My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry

The Land-of-Almost-Awake is the setting for Granny’s fairy tales. It features a castle, several kingdoms, and a colorful cast of characters. As Elsa completes her mission to deliver all of Granny’s apology letters, she realizes that the Land-of-Almost-Awake is analogous to real life. The castle is the apartment building, the kingdoms represent various traits and virtues, and the characters are the tenants. In this way, the Land-of-Almost-Awake serves a dual purpose: It provides Elsa a much-needed escape from life’s harsh realities while simultaneously providing Granny a means to impart crucial life lessons that endures after her death.

Harry Potter is Elsa’s favorite literary figure; she has read the series many times. Elsa closely identifies with Harry in part because he is also considered “different” and bullied at school. Elsa wears her Gryffindor scarf everywhere, even though other schoolchildren tell her it’s ugly. In this sense, the scarf represents Elsa’s differentness. In the Harry Potter books, all the most courageous students, including Harry, are sorted into the Gryffindor House. Therefore, the scarf also symbolizes Elsa’s bravery.