave danger(no pun intended). Having another "arm" there, even one that was not real, might not just be difficult to learn to use, but could reopen some memories that he'd probably rather not deal with again. Crush injuries, especially to limbs, usually result in "compartment syndrome", massive swelling of the connective tissues, which cuts off blood supply and causes cells to rupture and release toxins. If you've got a strong(and I mean STRONG)stomach, Google-Image search "Necrotizing Fasciitis", and you'll see what I mean. That's what happens when severe crush injuries aren't treated promptly. Put that in the context of the Deep South's climate, especially if this was in the summer, and it's easy to understand why having no arm at all would be preferable to anything that reminded Wilt of that. "Magic"? Don't think so!

pitbulllady

I don?t remember that scene, but I have an extremely active imagination, so (sadly) I can imagine the sound of bones crunching and the look on Wilt?s face-- no doubt something, to quote Cry the Beloved Country author Alan Paton, ?not done lightly? in the world of children?s TV. In my reflection on pondering Wilt?s left arm, I?ve always figured it was attended to by a very skilled surgeon. Medicine is a wonderful thing, isn?t it?

However, I doubt that it?s nothing compared to the emotional healing Wilt went through. Ninety-nine-point-nine times out of one hundred, medial professionals-- doctors, nurses, orderlies, you name it!--are kind, wonderful people (I know my childhood doctor and favorite doctor to boot, a man named Dr. Palekadetti from India, is no exception) with limitless amounts of compassion-- something Wilt definitely would have needed at that point in his life. On top of losing Jordan and the only real home he?s ever know, Wilt lost his eye and his arm-- there?s going to be some emotional turmoil there, and he?ll no doubt need a great deal of help to cope with it all.

One of the predominant images I have of Wilt after receiving a prosthetic, is struggling to readjust his routines. Something like putting one a jacket with one arm would be challenging with only one arm, but Wilt is resourceful and adapted. Readjusting to just being able to put his arm through the sleeve would be frustrating. The re-opening of unpleasant memories brought on by the prosthetic would no doubt put an immense amount of stress and pressure on Wilt.

I DID Google-Image search Necrotizing Fasciitis-- in the words of my Consumer Ed/Home Ec teacher (who?s from Arkansas), oh my mercy. Trying to say this as nicely as possible without making anyone sick to their stomach, I imagine that Wilt being fitted with a prosthetic would bring back memories of his mangled arm and the resulting pain, illness (possibly a complication from a resulting infection?) and misery. I?d always assumed that Wilt was created in the summer-- when Jordan would have more time to play outside and not be stuck in a classroom all day-- and that the game with Foul Larry was during the summer as well. The heat would no doubt encourage the proliferation of bacteria and infection, causing a VERY miserable time for Wilt. (I do wonder-- how much time would have to have passed between his arm being crushed and him getting medical attention before the injury become extremely serious, potentially fatal?)

So I guess this means that we?re ruling magic out completely?